News

SACRAMENTO – Today, the Executive Directors of the ACLU California affiliates announced a change to the ACLU’s position on Senate Bill 10, the California Bail Reform Act.  The following statement can be jointly attributed to the three Executive Directors of the California ACLU affiliates: Abdi Soltani (Northern California), Hector Villagra (Southern California), and Norma Chávez Peterson (San D... Read More

BREAKING – Today, the Federal Court allowed the ACLU’s First Amendment challenge to California's execution viewing procedure to move forward, rejecting the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s attempt to deprive journalists of the right to view and fully report on an execution. Linda Lye, Senior Staff Attorney, issued the following statement in reaction to the Court’s rulin... Read More

SACRAMENTO – Today, the Assembly Committee on Appropriations advanced legislation to open law enforcement misconduct and use of force records in California. SB 1421, introduced by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), will make public information about confirmed cases of misconduct – including sexual assault and job-related dishonesty – and serious uses of force by peace officers in California. L... Read More

SACRAMENTO – Today, legislation to update California’s lethal use of force law was removed from the Senate Appropriations Committee and referred to the Senate Rules Committee before heading to the Senate for a floor vote. AB 931, introduced by Assemblymembers Weber (D-San Diego) and McCarty (D-Sacramento), is heralded as landmark legislation to save lives. In response to the bill’s advancement,... Read More

SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) unveiled amendments to bail reform legislation, Senate Bill 10, he introduced in 2016. Natasha Minsker, Center Director for the ACLU of California Center for Advocacy and Policy, issued the following statement in response to the changes in the bill: For years, California’s money bail system has been among the most egregious examples of a two... Read More

FRESNO — On August 7, at the second TRUTH forum held in the state of California, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors violated the principles of the TRUTH Act. Maria Romani, ACLU Foundations of California Immigrants’ Rights Policy Attorney, issued the following comment in response: Community members have a right to know how their local law enforcement agencies are entangled in ICE’s deportati... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO — Amazon today issued an additional statement in response to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California test of Rekognition, the company's face recognition technology. The test revealed that Rekognition falsely matched 28 current members of Congress with images in an arrest photo database. Congressional members of color were disproportionately identified inc... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – Reps. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) and John Lewis (D-Ga.) today wrote to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos demanding a meeting to discuss Amazon’s face surveillance product Rekognition. The letter comes after the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California released results of a test this morning revealing that Rekognition falsely matched 28 current members of Congress with image... Read More

Today the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California released the results of a test revealing that Amazon’s facial surveillance product Rekognition falsely matched 28 current members of Congress with images in an arrest photo database. In the ACLU’s test, legislators from both parties, from states across the country, were falsely matched. Congressional members of color we... Read More

SACRAMENTO – California voting rights organizations today praised the California Motor Voter program for dramatically increasing statewide voter registration. The joint effort between the Secretary of State and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) processed nearly 800,000 voter registration transactions at the DMV from late April through June and ensures voter registration will be convenient and vot... Read More

SACRAMENTO – Today, Disability Rights California (DRC) and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California sued Secretary of State Alex Padilla for failing to provide voter registration services for low-income Californians and Californians with disabilities. DRC and the ACLU argue that Secretary Padilla has failed to designate state and local offices that serve more than 7 ... Read More

SACRAMENTO — Today, a federal judge blocked the City of Sacramento's anti-panhandling ordinance. The ACLU Foundation of Northern California and the Legal Services of Northern California issued the following response: Today’s ruling is a resounding victory for free speech and fairness, and is the first in California to make clear that the government can’t arbitrarily enact anti-panhandling ordin... Read More