A few months ago, as spring reached its apex, Connecticut’s Governor, Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, signed a bill outlawing capital punishment. “Connecticut joins sixteen other states and the rest of the industrialized world by taking this action,” he noted as he signed the bill into law. The signs are obvious for anyone who looks. Capital […]
Category: Civil Liberties
Posted inCivil Liberties, Healthcare, Policy Topics
Republican Todd Akin’s offensive comments about rape draw widespread condemnation
Yesterday, Missouri Republican Todd Akin, who currently serves in the U.S. House of Representatives and is the party’s U.S. Senate nominee this year, was interviewed by St. Louis’ local Fox affiliate about his candidacy. During the interview, Akin was asked if he believed that abortion should be available to women who are raped. Akin gave […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Elections, Healthcare, Policy Topics
Wanted: Women willing to run for office
At a time when women’s reproductive rights are under attack in state legislatures across the country, there might soon be no female Democratic governors to push back. The only two such governors left in office — Washington’s Chris Gregoire and North Carolina’s Bev Purdue — are leaving office in 2013, and only one state, New […]
Posted inBreaking News, Civil Liberties, Policy Topics
Another mass shooting: Gunman reportedly kills six at Sikh temple near Milwaukee
Tragedy has struck again, this time near Wisconsin’s largest city: At least seven people were killed, including one shooter, just after 10 a.m. Sunday at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, police said. Four of the dead were inside the temple at 7512 S. Howell Ave. and three of the dead, including a shooter, were […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Economic Security, Elections, Policy Topics
What does Rob McKenna have against family planning?
Yesterday, gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna posted on Crosscut a variety of statements on how to impair our state Medicaid system, and chose to omit any sort of content on how consequences of those changes would affect our state. While blasting Medicaid expansion(which, by the way, is in contrast to how 67% of Americans feel), Mr. McKenna […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Events, Live Coverage
LIVE from Providence: Organizing Outside the Lines: Reaching Hard-to-Reach Communities On and Offline
“These are not the only people working on these issues”, the moderator emphasized at the beginning of the panel. In a packed ballroom hall, this panel attempted to talk about ways to genuinely engaged groups that are not traditionally engaged. The moderator had to emphasize that “hard-to-reach” was in quotes, as communities which might be […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics, Public Planning
Latest tragedy in Seattle a sad reminder: Guns don’t kill people, people with guns kill people
Another late spring day has come and gone, and with it, the lives of more innocent Washingtonians have been blotted out, cruelly cut short by gunfire: A man who killed four people in a bloody shooting spree at two Seattle locations ended an intense manhunt by turning the gun on himself as officers closed in […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics
Supreme Court says police can strip-search anyone they arrest without probable cause
Federal, state, and local authorities may force any person they arrest to submit to a strip-search, whether or not there is probable cause for such an invasion of a suspect’s privacy, the Supreme Court ruled this morning, setting a dangerous and unwelcome precedent that NPI strongly condemns. In a five-to-four decision, Justices Anthony Kennedy, John […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Elections, Policy Topics
Referendum 74 gets a new ballot title; right wing to launch anti-equality signature drive
A couple hours ago, following a lengthy hearing, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee ordered that Referendum 74, the right wing’s attempt to force a public vote on Washington’s new marriage equality law, be given a new ballot title, after considering challenges to the original ballot title written by the Attorney General’s office by […]
Posted inBreaking News, Civil Liberties, Policy Topics
Washington State House sends marriage equality legislation to Governor Gregoire
Joyous news to report this afternoon: After many hours of debate, our state House has followed in the footsteps of the Senate and approved a bill making marriage equality the law of the land of Washington. The vote was fifty five to forty-three. SB 6239, prime sponsored by Senator Ed Murray, now heads to the […]
Posted inBreaking News, Civil Liberties, Policy Topics
Washington’s Senate approves marriage equality legislation after long debate
Wonderful, wonderful news to celebrate tonight: After a debate that stretched for more than an hour and a half, and saw the adoption and rejection of more than a dozen amendments, Washington’s state Senate has voted to approve legislation making marriage equality the law of the land. The vote was twenty-eight to twenty-one. Four Republicans joined […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Meta, Policy Topics
Big vote on marriage equality tomorrow
In a matter of hours, Washington’s Senate is set to take up Ed Murray’s bill, SB 6239, to make marriage equality the law of the land across the Evergreen State. At least twenty-five senators (including some Republicans) have already committed to vote in favor of the bill, so it is expected to pass. However, if you […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Legislative Advocacy, Policy Topics
Marriage equality gains twenty-fifth vote in state Senate; Haugen to vote yes
Great news this afternoon: We finally have the votes to pass marriage equality in the Washington State Legislature! Minutes ago, Senator Mary Margaret Haugen — who had previously said she was only willing to support putting the issue on the ballot for a public vote — reversed her position and decided to join the forces […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics, Technology
Harry Reid calls off next week’s vote on PIPA
Another victory! From Senator Harry Reid’s office: In light of recent events, I have decided to postpone Tuesday’s vote on the PROTECT I.P. Act. There is no reason that the legitimate issues raised by many about this bill cannot be resolved. Counterfeiting and piracy cost the American economy billions of dollars and thousands of jobs each […]