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The ACLU of Texas Legislative Program
The ACLU of Texas advances liberty and justice in Texas through litigation and education programs. We also aggressively defend fundamental freedoms under threat at the Texas Legislature. The Legislative Advocacy Team represents a diverse coalition of grassroots activists, civil rights leaders, attorneys and volunteers.
To learn more about protecting your freedom through legislative and lobbying activity, sign up for email updates on this website.
International Human Rights Experts Denounce U.S. Record On Racial And Ethnic Discrimination
A United Nations committee today issued a strongly worded critique of the United States’ record on racial discrimination and urged the government to make sweeping reforms to policies affecting racial and ethnic minorities, women, and immigrants in this country. The American Civil Liberties Union called on the U.S. government to take vigorous steps to implement the committee’s recommendations and fulfill its human rights treaty obligations. Read More...
Texas School Board Agrees To Stop Teaching Unconstitutional Bible Class In Public Schools
The Ector County School Board agreed today to stop teaching a course in its public schools that unconstitutionally promotes a particular interpretation of the Bible that is not shared by Jews, Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and most Protestants. Read More...
Free Market Foundation, ACLU, Texas Eagle Forum PAC Win Preliminary Injunction Against Unconstitutional Law Criminalizing Citizen Speech on Speaker’s Race
Today, a broad-based coalition of plaintiffs won a preliminary injunction in U.S. District Court in Austin that now prevents the Texas Ethics Commission from enforcing a state law restricting individuals and groups from speaking out in the Texas Speaker’s race. Read More...
UN Demands US Government Answer for Border Wall
Today, the United Nations Committee charged with monitoring compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination All Forms of Racial Discrimination, an international treaty that was ratified by the U.S. in 1994, asked high-ranking U.S. government officials to explain the U.S.'s compliance, or lack thereof, with the treaty provisions that prohibit discrimination in areas such as housing, law enforcement, education, and the treatment of migrants. Since the treaty’s ratification, U.S. reporting on compliance has been inadequate, and this week’s hearings were no exception. Read More...
Free Market Foundation, ACLU, Texas Eagle Forum PAC File Lawsuit Challenging State’s Ban on Free Speech
A broad-based coalition of plaintiffs today filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Austin that challenges a state law blocking individuals and organizations in Texas from engaging in true public debate over the election of the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. Read More...
The Future of Texas: 70th Anniversary Conference
Join the ACLU March 8th in San Antonio for our 70th anniversary conference. Luminaries participating include Cecile Richards, Stephen Klineberg and many others. Read More...
ACLU of Texas Opposes Voter Photo ID and Supports Help America Vote
We Recommend a Top-to-Bottom Review of E-Voting Systems, the Counting of Provisional Ballots and Programs to Improve Voter Turnout in Texas. Read More...
Are you ready to pick up the torch?
Join the ACLU of Texas in San Antonio for our 70th Anniversary Gala and Conference, March 8, 2008 on the Riverwalk! Learn more at www.aclutx70th.org! Read More...
ACLU of Texas Legislative Report
Below is the ACLU of Texas' full legislative report highlighting our many successes during the 80th Texas Legislative Session. Read More...
ACLU Highlights Successes in the 80th Legislative Session
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas celebrates the day after Sine Die with many notable successes. Read More...
Strangest Bedfellows and More - Session Awards from the ACLU Legislative Committee
ACLU of Texas' volunteer-led Legislative Committee presented its Awards for the 80th Texas Legislature Monday night at an outdoor ceremony steps from the Texas capitol. Read More...
Lege Session Happy Hour May 21st!
RAIN OR SHINE!! Joan friends of the ACLU of Texas on Monday, May 21st, for our last Legislative Happy Hour of the 80th Session! Read More...
ACLU Encouraged as House Passes HB 13
House Bill 13, which includes the controversial criminal intelligence database called TDEx, passed the Texas House today. The bill had received a flurry of attention as a border security bill and for putting the massive database into the Governor’s hands. Read More...
ACLU Applauds Passage of Prison Rape Elimination Bill
– House Bill 1944, which focuses on eliminating sexual assault in Texas Prisons, passed the Texas House of Representatives unanimously on today. Read More...
80th Legislature: House bills we support
Years of work by the ACLU, the Texas Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, the Texas Public Policy Foundation and many others have resulted in momentum for reform and many good bills that we support. Read More...
HB 47: Reduce Recidivism Rate through Inmate Education Programs
Enables TDCJ to establish in-cell education programs for inmates in administrative segregation. Read More...
Sunset Commission: Support Alternatives to Incarceration
Taxpayers will spend more than $1 billion in bond principle and interest if TDCJ's proposals to add new prison beds succeed. Read More...
HB 312 and HB 337: Strengthen Community Supervision
Bills will make probation stronger and ease the capacity crisis. Read More...
2007 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program Launches
The ACLU Foundation of Texas' Legal Department is very proud to announce the launching of our Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program for 2007. Each month an expert on constitutional and civil rights/civil liberties law will offer a CLE presentation on an issue of importance to the local legal community. Read More...
Sneaking and spying
As the ACLU commences its lawsuit against the federal government in response to domestic spying by the NSA, ACLU of Texas' work to protect personal privacy and prevent government secrecy is worth a peek. Read More...
Patriot Act Reauthorization
The White House usurps Patriot Act reauthorization process. Negotiators neglect privacy and civil liberties concerns but add poison pills. Read More...
Passage of Proposition 2 Sets Back Civil Liberties for All Texans
Texans voted to amend our state Constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman, thereby denying the validity of domestic partnerships between both same- and opposite-sex couples. Read More...
Craddick announces interim studies
House Speaker Craddick today announced interim studies for 2006. Legislative committees will research issues that affect your civil liberties and these studies will lead to legislation in the 79th Legislature in 2007. Read More...
79th Texas Legislature overview
With thousands of bills moving, it took a huge team of volunteers to keep up--but we significantly affected the outcome in favor of individual liberty. Read More...
79th Legislature kept meeting!
After two special sessions this summer, the legislature failed to pass a school finance bill but did give themselves a pension increase and judges a pay increase. Read More...
Protect reproductive freedom
Learn how to help ACLU protect women's reproductive freedom in an age when it's under attack. Read More...
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