News & Commentary

We asked candidates running for State Representative in House Districts 115, 113, 104, and 47 about their positions on 13 key pieces of legislation affecting civil rights and civil liberties in our state. We then studied the results to determine which candidates were supportive of ACLU of Texas priorities. The scores below reflect how current state lawmakers voted during the 2017 legislative session. For challengers, the scores indicate how they would have voted, as indicated in their responses to our candidate questionnaire. Here are the bills we analyzed in each section. Click the header to find out more about each category:

On this date -- some 231 years ago in Philadelphia -- 39 delegates from the fledgling nation known as the United States of America came together to sign the final iteration of its Constitution.

This article originally appeared in the Dallas Morning News.

At sentencing, they kind of saved me for last. I had just turned 21. It was 1998. I remember the judge saying, “Jason, I’ve thought about this all week. … I’ve written Congress about these sentencing guidelines for crack-cocaine but my hands are tied.” After, he starts reading my sentence off to me: “life without parole …” After life without parole, I didn’t hear the other part.

For the third time in ten years, reports of alleged sexual assault by staff on detained youth at state secure juvenile facilities have surfaced. It was inexcusable the first time, and it is inexcusable now.

Two short months ago, our city suffered one of the most devastating natural disasters in its 180-year history. But the calamities Hurricane Harvey rained down upon us are the same as those homeless Houstonians face every single day. And they are no less deserving of our empathy, creativity and resources than are the victims of Harvey's floods.

Civilian review panels need power, independence, transparency and funding to hold police accountable for misconduct.

In South Texas, Rosa Maria and Jane Doe face the cruel realities of the administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

The Texas House bill that would remove criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana has made it to the all-important House Calendars Committee, the last step before it is debated before the full Texas House of Representatives.