News & Commentary

Jefferson City, MO (March 20, 2020) – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, Dēmos, and ACLU of Missouri issued a letter demanding that Missouri Governor Michael Parson and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft extend the voter registration deadline for the newly rescheduled June 2, 2020 Municipal Elections to May 6, 2020, as required by state law.

ACLU of Missouri is Additionally Calling for the Release of People Currently in Pretrial Detention Because of Cash Bail to Prevent a Public Health Crisis 

We urge stakeholders to develop and implement holistic policies that align with guidance from public health experts and that will minimize the harm inflicted on people involved in the criminal legal system.

As Missouri gathers resources and establishes plans to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 within its borders, we hope that the legislature will consider the ACLU of Missouri as a resource in its work to develop a response plan that protects the health, safety, and civil liberties of all.

The court finds the ordinance is an extremely broad prohibitory law, that authorizes any police officer to put an end to expressive conduct on a street or sidewalk at any time for any reason, whether he dislikes a speaker’s message or simply wants her to hurry up

Prone restraint, seclusion, isolation, suspensions, and segregation.  These are antiquated and barbaric practices in our schools that are harmful to children and disproportionately effect children with disabilities and children of color. 

JEFFERSON CITY- The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and PROMO, Missouri’s statewide LGBT advocacy organization, condemn the vote of Missouri’s House General Laws committee to roll back marriage equality. HB 2173, sponsored by Representative Adam Schnelting’s [R-104], passed the House General Laws committee today. The Courts are clear- marriage equality is the law of the land. This legislature’s attempt to “get the government out of marriage” is a thinly veiled ploy to undermine marriage equality. 

Missouri – The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Missouri, Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe have filed a class action lawsuit to end Missouri’s unconstitutional use of public defender “waiting lists”—a practice that systematically deprives thousands of people accused of crimes across the state every day of the court-appointed counsel required by the Constitution.

Katherine a mother to a trans daughter testified in opposition of the egregious anti-trans HJR 82 on Tuesday, Feb 18th to the Missouri House General Laws Committee. This bill would ban trans youth from playing on gendered sports teams.