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As the courts have become increasingly political, we cannot always rely on them to advance or protect our civil liberties. Therefore, the role of our legislative program has become even more vital. A strong presence in Sacramento through our ACLU of California Center for Advocacy and Policy (CAP) enables us to stop or amend laws and policies hostile to civil liberties before it becomes necessary to convince a court to rule a statute unconstitutional.
Our CAP team lobbies the legislature, analyzes proposed legislation, drafts and presents testimony, contacts legislative offices, and stimulates grassroots contact with legislators.
Living in California is already expensive enough: for many working families, it's almost impossible to afford to live here because of astronomically high housing prices and equally expensive childcare and higher education costs.
Body cameras were promised as a way to hold police accountable not as surveillance systems to be used against the public.
Police officers should avoid using deadly force whenever possible. But, right now, officers can legally use deadly force and kill someone even when they have other alternatives.
Right now, California law charges administrative fees to people who come in contact with the criminal justice system, including fees for public defenders, booking, mandatory drug testing and costs related to a person’s incarceration and probation supervision, like electronic monitoring.
Fair and just access to health care is a human right. But right now, most California counties charge people in jail a $3 copay when they seek medical or dental care; they are also allowed to charge for medical equipment like glasses and dentures.
Although California has made significant strides over the years to address mass incarceration and racial bias and disparities in the criminal justice system, more needs to be done to move California forward and invest in communities.
