Latest From ACLU of Washington

The latest content and updates from the ACLU of Washington website.

Court Rules Florist Discriminated Against Gay Couple by Refusing to Sell Flowers for Their Wedding

News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
A Benton County Superior Court judge today ruled that a florist in Richland, WA violated the state’s anti-discrimination law when she denied service to a gay couple for their wedding. Photo by Julie Saraceno/Missy Moo Studio. 
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Court Orders New District Voting System to Provide Meaningful Voice for Latinos in Yakima Elections

News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
The U.S. District Court for Eastern Washington today issued an order requiring Yakima to implement a plan for seven single-member districts for City Council elections. The action followed a 2014 ruling that the city’s election at-large election system unlawfully diluted the votes of Yakima’s Latino residents. The decision came in a lawsuit by the ACLU of Washington challenging Yakima’s system for violating the federal Voting Rights Act.    
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ACLU-WA Responds to Fatal Police Shooting in Pasco

News Release, Published: 
Friday, February 13, 2015
The ACLU-WA is deeply concerned about this very disturbing incident.  Fleeing from police and not following an officer’s command should not be sufficient for a person to get shot.  Lethal force should be used only as an absolute last resort. 
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Civil Liberties Bills Hang in the Balance as Legislature Goes into Overtime

Published: 
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
In the special session, measures which did not pass during the regular session are again alive for consideration. The ACLU continues to press for passage of a state voting rights act and reasonable regulations on government use of aerial drones.
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Eliminate the differences between I-502 and medical marijuana law

News Release, Published: 
Monday, January 12, 2015
As medical marijuana heads back to Olympia, legislators are bracing for a rerun of last session’s drama of makeshift dispensary operators and self-appointed patient advocates decrying any effort to rein in abuses of the law.
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Eliminate the differences between I-502 and medical marijuana law

Published: 
Monday, January 12, 2015
This op-ed first appeared in the Opinion section of the Seattle Times.  As medical marijuana heads back to Olympia, legislators are bracing for a rerun of last session’s drama of makeshift dispensary operators and self-appointed patient advocates decrying any effort to rein in abuses of the law.
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Body Cams: A Call for Careful Consideration

Published: 
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Recent public outcry for police accountability and reform has been sparked by an epidemic of police violence targeted disproportionately at people of color. Advocacy groups, the public, and the president alike have touted body worn cameras as a potential cure for police misconduct.  If officers wear cameras, runs the thinking, we would have a clear visual record of what actually happened and who was at fault in disputed encounters with civilians.
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Federal Court Rules Long Delays in Mental Health Services for Individuals in Jail Violate the Constitution

News Release, Published: 
Monday, December 22, 2014
A federal court has ruled that the persistent delays in providing court-ordered competency evaluation and restoration services to pre-trial detainees in jails violates due process rights. The ruling is an important confirmation that the Constitution protects everyone, including people with mental illness.  
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