July 8, 2013 - After more than five months in session, today the 77th Oregon Legislature reached adjournment. This session we saw important advancements in civil liberties, including in our priority areas of privacy, immigrants' rights, and criminal justice. Until we release our comprehensive session summary of victories and defeats for civil liberties in 2013, here is a brief list of the bills that topped our agenda and how they fared.
Read the full legislative report (PDF).
To see how your legislator voted on civil liberties issues, download the ACLU of Oregon's 2013 Legislative Scorecard (PDF).
PRIVACY & TECHNOLOGY
Already signed by the Governor and scheduled to take effect January 1, 2014, HB 2654 and SB 344 prohibit employers and institutions of higher education, respectively, from requiring employees or students to hand over the password to their private social media accounts. Waiting for signature on the Governor’s desk is HB 2710, which updates our privacy laws to prohibit law enforcement from using unmanned aerial vehicles – otherwise known as “drones” – to spy on Oregonians without a search warrant based on probable cause. The technology that we use in our everyday lives and the new surveillance tools available to our government each poses new threats to our right to privacy. With these bills, the Legislature sent a clear message that technology must not come at the expense of these rights.
IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS
In the area of immigrants' rights, HB 2787 and SB 833 each promote fairness and equality, making Oregon a more welcoming place for immigrant communities. HB 2787 – the “Tuition Equity” bill – makes it possible for all Oregon students, regardless of citizenship status, to be able to pay in-state tuition at an Oregon college or university, as long as the student meets certain eligibility criteria. SB 833 restores access to driving privileges to Oregonians who cannot prove lawful presence in the country, a privilege that was taken away in 2007 with an Executive Order signed by then-Governor Ted Kulongoski. HB 2787 took effect on July 1 and SB 833 will take effect on January 1, 2014.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
HB 3194 passed with some good steps forward for criminal justice. The final bill is a significantly watered down version of an already modest approach to public safety reform. We supported the original bill which included a long list of policy recommendations from the Governor’s Commission on Public Safety that worked for months in collaboration with the Pew Center on the States to examine Oregon’s criminal justice system and put forward options for improvement. Among changes to the bill adopted in late session amendments was the removal of any changes to Measure 11 mandatory minimum sentences, a hugely disappointing change that resulted in a missed opportunity for the Legislature to return judicial discretion to sentencing for a narrow set of crimes.
