Legislation

Our policy team is a constant presence in Salem and local municipalities to pass bills that advance or defend civil liberties and civil rights, and to defeat those that do not. In addition to our mission to defend and advance civil liberties and civil rights, we are committed to:

  1. Making progress towards achieving a decolonized workspace and culture through a shift in language and centering indigenous sovereignty in internal and external work;
  2. Prioritizing and holding ourselves accountable to the organization’s values of anti-Black racism, equity, and racial justice education and reflection;
  3. Leading with race and centering those most directly impacted by racism and white supremacy in policy decisions, including but not limited to BIPOC/BIWOC communities, immigrants and refugees, people with varying abilities, LGBTQ communities, and people experiencing poverty or other socio-economic injustices.
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PRIVACY: Criminal History Background Checks for Employment & Licensing (HB 2187, HB 2217, HB 2224, HB 2442*, HB 2988*, HB 3427, SB 46, SB 66, SB 94, and SB 157) (2009)

Beginning in the 1990s, the Oregon legislature began authorizing FBI fingerprint criminal history checks for school teachers. Over the years, this authority has expanded greatly to include most state agencies that grant licenses or hire employees in “sensitive” positions. In 2005, ACLU worked on omnibus legislation in this area (HB 2157). We supported certain provisions of that proposal because it included new uniform safeguards and due process protections for all persons subject to FBI background checks and maintained the requirement that the fingerprints be destroyed after the background check.

September 9, 2009

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Collecting DNA from Felony Arrestees (HB 2103) (2009)

Defense Counsel Access to Evidence (HB 2344) (2009)

Invasion of Personal Privacy (HB 2477) (2009)

September 9, 2009

DEATH PENALTY: Individuals with Mental Retardation (HB 2668, HB 2669, HB 2670) (2009)

Other than the Reproductive Freedom bills above, no other death penalty legislation was heard this session. Three bills were introduced, HB 2668, HB 2669 and HB 2670, all of which would have created a procedure for considering the issue of whether a defendant who is charged with aggravated murder (eligible for death sentence) is a person with mental retardation. The bills were not heard and died in committee.

September 9, 2009

REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM: Expanding Aggravated Murder Statute (SB 982, SB 984, HB 3505) (2009)

Normally, reproductive rights and death penalty issues do not intersect, but at the very end of session, they did. SB 982, SB 984 and HB 3505 were all introduced in response to the horrendous murder that occurred in Beaverton resulting in the death of a pregnant woman and the stillbirth of her infant. As explained below, ACLU opposed all three proposals. 

September 9, 2009