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Quiz: State Legislation and the Part You Play
The laws passed in your state crucially affect your civil liberties — but you can influence this legislative process at the polls.
The laws passed in your state crucially affect your civil liberties — but you can influence this legislative process at the polls.
State legislation can have an immense impact on your civil rights, for better or for worse. And even though state lawmakers are tasked with determining which bills get turned into laws, you hold a lot of power to make these decisions because you elect candidates into office. Take this quiz to learn about lawmaking at the state level, and how you can play a part in this process at the ballot box.
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Press ReleaseOct 2026
Civil Liberties
Aclu And Aclu Of North Carolina Launch Over $3.5 Million Campaign To Educate North Carolina Voters Ahead Of Midterm Elections. Explore Press Release.ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµand ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµof North Carolina Launch Over $3.5 Million Campaign to Educate North Carolina Voters Ahead of Midterm Elections
RALEIGH, N.C. – The ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµ of North Carolina and ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµ, Inc. today announced the launch of a joint campaign that will spend over $3.5 million to educate and engage North Carolina voters ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. “For years, voters in North Carolina have watched as extreme politicians try over and over again to strip us of our rights – from our right to bodily autonomy to our right to fair representation,â€� said Liz Barber, ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµof North Carolina director of policy and advocacy. “The ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµis committed to ensuring that North Carolinians understand how state officials – like state supreme court justices and state legislators – can protect our rights, and where candidates for office this cycle stand on these important issues.â€� The organizations are spending $3.5 million on a series of statewide advertisements on social and digital media platforms and direct-to-voter mailers during the final weeks of the state Supreme Court race and key state legislative races. The advertisements will focus on educating voters about where candidates stand on key issues, including abortion rights and voting rights. This is the organizations’ largest electoral spend in North Carolina to date and will reach over 2.3 million voters. The spending is part of a multi-cycle strategy in North Carolina from the ACLU. In 2024, the ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµof North Carolina and ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµspent $750,000 on direct mail, digital ads, and grassroots outreach educating voters about issues at stake in the state Supreme Court and state legislative elections. The North Carolina Supreme Court is responsible for interpreting the state constitution and state laws. As the state’s highest court, it has the final say on many questions involving civil rights and civil liberties, and the North Carolina Constitution can provide broader protections than the U.S. Constitution. In 2022, for example, the court held that the North Carolina Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment can provide protections beyond those guaranteed by the Eighth Amendment. The ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµof North Carolina, and ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµare nonpartisan and do not support or oppose candidates for elected office. The organizations do, however, educate the voters about the issues at stake in elections and candidates’ positions and records on civil rights and civil liberties.Affiliate: North Carolina -
CaliforniaOct 2026
Civil Liberties
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Salles, Et Al. V. National Institutes Of Health, Et Al.. Explore Case.Salles, et al. v. National Institutes of Health, et al.
Salles, et al. v. National Institutes of Health, et al. is a class action lawsuit challenging the censorship and termination of federally funded research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). While ongoing litigation in APHA v. NIH successfully resulted in the reinstatement of hundreds of grants, NIH’s current policies continue to target viewpoints it opposes, threatening research because the government dislikes what it thinks the researchers believe or are likely to say, and continue to violate governing statutes and regulations. This is stymieing critical public health research, particularly related to climate change, the starkest health disparities including those faced by communities of color and LGBTQ+ populations, and other areas.Status: Ongoing -
News & CommentaryOct 2026
Civil Liberties
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This Supreme Court Term: Our Rights And Freedoms At Stake. Explore News & Commentary.This Supreme Court Term: Our Rights and Freedoms at Stake
The ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµcould have its busiest Supreme Court term ever, with potential cases on immigration, voting rights, and religious freedom in schools.By: Cecillia Wang -
Press ReleaseOct 2026
Civil Liberties
Aclu Announces The Arnie Miller Fund For The Next Generation. Explore Press Release.ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµAnnounces the Arnie Miller Fund for the Next Generation
NEW YORK — The ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµ today announced that, through a generous $1 million anonymous gift, it has established the Arnie Miller Fund for the Next Generation to invest in emerging civil rights and civil liberties leaders. The Fund will support paid ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµinternships for law school and undergraduate students named "Arnie Miller Internsâ€� and enrich programming for ACLU's highly competitive 18-month Pauli Murray Fellowship at the ACLU. The Fund aims to honor the late Arnold J. “Arnieâ€� Miller’s fierce commitment to mentorship, to cultivating a diverse pipeline of talented future leaders, including women, people of color, and underrepresented communities, and to uplifting the next generation of aspiring young leaders in public interest roles. “Arnie Miller spent his life lifting people up, because he understood that people and community are our best assets. We’re proud to be able to turn this generous gift into a long-term program to train and develop young people who are passionate about civil rights and civil liberties,â€� said Anthony D. Romero, ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµexecutive director. “We continue to honor Arnie’s memory by investing in the people who will carry this work forward.â€� Arnie Miller grew up in the Bronx and served as an Army Lieutenant in post-war Korea before entering politics amid the antiwar movement of the 1960s and 70s. He served in the Carter administration as Director of the Presidential Personnel Office, helping bring more women and people of color into senior federal roles than any prior administration, and later founded Isaacson, Miller, an executive search firm serving mission-driven nonprofits and foundations. “Arnie believed deeply that young people with courage and determination could make a difference in our world. Throughout his life, he found enormous joy in helping others find their path and opening doors that might otherwise have remained closed. I know he would be deeply moved to see this fund carrying that spirit forward, giving the next generation the opportunity to serve, to lead, and to make our communities better. There is no more meaningful way to honor his memory,â€� said Deb DeLee, Arnie's longtime partner. The Arnie Miller Fund for the Next Generation will help the ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµfoster the exceptional talent of early-career professionals and welcomes additional gifts from those inspired by Arnie's legacy, ensuring the ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµcan continue to create opportunities for early-career professionals to enhance their skills, grow as leaders, and build careers dedicated to justice, equality, and freedom. Learn more about the Arnie Miller Fund for the Next Generation at /arnie-miller-fund and the Pauli Murray Fellowship at /pauli-murray-fellowship.