News & Commentary

A small silver lining to the PRISM scandal is that it has created the impetus for several large technology companies to finally start giving the public a glimpse into how the government is regularly dipping into their treasure trove of personal information. You may want to check out our handy new chart for a quick rundown of what's been said and done by which companies- from statements, to transparency reports, to more recent legal efforts by Google and Yahoo to push back against government secrecy (let us know if we're missing anything).

Marriage for same-sex couples is returning to California. Nearly five years after California voters, through Prop. 8, stripped same-sex couples of their freedom to marry, today the U.S. Supreme Court has restored that very same freedom. In Hollingsworth v. Perry, the Court ruled that opponents of same-sex marriage lacked standing to appeal a decision that struck down Prop. 8. Meanwhile, in the ACLU's case Windsor v. United States the Court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act, paving the way for married same-sex couples in California to receive all federal benefits, rights, and responsibilities.

As everyone has now heard, the U.S. Supreme Court issued two historic decisions today for LGBT Equality – striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional and returning marriage to California, by dismissing the appeal in the Hollingsworth v. Perry (Prop 8) case for lack of standing. What does this mean? Essentially what we've been saying all along – that the folks who oppose the freedom to marry can't show that they are harmed by our marriages in any way. In fact, when gay and lesbian couples are allowed to marry families are helpedand no one is harmed.

In a disappointing 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court today struck down Section 4, a critical provision of the Voting Rights Act that had protected the right to vote for people of color and language minorities since 1965.

It's LGBT Pride Month across the country, and all eyes are on the U.S. Supreme Court as we wait for decisions in two cases involving marriage for same-sex couples. So why is the City of Fresno blocking local marriage equality supporters from holding a rally? The ACLU stepped in today to make sure the city isn't silencing free speech.

In a move that threatens the ability of Californians to hold their elected officials accountable to the public interest, the legislature late last week included a sly, last-minute amendment to the 2013-2014 budget now awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown's signature that substantially limits the public's right to know what our local leaders are doing in our name.

Abstinence-only-until-marriage instruction is still taught in a surprising number of Northern California school districts, despite a state law that prohibits it in public schools. Reproductive Justice Policy Director Phyllida Burlingame discusses the challenges of enforcing the law and what the ACLU is doing to help young people get the information they need to protect their sexual and reproductive health.

Amid recent revelations that the NSA has been secretly spying on phone records and the Internet activity of people in the United States, transparency reports filed by the California utilities companies and obtained by the ACLU of California show that a significant amount of data about the energy use of Californians is also ending up in the hands of third parties. In 2012, a single California utility company, San Diego Gas & Electric, disclosed the smart meter energy records of over 4,000 of its customers.

Today, we sent a letter to the Alameda County Sheriff asking him whether he plans to pursue his earlier-announced plans to acquire a drone. Budget documents we obtained through a Public Records Act request suggest that he is not planning to acquire a drone in Fiscal Year 2013-14. But a conclusive answer from his office would provide the public with the clarity and transparency it deserves.