ALBANY, N.Y. (June 1, 2016) – A bill introduced in the New York Assembly to put strict limitations on the use of automated license plate reader systems (ALPRs) by the state was drastically altered in committee. The new version of the bill only applies restrictions to private individuals. Introduced by Asm. Jeffrey Dinowitz on Feb. 13,…
BOSTON, Mass. (May 31, 2016) – Last week, a Massachusetts joint committee passed an agriculture bill that would expand raw milk sales in the state. Passage of the bill into law would facilitate the process of nullifying the federal prohibition scheme in practice. The Senate Ways and Means Committee created Senate Bill 2286 (S.2286) to…
LOS ANGELES (May 30, 2016) – Dedicated activists in Los Angeles forced the end to federal militarization of law enforcement on a hyper-local level, demonstrating the power of a bottom up approach when confronting federal power. After 18 months of pressure and activism, the Labor/Community Strategy Center reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Unified…
COLUMBUS, Ohio (May 30, 2016) – Last week, the Ohio House passed a bill that would reform asset forfeiture laws to prohibit the state from taking property without a criminal conviction in the majority of cases. The legislation also takes on federal forfeiture programs by banning prosecutors from circumventing state laws by passing cases off…
One thing Californians agree on is their opposition to laws that allow law enforcement to seize and keep people’s cash and property merely for being suspects of a crime, also known as asset forfeiture (learn more here). That’s according to a two new surveys by the Public Policy Polling. The surveys found “overwhelming statewide and…
BOSTON, Mass. (May 27, 2016) – A Massachusetts House committee has passed a bill that would put limitations on the storage and sharing of information collected by law enforcement agencies using Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) in the state, and place significant roadblocks in the way of a federal program using states to help track the…
ALBANY, N.Y. (May 27, 2016) – A second New York Assembly committee has passed a bill that would allow customers to opt out of installing “smart meter” technology on their homes and businesses. Final passage of this bill would allow New Yorkers to protect their own privacy, and it would take a step toward blocking…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 26, 2016) – On Monday, the California Assembly passed a bill that would restrict warrantless drone surveillance by state and local law enforcement. If ultimately signed into law, the legislation would not only establish important privacy protections at the state level, it would also help thwart the federal surveillance state. Assemblyman Bill…
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 25, 2016) – Earlier this month, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback signed a bill into law that halts state efforts to comply with the EPA Clean Power Plan, at least temporarily. Senate Bill 318 (SB318) passed both houses of the Kansas legislature comfortably. It prohibits any state agency from engaging in activities relating…
BATON ROUGE, La. (May 24, 2016) – Yesterday, the Louisiana Senate passed a bill that would expand the state’s current “Right to Try” law. It now goes on to the governor’s desk for his signature. Last year, the Louisiana legislature passed, and the governor signed,“Right to Try” legislation giving terminally ill patients access to medicines…