News & Commentary

Pictured: Dylan spent 10 to 12 hours locked away from other youth at age 14. Dylan’s advocacy, along with other solitary survivors, helped create legislative changes that better protect vulnerable people, including juveniles, from being subjected to solitary confinement. 

September 15th marks the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month and I find myself reflecting on the action items I wrote about last year to honor Hispanic Nebraskans. Here is a report back on those action items and some timely new action items for the upcoming year: 

This week, we saw devastating news out of Texas in the fight for reproductive justice. A law that bans most abortions after six weeks, a time when most people don’t even know they’re pregnant, went into effect on Wednesday. Even if someone knew they were pregnant that early, they would have only days to confirm the pregnancy, make a deeply personal decision about the pregnancy, and then try to access care where a host of barriers including mandatory counseling, a waiting period, an ultrasound requirement and a parental consent requirement already stand in their way of choosing abortion.  

August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month! In honor of breastfeeding Nebraskans, we sat down with our women’s and reproductive rights extraordinaire Scout to talk about four things you need to know about your right to breastfeed in Nebraska.

The vote in favor of free expression was a clear rejection of a censorship campaign that has shown alarming momentum over the last year.

In Nebraska, students of color are far more likely to be disciplined, suspended, or expelled than their white peers. Police interactions in schools also show clear racial divides. 

Few issues find this much consensus in Nebraska. Faith leaders, business leaders, and Nebraskans across the political spectrum agree that Dreamers deserve permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship.

The ACLU of Nebraska aims to extend and defend constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties and rights of all Nebraskans. As we work towards a Nebraska that is true to our state motto of “Equality Before the Law,” we recognize that there are those whose rights have been historically denied on the basis of race. Although the authors of the Declaration of Independence envisioned a nation where there would be equal justice for all, that vision did not initially include those of African descent.

What a way to follow Pride. This week, Governor Ricketts is taking his political rhetoric on the road to spread misinformation about inclusive health education standards.