Articles Index

Protecting Your Right to Vote
No American who is qualified to vote should ever be denied the right and opportunity to do so. That seems so simple. Unfortunately, it has not always worked that way. Today, four federal laws, all enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice, work in concert to ensure that all Americans are allowed to register to vote and enjoy an equal opportunity to cast a ballot on election day.

How to Report Voting Rights Problems
Due to the protections of four federal voting rights laws, cases of qualified voters being improperly denied their right to vote or register to vote are now rare. However, in every major election, some voters are still improperly turned away from the polling place, or encounter conditions that voting difficult or confusing. Some of these incidents are accidental, others are intentional, but all should be reported.

TSA Expands Whole Body Scanner Searches
The Transportation Security Agency (TSA) has been expanding its fleet of whole body scanning devices capable of "seeing" right through passengers' clothing to detect prohibited dangerous items. TSA assures that the whole body scanners, soon to be in service at at least 24 airports nationwide, will be operated in manner that ensures the privacy of passengers selected to "bare it all."

Federal Court Confirms 1st Amendment Protects Speech on Internet
On June 10, 2008, a Philadelphia federal court of appeals confirmed that content on the Internet is protected by the First Amendment freedoms of speech and press, the foundations of democracy.

Supreme Court Rules All Not Need be Fair in Politics
Dismissing the fact that politics is not even mentioned in the Constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 26, ruled it unconstitutional for Congress to pass laws intended to ensure fairness in campaign financing. The case was Davis v. Federal Election Commission.

Indian Tribal Designation Not Easy to Get
Since 1978, tribal communities have been required by law to apply for official acknowledgement as Indian tribes. To attain federal acknowledgement as an Indian tribe, a tribal community must meet a strictly enforced list of seven anthropological, genealogical, and historical criteria establishing their historical identity as an American Indian tribe.

The Day Castro Dies
The United States has been nation-building off-and-on since 1898 and the Spanish-American War. When the United States nation-builds, it always does so with a single goal -- building a democracy. The day Fidel Castro dies, will be observed as the day "the inevitable opportunity for genuine change arises" by members of the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba.

Justice Dept. Touts New Civil Liberty Safeguards in Patriot Act
Fighting for the survival of its mainline terror-fighting law, the U.S. Department of Justice has informed the U.S. Senate of what it calls “significant civil liberties safeguards” added to the latest version of the USA Patriot Act

Parks Service Sticks With Biblical Explanation for Grand Canyon
The Bush Administration has decided that it will stand by its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah’s flood rather than by geologic forces.

How are the "Habeas-less" Terrorist Detainee Hearings Working?
Early in the war on terror, U.S. enemy detainees were held for indefinite periods of time without the right to challenge their detention in court. In 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that practice unconstitutional. In response, the Bush Administration's Military Commissions Act allowed all detainees to have their detention reviewed by a military Combat Status Review Tribunal (CSRT). How did those hearings go? Not so well, according to an attorney who actually represented detainees.

Bush and Lincoln both Suspended Habeas Corpus
On Oct. 17, 2006, President Bush suspended the constitutionally bestowed right of writs of habeas corpus. President Abraham Lincoln did the same thing 144 years ago. Both presidents based their action on the dangers of war, and both presidents faced sharp criticism for carrying out what many believed to be an attack on the Constitution. But there were some significant differences and similarities in both the circumstances and the details of the two presidents' actions.

About Secret Sessions of Government
On June 16, 2006, the California Reclamation Board met in a closed session. Nothing unusual there, except that the Board met to discuss allegations that it had violated California's open meetings act by approving a permit needed for a major housing development... during a closed session. When can government agencies, including the U.S. Congress, meet in secret?

Zoning Out Megachurches Failing Constitutional Muster
Local governments attempting to use zoning laws to limit the growth of "megachurches" -- non-Catholic churches with at least 2,000 weekly attendants -- are running up against one mega-problem: the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

President Bush Issues Martin Luther King Day Proclamation
President Bush honored the civil rights movement and the memory of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King in his Martin Luther King Day 2006 proclamation. "Dr. King believed that all people are made in God's image and created equal," wrote the President. "He dedicated his life to empowering people, no matter their circumstances, and challenged them to lift up their neighbors and communities."

Executive Order 9066
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, representatives of the western states pressed Congress and President Franklin D. Roosevelt to have Japanese Americas removed from the west coast. When the Department of Justice objected on constitutional and ethical grounds, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order No. 9066 and directed the U.S. Army to conduct the transportation of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans to interment camps.

Bush Orders Improved Public Information Request Response
With his administration facing accusations of slow response to downright stonewalling, President Bush has issued an Executive Order (EO) directing federal agencies to improve their processing of requests for public information filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Bill Would Create Agency Exempt from Freedom of Information Act
A bill now before the Senate would create a new executive branch agency that would become the first-ever government agency granted total immunity from disclosure of information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Who Oversees Ethics in Government?
With Karl Rove, his top political aid under intense investigation and Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, "Scooter" Libby, facing indictments in connection with the exposure of former CIA operative Valerie Plame, President Bush on Saturday issued a memo ordering his staff to attend "refresher" courses on government ethics. That's nice and we all hope it helps, but who really oversees ethics in government?

Boaters' Rights Trump Landowners' on California Coast
A San Luis Obispo, CA judge has ruled that the rights of boaters, kayakers, and surfers to view a California coastline free from homes carry more weight that the rights of private property owners.

The Plight of Whistleblowers
Teresa Chambers, a 28-year veteran of law enforcement, served as the head of the U.S. Parks Police, one of the nation's top uniformed Federal law enforcement agencies, until she became a whistleblower. Federal whistleblower Teresa Chambers tells her story in this op-ed piece.

Utah Okays Gay-positive License Plate
Calling the action a win for free speech, the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah applauded that state's tax commission's recent decision to, for the first time, approve personalized license plates with gay-positive messages.

Disabled Face Discrimination in Rental Attempts
Even as President Bush honored the 15th anniversary of signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, a disturbing new report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that people with disabilities are often discriminated against when trying to rent apartments.

Court Expands the Power of Eminent Domain
In its 5-4 decision in the case of [i]Kelo v. City of New London,[/i] the U.S. Supreme Court issued an important, if very controversial, interpretation of the government's power of "eminent domain," or the power of the government to take land from property owners. Where does the government get the power to take private land and how does it work? What is this "eminent domain" thing, anyway?

What if the Senate Holds Up O'Connor's Replacement?
The U.S. Senate has until Sept. 26, 2005 -- the start of the Court's next term -- to consider and confirm a replacement for retiring Supreme Court Associate Justice [link url=http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscourtsystem/a/dayoconnorbio.htm]Sandra Day O'Connor[/link]. Given the political sensitivity of O'Connor's replacement, that Senate confirmation may not happen on time. What then?

Flag Burning Ban Amendment Tries Senate Again
Shortly after the 4th of July recess, the U.S. Senate will once again consider a proposed constitutional amendment giving Congress the power to ban the burning or similar desecration of the American flag.

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