News & Commentary

Naureen Shah, Senior Legislative Counsel and Advisor Last

Julia Kaye, Senior Staff Attorney, Reproductive Freedom Project, ACLU The Trump adm

Nathan Freed Wessler, Deputy Director, ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project The federal g

As of now, we know the status of two of the three branches of the federal government. We have President-elect Joe Biden in the executive, and an even more conservative majority in the Supreme Court with the appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett. The future of Congress is still unknown as we await the results of two runoffs in Georgia that could hand control of the Senate to either party.

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) occurs annually on Nov. 20 and serves as a time to honor the memory of the transgender people whose lives have been taken from acts of anti-transgender violence that year.

This week is a reminder of the work we can accomplish toward building a better, gender-affirming South Dakota – one free from discrimination and attacks at the social, political, and legal level.

While Jett Jonelis is new to the ACLU and to South Dakota, they’re no stranger to making change. They're particularly passionate about criminal justice reform and helping people realize their potential as activists.

After four years of attacks on our reproductive rights and health by the Trump administration and the anti-abortion legislators it has emboldened around the country, there is much to repair. When President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris take office, their administration must make it a top priority to not just undo the damage, but to take bold, visionary steps to make reproductive health care — including abortion — accessible to all, regardless of their income or ZIP code. Congress, too, has a key role to play in ensuring that everyone is afforded the dignity to make our own decisions about our lives.Here are just a few of the many items that should top our elected officials’ to-do list:Reverse dangerous Trump administration regulations targeting reproductive health care, including:

Louise Melling, Deputy Legal Director and Director of Ruth Bader Ginsburg Center for Liberty, ACLU Ask