Legislative advocacy is a critical part of ACLU-TN’s interdisciplinary approach to protecting and promoting civil liberties and civil rights. ACLU-TN lobbyists are at the Tennessee General Assembly and in Congress lobbying on a range of issues, pursuing initiatives to advance civil liberties and challenging attempts to erode our freedoms.
Each year, ACLU-TN lobbyists review over 2,000 bills introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly for civil liberties implications, identifying those bills that we are going to lobby and developing strategies accordingly.
We educate legislators about ACLU positions, draft legislation on priority issues, lobby on bills affecting civil liberties, testify or arrange for testimony on bills, and build coalitions to pursue pro-active legislative initiatives or battle anti-civil liberties legislation. In addition, Tennessee legislators and their staff often ask us for analysis on pending bills.
SB 1722/HB 1605 would ban the display of most flags in public schools, particularly targeting flags that promote an “agenda,” such as Black Lives Matter flags or Pride flags.
SB 1971/HB 1895 bans travel for minors to seek an abortion with anyone other than their parent or legal guardian, even if they have permission from the person’s parents or guardian.
HB 1719 seeks to eliminate the consideration of a defendant's financial status when determining bail amounts. Freedom for the wealthy and punishment for poor people of all races — violates the Constitution...
HB 0994/SB 0908 would expand the citizen's arrest law and allow individuals to threaten deadly force merely if the individual feels “threatened,” resulting in a greater threat to life and property and...
The second year of the 113th Tennessee General Assembly began on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 and ended on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
SB 7027/HB 7073 is very complex and could have serious, life-altering consequences, both intended and unintended, for young people. This bill will lead to more young adults in prison for offenses they...