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.
For ACLU-TN’s latest legislative agenda, visit our Legislative Action Center.
We Need You.
ACLU-TN supporters are a vital part of our lobbying efforts. Lobbying is a way of communicating with your elected officials in an attempt to persuade them to vote a certain way. It is crucial to the advancement of civil liberties and civil rights in Tennessee that your legislators hear from you. Sometimes hearing from a handful of concerned constituents will cause a senator or representative to pay attention to a particular issue and encourage him or her to vote to protect civil liberties and civil rights. Legislators need to know that you expect them to protect your freedoms.
Join the Action Alert E-mail List to learn how you can get involved in the fight to protect and expand civil liberties and civil rights.
Learn more about contacting your elected officials at our Lobbying 101 page.
Take action at our Legislative Action Center.