The NLRB’s latest pro-labor ruling comes just as Republicans turn up the heat on their plan to undermine the president’s labor legacy.
Law and Justice
Forty Years of Experience with the ‘New and Improved’ Death Penalty, 1976–2016
Four decades after the creation of the modern death penalty, the system remains racially biased, costly, and prone to error.
Vermont Law Delivers Overlooked Victory for Privacy Rights
Recent foreign and domestic terrorist attacks have tilted the advantage on surveillance toward law enforcement and security agencies, which are using these incidents to push for broader powers. Civil liberties advocates can take heart, however, in a privacy victory that has largely gone unnoticed. In early June, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed a sweeping privacy […]
Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling Sets Precedent for Pending Cases
The decision upholding the University of Texas at Austin’s admissions program is a victory for affirmative action supporters.
Reformers Sound Alarm: McDonnell Ruling Invites Corruption
Good-government advocates voiced alarm Monday that the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling to overturn former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s 11-count corruption conviction will pave the way for the wealthy and powerful to more brazenly wield influence in government. “By saying that politicians can receive gifts in exchange for political favors, the Supreme Court has enshrined bribery […]
Democrats Ramp Up Calls for Garland Confirmation Hearing
Senators Charles Schumer and Sheldon Whitehouse took to the steps of the Supreme Court Wednesday to demand that the Senate give Merrick Garland, President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, a fair confirmation hearing. League of Conservation Voters (LCV) activists joined them, carrying boxes containing petitions with more than 200,000 signatures gathered nationwide calling on Republican senators […]
Will Congress Thwart Puerto Rico’s Best Chance for Relief?
A case before the Supreme Court could give the territory the power to restructure much of its debt—but only if Congress doesn’t get in the way.
Pennsylvania Offers Clean Slate to Ex-Offenders
Pennsylvania is poised to become the first state in the nation to limit access to criminal records for certain nonviolent offenders. In April, the Pennsylvania General Assembly took up the consideration of bills that aim to help ex-offenders reintegrate into society without the permanent stigma of a criminal record. Under the Clean Slate Act, people […]
Getting Beyond Prison: A Vermont Case Study
The federal sentencing reform advancing in Congress would expand programs designed to cut recidivism among released offenders. One state thinks it’s found a solution—give former prisoners a circle of volunteer supporters.
Does the First Amendment Justify Corruption?
Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s Supreme Court corruption appeal will help decide whether the First Amendment protects average Americans or special interests.
