Friend –

We are now in month five of state legislative sessions largely defined by attacks on civil liberties – as a wave of state bills aimed at rolling back the rights and safety of trans youth, abortion access, voting rights, and our right to protest continue to advance nationwide.

The ACLU and our affiliates are still actively pushing advocacy efforts, along with local grassroots groups and activists like you, to block these measures. And as many sessions come to a close, we're also prepping litigation to fight any anti-civil liberties bills that make it into law.

Here are a few major updates happening on the ground that you should be aware of right now:

• Protecting the rights of transgender youth: This Tuesday, we and the ACLU of Texas announced our intent to file suit against a bill banning life-saving medical care for trans youth if it passes. This follows similar litigation plans against anti-trans legislation in Arkansas – and in Alabama, where a bill criminalizing medical professionals providing gender-affirming care to trans kids is up for discussion this Monday.
• Safeguarding voting rights: As we reach over 360 restrictive voting bills in 47 states across the country this year, the ACLU and our affiliates in all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico continue the work to push back. Most recently, the ACLU of Florida sued the state over a newly-enacted law targeting ballot initiatives just a day after Governor Ron DeSantis signed it into law.
• Fighting for reproductive freedom: Two weeks ago, states enacted 28 new abortion restrictions in just four days. The ACLU has dozens of ongoing lawsuits in the courts right now to stop anti-abortion measures and, similar to our work to protect trans youth, one such fight is in Arkansas – where we and our affiliate, along with Planned Parenthood, are preparing a legal challenge very soon against the state's total ban on abortion.
• Defending protester rights: In response to historic protests defending Black lives that followed George Floyd's murder, more than 90 anti-protest state bills have been introduced in the past year. This week, the ACLU of Florida filed a lawsuit against one such bill attempting to criminalize peaceful protests – while we are also fighting similar anti-protest bills on the ground with the ACLU of Arizona, the ACLU of Tennessee, the ACLU of Iowa, and local advocacy groups.

ACLU Supporter, we know these state legislative sessions have been exhausting, but it's imperative for all of us to remain as vigilant as possible right now as states continue to cast final votes.

So please stay informed by following us in your inbox – and be sure to check out developments from your own local ACLU affiliate here. We're grateful to have you with us in all our urgent work to defend people's rights.

Thank you for all you do,

The ACLU Team