discrimination

News / National / State

Alabama receives low rating in Human Rights Campaign’s State Equality Index

Alabama was placed in the lowest-rated category for the fifth year in a row in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Equality Federation Institute’s fifth annual State Equality Index. The SEI is a comprehensive report that details statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people and their families and assesses how well states are protecting … Continued

February 1, 2019

Jones sponsors Paycheck Fairness Act in effort to close gender gap

Loopholes within the Equal Pay Act of 1963 that allow discrimination in pay due to gender would be no more if Alabama Sen. Doug Jones’ Paycheck Fairness Act passes. On Jan. 30, 2019, Jones and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, want the Paycheck Fairness Act to help dissipate the wage gap between men and women, focusing … Continued

January 31, 2019

Libertarians sue Alabama claiming discrimination against third parties

For the two major parties in Alabama, getting a list of registered voters is relatively easy. Just ask for it, and it’s free. But for third parties, like the Libertarian Party of Alabama, getting a list like that costs money — about $34,000, or one cent a name. A credit or debit card fee adds … Continued

January 25, 2019

ACLU joins appeal against emergency services provider for alleged discrimination against pregnant EMT

The American Civil Liberties Union is joining a federal court appeal on behalf of a former EMT who is suing for discrimination based on her pregnancy. Kimberlie Michelle Durham, the former EMT, is appealing the dismissal of her federal pregnancy discrimination lawsuit against Rural/Metro Corporation, a national provider of emergency and fire services in underserved … Continued

November 30, 2018

Report: 146,000 Alabamians with pre-existing conditions could lose coverage, see premium increases

Note: This piece was originally published in October 2018. As many as 146,000 people in Alabama who have pre-existing conditions and purchase their health insurance coverage through the individual market could see premium increases or lose their coverage if the Affordable Care Act is overturned in court, according to a new report from the House … Continued

October 24, 2018

Environmental groups call for ADEM director’s resignation or termination

Eleven Alabama environmentalist groups signed off on a letter Monday calling for the resignation or firing of Alabama Department of Environmental Management Director Lance LeFleur. The groups claim that the bribery and corruption trial U.S. v. Gilbert, et al yielded many disturbing revelations, including the failures of leaders at the Alabama Department of Environmental Management … Continued

August 2, 2018

Department of Justice announces places to worship initiative

Wednesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the new “Place to Worship Initiative,” which will focus on protecting the ability of houses of worship and other religious institutions to build, expand, buy, or rent facilities-as provided by the land use provisions of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). Attorney General Jeff Sessions … Continued

June 14, 2018

Council on American-Islamic Relations’ leaders to attend opening of lynching memorial

Dozens of leaders from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest Muslim civil rights advocacy group in the U.S., will join other prominent national civil rights and government leaders at the opening of the Memorial for Peace and Justice on Thursday. The Memorial for Peace and Justice is the nation’s first memorial dedicated to the … Continued

April 25, 2018

Merrill says claims that large numbers of citizens can’t vote because of Alabama’s photo ID law “Is a lie”

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Thursday, Secretary of State John Merrill responded to news that the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, the ACLU Voting Rights Project, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the Campaign Legal Center had filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the appeal of a federal lawsuit … Continued

March 2, 2018

State still behind in LGBT protection as lawmakers return to Montgomery, LGBT group says

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter As lawmakers make their way back to Montgomery for the Legislative Session this year, a branch of the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization says Alabama is still far behind in its protections for LGBT people. The State Equality Index, an annual comprehensive report released by the Human Rights … Continued

January 11, 2018