News & Commentary

"I have made the U.S. my home in my heart, and in all that I do. Yet, the U.S. does not treat me — or protect me — as one of its own." Kentucky families belong together and Dreamers deserve a pathway to citizenship. Being born outside the commonwealth does not make Kentuckians any less Kentuckian.

All Kentuckians deserve equitable access to resources to make the best reproductive decisions for themselves – whether that means continuing a pregnancy, seeking adoption, or accessing abortion care.

Kentucky lawmakers passed a proposal to amend the Kentucky Constitution to completely ban access to abortion care – even in cases of rape, incest, or life-threatening conditions – if Roe v. Wade is ever weakened or overturned. The issue will be settled by Kentucky voters in 2022.

The ACLU-KY team caught its breath after a busy legislative session and is tackling new projects and welcoming new staff and board members. Check out the Summer 2021 Newsletter to catch the highlights from the 2021 legislative session, an update of our ongoing lawsuits, and what lies ahead.

The Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to hear a lawsuit challenging a Mississippi law that would ban abortion care after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The law clearly violates the precedent set in Roe v. Wade and the fact that the court is even willing to hear arguments is deeply troubling.

Addiction prevention, education, and drug enforcement activities typically receive funding from settlements with opioid manufacturers. The conversation about how and where to spend settlement funds has overlooked a vital demographic: the survivors of the opioid epidemic.

It's time for Kentucky jails and prisons to end pandemic isolation measures for vaccinated people to keep families connected, prepare people for reentry into the workforce, and support people through treatment for substance use disorder.

Communities throughout the commonwealth are coming together to celebrate Pride! Find an event near you and get involved.

While we couldn't gather in person, we still celebrated our shared accomplishments at the 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting over a conversation with Angela Davis, musical performances from Ben Sollee and Scott T Smith, and poetry from Tytianna Wells.