News & Commentary

Immigrants & Allies Gather in Frankfort for Immigration Advocacy DayImmigrants and their allies from across the state convened in Frankfort February 27, 2013 for “New Kentuckians at the Capitol” Immigration Advocacy Day. More than 150 people attended the event, organized and supported by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky.Click here for a full album of picturesParticipants talked with legislators about why they should be thinking about New Kentuckians when making policy. They also lobbied for a public safety measure, House Bill 396, introduced by Rep. Johnny Bell (D-Barren). HB 396 would provide undocumented immigrants, and immigrants awaiting authorization, access to a driving certificate. The bill would enable those who pass the driving examination to drive legally in Kentucky. When discussing why he filed the bill Rep. Bell has said, “I did not want immigrants to continue to live in fear and in the shadows.”Measures similar to HB 396 have been filed all over the country, and several states have already passed similar legislation. These states have demonstrated how these measures increase public safety. For example, Utah saw the number of drivers with car insurance increase substantially after passage of their law. The ACLU of Kentucky supports HB 396 because we believe all Kentuckians are safer when everyone knows the rules of the road and has access to car insurance. HB 396 passed through the House Transportation Committee and is moving on to the full House for consideration.Advocacy day participants gathered in the Capitol Rotunda for a press conference and rally, proudly waving signs declaring “I AM a Kentuckian." Rep. Bell addressed the crowd, as well as a number of immigrants and refugees that shared their stories of how they became Kentuckians. Sagar Patagundi was among them. “I spoke not just on behalf of myself, or on behalf of my broken family, but all of Kentucky’s immigrant families affected by our unworkable system,” said Patagundi.

Several meetings between the management of 4th Street Live! and a coalition of social justice organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, Connected Voices, Louisville Showing Up for Racial Justice, the Fairness Campaign and the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission have resulted in a number of policy changes at the 4th Street Live! entertainment venue.4th Street Live! has committed to better communication of its dress code policy by posting it at all entrances when the street is operating as an entertainment venue, on the 4th Street Live! website, providing a 1-888 number to collect customer questions or concerns, and implementing diversity training for security and management staff.The community groups involved released a joint statement saying, “We are very hopeful that the community’s concerns have been heard, and are pleased to see that positive changes are already being implemented. We will continue to monitor these new initiatives on behalf of the community and look forward to ongoing dialogue with The Cordish Company and 4th Street Live!”James Layson, General Manager of 4th Street Live! stated, “The 4th Street Live! dress code is applied in a non-discriminatory manner. We sincerely appreciate the openness of our discussions and value the comments and concerns shared. We will continue to work with city officials and the community to ensure that 4th Street Live is the most diverse and welcoming environment in the City of Louisville. Our long-term success is directly linked to the partnerships we establish and the unique experiences we create for the local community and visitors alike. We trust that discussions with the community and the outcomes generated convey that 4th Street Live! is a committed community partner.” 

Appalachian town becomes 4th KY city to pass Fairness protections, 1st in a decade(Vicco, KY) Today the Fairness Coalition joined the Appalachian town of Vicco, Kentucky as they approved the state's first lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) anti-discrimination Fairness ordinance in a decade. The measure, which prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based upon a person's actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity, received support from three of the city's four-member commission and Mayor Johnny Cummings.Vicco joins three other cities in the commonwealth with anti-discrimination Fairness protections--Covington, which passed an ordinance in 2003, Lexington, and Louisville, which both approved laws in 1999.Situated in the southern tip of Perry County in the Appalachian mountain region, Vicco was incorporated in 1964 and currently boasts a population of 334 residents, according to 2010 U.S. Census data. It is nestled in the heart of coal country and was originally named for Virginia Iron Coal and Coke Company, a large land business still operating in the region."Vicco is a community that believes all folks should be treated fairly," shared Vicco City Attorney Eric Ashley. "We believe everyone deserves the opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Fairness is a Kentucky value, a Vicco value, and one of our most American values."Vicco's passage of a Fairness law comes on the heels of several other Kentucky communities' movements towards anti-discrimination protections through work with the Fairness Coalition of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky (ACLU-KY), Fairness Campaign, Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, Kentucky Fairness Alliance, and Lexington Fairness. In November, grassroots movements for Fairness began in Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, and Shelbyville, joining those already under way in Berea and Richmond.According to a 2010 survey by The Schapiro Group, 83% of Kentuckians support anti-discrimination Fairness protections, which have been proposed in the Kentucky General Assembly for more than ten years without debate. Lexington Senator Kathy Stein has introduced Statewide Fairness Senate Bill 28 in the 2013 legislative session. Louisville Representative Mary Lou Marzian will introduce an identical bill in the House along with an anti-bullying/harassment law for Kentucky schools. Fairness supporters from all across the commonwealth will rally at the Capitol in Frankfort Wednesday, February 20.