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Under Pressure from ACLU, Rhode Island Politician Drops Defamation Lawsuit Against Activist (12/05/2006)
PROVIDENCE, RI - The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that South Kingstown political candidate Andrew Bilodeau has dismissed his defamation lawsuit against Jonathan Daly-LaBelle, a local activist who publicly criticized Bilodeau during the election campaign. The ACLU of Rhode Island filed a counter-lawsuit against Bilodeau last week charging that the defamation suit was brought to suppress Daly-LaBelle's free speech rights.

ACLU of Rhode Island Challenges Political Canvassing Restrictions (05/08/2006)
EAST GREENWICH, RI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a community advocacy group challenging an East Greenwich Town Council ordinance barring the group from engaging in political door-to-door canvassing between 7 and 9 p.m., and requiring payment of a permit fee for the group’s canvassing activities.

In Victory for Free Speech, Court Strikes Down Rhode Island’s Restrictions on Campaigning Over Ballot Questions (04/27/2006)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- Ruling on a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island in 2004, U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres has struck down various aspects of Rhode Island’s campaign finance law that the ACLU argued impermissibly restricted the rights of individuals and entities to campaign for and against ballot questions.

ACLU Files Brief Urging Appeals Court to Overturn Ban on Rhode Island Mayor's Radio Show (06/06/2005)
PROVIDENCE, RI--The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island today filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey's lawsuit seeking an order allowing him to continue to host a radio talk show on WPRO. The lawsuit was filed after the Board of Elections' ruled that the radio show constituted an illegal campaign contribution under state election law.

ACLU Challenges Limits on Ballot Advocacy Campaigns in Rhode Island (11/18/2004)
PROVIDENCE, RI--The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island today filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state's restrictions on the rights of individuals and organizations to campaign for or against ballot questions during elections.

ACLU Marks Start of General Election Campaign Ad "Black Out" Period; Renews Call To Repeal First Amendment Threats in Campaign Finance Law (09/08/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today joined with lawmakers in marking the start of the 60-day "black out" period before the November general election during which "electioneering communication" advertisements by labor unions, advocacy groups and corporations are forbidden.

ACLU Joins Hundreds of Groups From Across Political, Ideological Spectrum In Saying Proposed FEC Rules Threaten Free Speech Rights (04/15/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today joined with a wide range of more than 600 groups in expressing its opposition to a proposed rule before the Federal Election Commission that would restrict the fundraising and expenditures of independent political organizations. The FEC is concluding a two-day series of hearings on this issue, where dozens of experts, including the ACLU, have spoken out against the measure.

ACLU Strongly Supports Legislation To Repeal First Amendment Threats in Campaign Finance Law (02/12/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today came out in strong support of legislation introduced by House Republicans to roll back the part of the 2001 campaign finance reform law banning advocacy advertising during the 30- and 60-day windows before primaries and general elections.

Supreme Court Upholds Campaign Finance Law; ACLU Calls on Congress to Seek Real Solutions in Public Financing (12/10/2003)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today criticized the Supreme Court's decision upholding major provisions of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law as an unprecedented restriction on core political speech that is inconsistent with basic First Amendment values.

ACLU Asks Court to Stay Campaign Finance Ruling, Saying Decision Threatens Advocacy on Vital Civil Liberties Issues (05/09/2003)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged a special court to put on hold its ruling in a campaign finance law challenge, saying it represents a "sea change" in the free speech rights of non-partisan issue groups and could restrict the ACLU's plans to air broadcast advertisements on pressing civil liberties issues.

ACLU Double Play: New Ad Blasts Workplace Discrimination Against Gays, Shows Flaws in Campaign Finance Legislation (03/18/2002)
WASHINGTON -- In a move that both showcases the problem of workplace discrimination in America and the constitutional flaws of campaign finance legislation, the American Civil Liberties Union today began running a series of radio and newspapers issue ads that would be outlawed under a campaign finance bill likely to soon become law. 

Unlikely Groups Agree: Shays-Meehan Will Shut Down Citizen Group Speech (02/13/2002)
"The diversity of our coalition is testimony to the flaws in the Shays-Meehan concept of campaign finance reform," said Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLU Washington National Office. "The bill would, if passed, unconstitutionally muzzle essential political speech." 

ACLU Welcomes Progressive Allies to Fight Against Shays-Meehan: Statement of Laura W. Murphy, Director (07/12/2001)
WASHINGTON -- We at the American Civil Liberties Union believe that today's news conference is a significant and encouraging development in our efforts to defend First Amendment rights in the context of campaign finance reform. I'm particularly delighted that the Alliance for Justice and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees - each of them long-time allies in the defense of progressive values in America - are here to join with us in expressing opposition to various sections of the Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform bill. 

ACLU Delighted at Inclusion of Progressive Groups in Fight Against Shays-Meehan (07/12/2001)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed its longtime progressive allies -- the Alliance for Justice and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees -- into the coalition of opponents to the constitutionally questionable Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform bill. 

ACLU Says Leading Campaign Finance Bills Would Gag Democratically Essential Speech (06/12/2001)
WASHINGTON -- In testimony before a House subcommittee, the American Civil Liberties Union today predicted that proposed campaign finance legislation would severely curtail critical public and political debate and gravely wound the political party system in America. 

ACLU Denounces Campaign Finance Bill As Unconstitutional Attack on Political Freedom in America (03/30/2001)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today denounced as unconstitutional the campaign finance legislation being finalized by the Senate and said the measure represents an across-the-board attack on political freedom in America. 

ACLU Statement on Campaign Finance Reform (03/01/2001)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union has been studying, litigating and lobbying on the constitutional and practical implications of federal campaign finance laws for more than a quarter century. For all of those years, while we prevailed repeatedly in the courts, we fought an uphill battle in the court of public opinion and ours was a lonely voice in the progressive community. 

ACLU Says Congress Must Recognize Speech Implications of Campaign Finance (04/26/2000)
WASHINGTON -- With citizen involvement in the nation's political processes exploding through the growth of the Internet, the American Civil Liberties Union today strongly reiterated its traditional appeal to Congress to recognize the free speech implications of efforts to reform campaign finance laws.

ACLU Testifies on Campaign Finance; Urges Senate Committee to Adopt Full Public Financing (03/22/2000)
WASHINGTON -- American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Ira Glasser today detailed the constitutional problems with leading approaches to campaign finance reform, telling a Senate committee that placing limits on campaign contributions and expenditures is a dead end. Congress, he said, instead should seriously explore public financing.