May, 24 2017, 11:15am EDT
State Legislator Joins ACLU Lawsuit Against Stop-and-Frisk Program by Milwaukee Police Conducted Without Reasonable Suspicion and Based on Racial Profiling
Last night, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Wisconsin, and the law firm of Covington & Burling filed an amended complaint in their class-action lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee over its police department's vast stop-and-frisk program. The revised complaint adds three named plaintiffs to the lawsuit, one of whom is Representative David Crowley, a state legislator representing Wisconsin's 17th Assembly District. Like the other named plaintiffs and tens of thousands of other Milwaukeeans of color, Rep.
MILWAUKEE
Last night, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Wisconsin, and the law firm of Covington & Burling filed an amended complaint in their class-action lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee over its police department's vast stop-and-frisk program. The revised complaint adds three named plaintiffs to the lawsuit, one of whom is Representative David Crowley, a state legislator representing Wisconsin's 17th Assembly District. Like the other named plaintiffs and tens of thousands of other Milwaukeeans of color, Rep. Crowley has been subject to an unconstitutional stop and frisk by the Milwaukee police without reasonable suspicion of criminal activity and based on racial profiling.
One evening before he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, Rep. Crowley was walking with his godbrother in Milwaukee. "We heard gunshots in the distance, so we walked in the other direction to avoid trouble. A patrol car stopped in front of us, and two officers jumped out with guns drawn and pointed right at us. I was terrified," said Rep. Crowley.
He and his godbrother put up their hands. The police frisked them, taking their wallets from their pants pockets and pulling their IDs from the wallets. One officer asked if the two men had thrown a gun into the field where they had been walking.
"The police treated us like suspects, yet we had done nothing wrong. The officers drew their guns on us, searched us without our consent, and never explained why," said Rep. Crowley. "As young Black men, we were presumed guilty. The police decided that the Constitution doesn't apply to us."
Another new plaintiff in the suit is Jerimiah Olivar, a 19-year-old Latino Milwaukeean, who was stopped and frisked by police without reasonable suspicion while riding his bike in the early afternoon. The third new plaintiff, Jeremy Brown, is Black, and a police officer stopped him while he was walking one morning because the officer didn't recognize his face. The officer ordered Mr. Brown to drop what he was carrying and stand against a fence while he questioned him. Mr. Brown was eventually taken to the police station and released with a $185 ticket for disorderly conduct.
"The Milwaukee Police Department has been routinely interfering in the lives of tens of thousands of Black and Latino residents, stopping them, searching them, and worse--all without reasonable suspicion and as if the Constitution didn't exist," said Karyn Rotker, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Wisconsin. "The department's practices have caused Black and Latino Milwaukeeans to deeply distrust and fear police, crippling its ability to investigate crime."
The Milwaukee Police Department conducts far more stops and frisks in neighborhoods that are predominantly Black or Latino than in other parts of the city.
Collins v. City of Milwaukee seeks reforms of the Milwaukee Police Department that protect constitutional rights through bias-free and evidence-based policing, transparency, and accountability. These reforms include an end to conducting stops and frisks without reasonable suspicion and to stopping people based on race or ethnicity. The lawsuit also seeks improved training, supervision, and monitoring of officers who conduct stops and frisks, and the collection and semiannual release to the public of data on all stops and frisks to permit analysis for evidence of constitutional violations.
For the amended complaint and more information about the lawsuit:
ACLU:
https://www.aclu.org/cases/collins-et-al-v-city-milwaukee-et-al
ACLU of Wisconsin:
https://aclu-wi.org/issue/collins-v-city-milwaukee
For more information about Covington & Burling:
https://www.cov.com/
This press release can be found at:
https://www.aclu.org/news/state-legislator-joins-aclu-lawsuit-against-stop-and-frisk-program-milwaukee-police-conducted
The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
(212) 549-2666LATEST NEWS
Cleanup of Oceans 'Futile' If Plastic Production Continues at Current Rate: Scientist
A new study stresses urgent action is required to tackle a "growing plastic smog" of over 170 trillion particles in the world's oceans.
Mar 09, 2023
On the heels of a historic agreement to protect the biodiversity of the high seas, researchers from around the world published a study this week underscoring the need for rapid, sweeping action to address "unprecedented" plastic pollution of oceans and sharply reduce global production.
"We've found an alarming trend of exponential growth of microplastics in the global ocean since the millennium, reaching over 170 trillion plastic particles,"
said lead author Marcus Eriksen, co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute in California. "This is a stark warning that we must act now at a global scale."
For the peer-reviewed study, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers based in the United States, Sweden, Chile, and Australia examined previously published and new data on floating plastic pollution between 1979-2019 from 11,777 stations across the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, Indian, and Mediterranean regions.
"Without substantial widespread policy changes, the rate at which plastics enter aquatic environments will increase approximately 2.6-fold from 2016 to 2040."
"The situation is much worse than expected,"
explained co-author Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez, a researcher at the Stockholm Resilience Center in Sweden. "In 2014, it was estimated that there were 5 trillion plastic particles in the ocean. Now, less than 10 years later, we're up at 170 trillion."
Specifically, they estimate the world's oceans contain a "growing plastic smog" of approximately 82-358 trillion particles, or an average of 171 trillion particles that are primarily microplastics. As
The Washington Postnoted, that "is more than 21,000 pieces of plastic for each of the Earth's 8 billion residents."
The study states that "we observed no clear detectable trend until 1990, a fluctuating but stagnant trend from then until 2005, and a rapid increase until the present. This observed acceleration of plastic densities in the world's oceans, also reported for beaches around the globe, demands urgent international policy interventions."
"Without substantial widespread policy changes," the study warns, "the rate at which plastics enter aquatic environments will increase approximately 2.6-fold from 2016 to 2040."
Eriksen argued that given the current conditions, humanity must "stop focusing on cleanup and recycling, and usher in an age of corporate responsibility for the entire life of the things they make."
"Cleanup is futile if we continue to produce plastic at the current rate, and we have heard about recycling for too long while the plastic industry simultaneously rejects any commitments to buy recycled material or design for recyclability," the scientist said.
The research comes amid efforts to create a United Nations treaty on plastic pollution by next year. After 175 nations agreed to craft such a pact during a March 2022 meeting in Kenya, Uruguay hosted the first round of negotiations late last year. A second session of talks in France is scheduled for May.
According to Eriksen, "We need a strong, legally binding U.N. global treaty on plastic pollution that stops the problem at the source."
In comments to The Guardian, study co-author Edward J. Carpenter, of the Estuary & Ocean Science Center at San Francisco State University, also called for governments across the globe to ambitiously tackle the crisis.
"We know the ocean is a vital ecosystem and we have solutions to prevent plastic pollution. But plastic pollution continues to grow and has a toxic effect on marine life," he said. "There must be legislation to limit the production and sale of single-use plastics or marine life will be further degraded. Humans need healthy oceans for a livable planet."
Judith Enck, a former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator who is now president of the organzation Beyond Plastics, echoed the study authors' demand for dramatically cutting down on production.
"The plastics and petrochemical industries are making it impossible to curb the amount of plastic contaminating our oceans," she said in an email to CNN. "New research is always helpful, but we don't need to wait for new research to take action—the problem is already painfully clear, in the plastic accumulating in our oceans, air, soil, food, and bodies."
As Richard Thompson, a professor at the U.K.'s Plymouth University who was not involved in the study, toldBBC News: "We are all agreed there is too much plastic in the ocean. We urgently need to move to solutions-focused research."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Applause as Michigan House Dems Vote to Repeal Anti-Union 'Right-to-Work' Laws
Democratic lawmakers "rejected the harmful pro-corporate, anti-worker policies of the past," said one advocate. "It's a great example of what can happen when voters come together to elect a progressive majority."
Mar 09, 2023
Progressives celebrated Thursday after Michigan's Democratic-led House approved legislation that would rescind anti-union "right-to-work" laws imposed by Republican lawmakers in 2012 and restore prevailing wage requirements eliminated by the GOP in 2018.
"Everyone deserves fairness and respect when they're on the job, so seeing House Democrats vote to repeal the anti-union legislation and reinstate prevailing wage is incredible news for Michigan's working families," Progress Michigan executive director Lonnie Scott said in a statement.
"The Legislature stood up yesterday and rejected the harmful pro-corporate, anti-worker policies of the past," said Scott. "It's a great example of what can happen when voters come together to elect a progressive majority."
State Rep. Jim Haadsma (D-44), chair of the House Labor Committee, made the same point Wednesday, saying that "exactly 120 days ago, Michiganders chose new leadership in the Michigan Legislature, and today demonstrates they chose leaders who will stand up for workers."
In party-line 56-53 votes, Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday night passed H.B. 4004 and H.B. 4005. The bills seek to nullify the state's Republican-authored "right-to-work" laws affecting public and private sector workers.
The U.S. Supreme Court's 2018 decision in Janus vs. AFSCME barring public sector unions from collecting "fair share" fees "renders H.B. 4004 unenforceable," Detroit Free Pressreported. "But proponents of the bill want to change Michigan's labor laws for public employees in the event the court overturns the decision."
Contrary to what the misleading name suggests, "right-to-work" laws do not guarantee employment to job-seekers. Instead, they prohibit employers and unions from entering into agreements that require every worker covered by a contract to pay union dues—making it harder for organized labor groups to sustain themselves financially, undermining workers' collective bargaining power, and lowering wages by an average of $11,000 per year.
The GOP's so-called "right-to-work" agenda "has done nothing but hurt hardworking Michiganders," said recently elected state Rep. Regina Weiss (D-27), the lead sponsor of both bills. "It has allowed people who don't pay union dues to take advantage of union benefits."
"House Democrats will always stand in solidarity with working families, and the bills that were passed today restore the power of Michigan workers, give them the freedom to expand their rights, and deliver on our promise to put Michigan workers first," Weiss added. "We are proud to stand with workers across our state and ensure that they have a seat at the bargaining table and their rights are restored."
"The bills passed last night are the first step in restoring the power of working people and unions after a decade of attacks by the DeVos family and Michigan Republicans."
Democrats also approved H.B. 4007 by a margin of 56-53. The bill aims to bring back the prevailing wage law that Republicans axed five years ago. It would require contractors hired for public construction projects to pay workers union-level wages.
"House Democrats promised we would restore prevailing wage, and we have kept our promise. Michigan workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and that starts by ensuring fair wages," said state Rep. Brenda Carter (D-53), the bill's lead sponsor. "We must ensure our hardworking residents receive pay that's in line with the value of their skills and services. We must also offer competitive wages in order to attract and retain a highly trained workforce because we do not want to see critical infrastructure projects built by contractors that cut corners."
Also on Wednesday, the lower chamber approved legislation that would codify LGBTQ+ protections and strengthen background checks for gun purchases. To become law, the bills must be passed by the Democratic-led state Senate and signed by Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
In a statement, Whitmer applauded the House Labor Committee, which led the effort to reverse Republicans' anti-union legislation, for prioritizing Michigan's working class. "Working people," the governor said, "should always have basic freedoms in the workplace without interference from the government."
To date, GOP lawmakers in 28 states have enacted so-called "right-to-work" laws, but Michigan Democrats are now on the verge of reducing that number to 27.
State Rep. Matt Hall (R-63) has attempted to throw a wrench into the works by attaching a $1 million appropriation to H.B. 4004 and H.B. 4005.
"The appropriation means that the legislation is not subject to a public referendum in which voters could reject the law," Detroit Free Press explained. "Whitmer in her first term issued an executive directive promising to veto any legislation 'that circumvents the right to a referendum.'"
Scott, meanwhile, argued Thursday that "Republicans passing right-to-work in 2012 and repealing prevailing wage in 2018 had one goal: to undermine unions and workers' ability to organize in the workplace."
"Those two actions were part of a generational fight by greedy corporate interests to eliminate unions so they can control the workplace and political institutions," he added. "The bills passed last night are the first step in restoring the power of working people and unions after a decade of attacks by the DeVos family and Michigan Republicans."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Sanders, Bush Unveil Bill to Prohibit Pharma Companies From Charging More Than $20 for Insulin
"We can no longer tolerate a rigged healthcare system that forced 1.3 million people with diabetes to ration insulin while the three major insulin manufacturers made $21 billion dollars in profits."
Mar 09, 2023
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Cori Bush on Thursday introduced legislation that would prohibit pharmaceutical companies from charging more than $20 for a vial of insulin, a move that comes a week after Eli Lilly pledged to cap out-of-pocket payments for its insulin products at $35 per month.
"As a nurse, I've seen too many people in our communities struggle to afford their lifesaving insulin medication," Bush (D-Mo.) said in a statement. "People are left choosing between insulin or groceries; insulin or rent; insulin or child care. This is unacceptable."
More than 7 million people across the U.S. use insulin to manage their diabetes, and some have been forced to pay upwards of $1,000 per month for the medicine as pharmaceutical giants have jacked up prices with abandon in recent decades.
According to one study published in October, more than a million people in the U.S. have had to ration insulin due to the high cost.
Sanders (I-Vt.), the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and a longtime advocate of insulin price reform, said Thursday that "there is no reason why Americans should pay the highest prices in the world for insulin—in some cases, ten times as much as people in other countries."
"In 1923, the inventors of insulin sold their patents for $1 to save lives, not to turn pharmaceutical executives into billionaires," said Sanders. "Now, 100 years later, unacceptable corporate greed has caused the price of this lifesaving medication to skyrocket by over 1,000% since 1996. We can no longer tolerate a rigged healthcare system that forced 1.3 million people with diabetes to ration insulin while the three major insulin manufacturers made $21 billion dollars in profits."
"Now is the time for Congress to take on the greed and power of the pharmaceutical industry and substantially lower the price of insulin," the senator added. "In the richest country in the history of the world, no one should die because they cannot afford the medication they need."
If passed, the Insulin for All Act of 2023 would cap the list price of insulin nationwide at "$20 per 1000 units... which may be contained in one or more vials, pens, cartridges, or other forms of delivery."
Original co-sponsors of the legislation include Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Reps. Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon.
"Big Pharma continues to rake in record profits by gouging patients on insulin prices," Merkley said in a statement. "Unaffordable high prices are forcing patients to ration their insulin, leading to dire health consequences—heart attacks, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, foot disease and amputations, even death. It's tragic, it's unacceptable, and it's time to end this rip-off."
The new bill is also backed by more than 70 advocacy organizations, including T1International, Public Citizen, and Social Security Works.
"This bill being called the Insulin for All Act of 2023 shows the power of grassroots activism," said Elizabeth Pfiester, a patient with Type 1 diabetes and the founder and executive director of T1International, the group behind the #insulin4all campaign.
"We know that Eli Lilly isn't lowering the list price of one of their insulins out of the goodness of their hearts," Pfiester added. "That's why policy change to ensure patients with diabetes can't be exploited anymore is essential."
Eli Lilly's decision earlier this month to slash the prices of its most-prescribed insulin products by 70% was cautiously welcomed by advocates who have been organizing against insulin price gouging for years.
But campaigners stressed that given the serious limitations of Eli Lilly's pledge—and the company's ability to raise prices again whenever it chooses—federal action is still necessary to ensure lower costs for everyone, including those who use products made by the other two giant insulin manufacturers, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk.
The three companies produce more than 90% of the global insulin supply, market dominance that has allowed them to drive up costs massively—drawing legal action from several U.S. states, including California.
Last April, Human Rights Watch released a report showing that Eli Lilly has raised the list price of Humalog by an inflation-adjusted 680% since it first began selling the product in the late 1990s. The company vowed earlier this month to slash the list price of Humalog by 70% starting in the fourth quarter of this year.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular
SUPPORT OUR WORK.
We are independent, non-profit, advertising-free and 100%
reader supported.
reader supported.