The ACLU-TN Legislative Lobbying Program

Join the ACLU-TN Legislative Alert

Action Center

ACLU-TN's legislative program reflects the commitment of our organization to protect and promote civil liberties in the challenging political climate in which we live.

Our legislative program includes monitoring and attempting to influence a wide range of legislation affecting civil liberties in the Tennessee General Assembly (TGA). Our work centers on educating legislators about ACLU positions, drafting legislation on priority issues, lobbying on bills affecting civil liberties, testifying or arranging for testimony on bills, and building coalitions to pursue or battle legislative initiatives. In addition, we are asked by Tennessee legislators and their staff members for analysis on pending bills.

Each year, ACLU-TN lobbyists review the over 2,000 bills that are introduced in the TGA for civil liberties implications. Once we identify those bills that we are going to lobby and/or monitor, we develop strategies to support or oppose our positions.

Our legislative agenda is diverse and challenging. We focus on a range of issues, including criminal justice, freedom of speech, voting rights, access to information, LGBT rights, reproductive freedom, privacy, civil rights, racial justice, immigrants' rights and religious freedom.

ACLU-TN members are a vital part of our lobbying efforts. Your elected officials need to hear from you. They need to know that you care about your freedoms and expect them to protect your freedoms.

A network of ACLU members stand ready to contact their elected officials on critical state and federal legislation that supports or threatens civil liberties. By telephoning, emailing or writing their elected officials, ACLU members strengthen support for our constitutional guarantees.

You can stay up-to-date about the progress of key bills by joining our email alert list. You will get periodic alerts of pending bills in the State Legislature and in Congress as well ACLU information on other activities affecting affect civil liberties.

Check out highlights of the bills we are lobbying and/or monitoring, by issue area (the most recently introduced bills are at the top of each chart):

Access to Information/Free Speech

Criminal Justice

Employee Rights

Immigrants' Rights

LGBT Rights

Privacy

Reproductive Freedom

Students' Rights and Education

Voting Rights