Speaking Freely With the ACLU-PA

Dec 10 2024 90 ep. 35 mins 158

Speaking Freely With the ACLU-PA Podcast artwork

This is the podcast that tells the story of civil liberties in Pennsylvania. You'll hear from our staff, our clients, and our allies about the most prominent civil liberties issues of the day.

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Pennsylvania’s Failed System of Indigent Defense

Dec 10 2024 33 mins

Both the U.S. and Pennsylvania constitutions guarantee the right to an attorney for someone facing criminal charges, regardless of a person’s ability to pay. But for decades, Pennsylvania has been woefully inadequate in ensuring that people living in poverty receive effective representation. So in June, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, with volunteer attorneys from several law firms,

Getting Ready for the Challenges Ahead

Dec 02 2024 27 mins

Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States. And based on his first turn as president and his rhetoric in the campaign, we know that he and his cronies are a clear and present danger to our most basic freedoms and to democracy itself. So what does that mean for the ACLU, as an organization dedicated to defend people’s civil liberties? And what does it mean for t

A pro-voter legal strategy

Oct 05 2024 52 mins

In 2024, ACLU-PA and our partners have taken a different approach with our legal strategy than in past election cycles. This year, we’ve implemented a proactive strategy to make sure that voters who want to cast a ballot can do so without unnecessary hurdles. Vic Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, joins the pod to talk about it. By the time you listen to this,

What voters really want on immigration and public safety

Oct 03 2024 42 mins

In the run up to this year’s election, we here at the ACLU knew that candidates would be talking about the two issues of immigration and public safety. Knowing that was coming, the ACLU has been engaged all year in a research project called Battleground Blueprint. We’ve deployed multiple rounds of surveys in multiple states, including Pennsylvania, to get a better look at voter

Living With a Criminal History and the Right to Vote in PA

Sep 20 2024 27 mins

More than 20 years ago, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to prohibit people who are living with a criminal record from voting. But misinformation about those rights persists here in Pennsylvania. In this episode, we hear from ACLU-PA executive director Mike Lee and Saleem Holbrook, executive director of Abolitionist Law Center and a member of

Capitol Complex

Jul 26 2024 29 mins

The Pennsylvania General Assembly recently wrapped up its work on the new state budget. Elizabeth Randol, ACLU-PA’s legislative director, talks about all that has happened in this session around civil liberties. Liz dives into ACLU-PA’s priority issues, including voting rights, free speech, and decarceration, and also talks about emerging issues that came to the fore in this se

How your county may - or may not - be helping you to vote

Jul 11 2024 28 mins

The impact that counties have on how we vote, where we vote, and even whether our vote is counted is enormous. On this episode, we hear from Beth Gilbert of Action Together NEPA and In This Together NEPA, where she is the voting and elections manager, and Marian Schneider, senior policy counsel for voting rights at the ACLU of Pennsylvania. Beth and Marian describe the ways in whic

Schools Where Everyone is Welcome

Apr 30 2024 36 mins

Historically, America’s public schools have been spaces where debates and resistance to civil liberties have played out. From racial integration to political protests, protecting the rights of students has been central to the story of constitutional rights. The times we’re in now are no different. In this episode, we hear from three advocates who have been helping people organ

Meet the new boss

Apr 18 2024 53 mins

In episode 83, we’re introducing our new executive director, Mike Lee. Mike joined ACLU-PA in January after serving for six years in the administration of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. In this conversation, Mike talks about what brought him to this moment leading the ACLU of Pennsylvania, his vision for the organization, and our priorities for 2024.

"Lighting money on fire": The vast dysfunction of the death penalty

Jun 08 2023 28 mins

In February, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced that he would continue the moratorium on executions started by his predecessor, Tom Wolf. Shapiro also went a step further than Wolf, calling on the legislature to repeal the death penalty in its entirety. Marc Bookman is the executive director of the Atlantic Center for Capital Representation, a former attorney in the hom