AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION OF IOWA

LEGAL PROGRAM SERVICES: (1) LITIGATED CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE TO IOWA'S CRIMINAL REENTRY LAW, THE WORST ANTI-IMMIGRANT BILL IN STATE HISTORY, OBTAINING PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION. (2) FILED CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT CHALLENGING UNCONSTITUTIONAL JAIL FEES IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY, IOWA. (3) LITIGATED CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE TO IOWA SCHOOL BOOK BAN LAW, INCLUDING ITS DON'T SAY LGBTQ+ AND FORCED OUTING COMPONENTS, ON APPEAL OF A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION, AND BACK BEFORE THE DISTRICT COURT ON REMAND. (4) LITIGATED CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE TO IOWA'S ABORTION BAN, TAKING EFFECT AROUND SIX WEEKS, BEFORE MANY WOMEN EVEN KNOW THEY ARE PREGNANT. (5) FILED THREE PRISONER STATE DISCIPLINARY POST-CONVICTION RELIEF CASES FOR IOWA INMATES SUBJECTED TO UNRELIABLE DRUG TESTING AND THE ALARMINGLY LOW SOME EVIDENCE BURDEN OF PROOF REQUIRED TO CONVICT AN INMATE OF A DISCIPLINARY VIOLATION RESULTING IN LOSS OF EARNED TIME AND LOSS OF ACCESS TO REHABILITATIVE PROGRAMMING. (6) FILED EMERGENCY LITIGATION TO PROTECT NATURALIZED U.S. CITIZEN VOTERS IN IOWA FROM IOWA SECRETARY OF STATE DIRECTIVE TO CHALLENGE THEM, AT THE POLLS OR WHEN VOTING ABSENTEE, BASED ON ONLY THEIR PREVIOUS STATUS OF HAVING BEEN LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENTS AT THE TIME THEY OBTAINED THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSES, DESPITE THE STATE'S KNOWLEDGE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE CHALLENGED VOTERS HAD BECOME NATURALIZED U.S. CITIZENS SINCE THAT TIME, AND WERE THUS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE. IN BRINGING THE LITIGATION, WE SUCCESSFULLY PRESSURED THE SECRETARY TO BACK OFF SOME OF THE MOST EXTREME ASPECTS OF HIS INITIAL ORDER. (7) OTHER LEGAL ADVOCACY TO PROTECT VOTERS AHEAD OF 2024 GENERAL ELECTION, DIRECTING LETTERS TO ALL 99 IOWA COUNTY AUDITORS AND THE IOWA SECRETARY OF STATE ASKING THEM TO REJECT ALL MASS CHALLENGES FILED WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THE ELECTION, AND TO RESTORE ANY VOTERS IMPROPERLY REMOVED FROM THE LISTS. (8) AMICUS BRIEFS FILED IN IOWA SUPREME COURT CASES, ARGUING: A WARRANT SUPPORTED BY PROBABLE CAUSE IS REQUIRED PRIOR TO CONDUCTING A SEARCH OF A RENTER-OCCUPIED PROPERTY WHEN THE RENTER DOES NOT CONSENT TO THE SEARCH; COURT FEES MUST NOT BE IMPOSED IN DISMISSED CRIMINAL CASES. (9) AMICUS BRIEFS FILED IN FEDERAL COURT CASES, ARGUING: THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT'S PROHIBITION ON CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENTS DOES NOT ALLOW CITIES TO ISSUE FINES OR ARREST PEOPLE FOR SLEEPING OUTSIDE IN PUBLIC WHEN THEY HAVE NO ACCESS TO ADEQUATE SHELTER; THE RIGHT OF STUDENTS TO RECEIVE INFORMATION ABOUT RACE DISCRIMINATION IN SCHOOLS IS ENTITLED TO PROTECTION UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT; AN EEOC REGULATION INCLUDING ACCOMMODATIONS RELATED TO MISCARRIAGE AND ABORTION WERE PROPERLY WITHIN REQUIRED PROTECTIONS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION ON ACCOUNT OF PREGNANCY.

PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAM SERVICES: (1) FINALIZED OUR THREE YEAR REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM ACTION TEAM PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN. (2) BEGINNING IN 2021, THE CAMPAIGN SOUGHT TO ENGAGE, EDUCATE, AND RECRUIT 10,000 VOLUNTEERS AND ADVOCATES BY NOVEMBER 2024; WE BEGAN THE FISCAL YEAR A YEAR AHEAD OF SCHEDULE ON OUR GOAL. (3) THE PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ENDED WITH VOLUNTEERS IN EVERY STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT, HOUSE AND SENATE, WITH A FINAL NUMBER OF 13,294, WHICH EXCEEDED OUR GOAL BY ROUGHLY 30%. (4) AFFILIATE STAFF HELD 181 INDIVIDUAL EVENTS, TO AN AUDIENCE OF MORE THAN A THOUSAND. (5) HELD OUR SECOND DAY OF ACTION IN MAY 2024, WITH 60 VOLUNTEERS, WITH OVER 750 DOORS KNOCKED IN 20 SEPARATE COMMUNITIES. (6) FROM JULY - NOVEMBER, WE HAD OUR FINAL PUSH, RESULTING IN CONTACT WITH 53,135, INCLUDING 43,000+ INDIVIDUAL TEXT MESSAGES - SENT FROM A LIVE PERSON - THROUGH PHONE BANKS MANAGED BY STAFF AND PERFORMED BY VOLUNTEERS AND CANVAS BANKS. (7) IN NOVEMBER 2024, WE ANALYZED THE FULL PROGRAM, AND CLOSED ITS DOORS THROUGH A SERIES OF VOLUNTEER AND PARTNER WEBINARS TO SHOW PEOPLE WHAT THEY HAD ACCOMPLISHED, WITH THE SIMPLE THEME THAT INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT IS THE INDISPENSABLE PIECE OF OUR C3 PUBLIC EDUCATION WORK. (8) IN DECEMBER 2024, WE FORMALLY DISSOLVED THE REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ACTION TEAM AS IT HAD EXISTED DURING OUR THREE-YEAR PROGRAM. (9) AS A RESULT OF THIS INTENTIONAL DOWNSIZE, WE HAVE MOVED OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION VOLUNTEER PROGRAM TO CAPITOL CORPS, AND TO THE PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO OUR AFFILIATE STAFF AND ACTIVITIES AT EVENTS - HOWEVER, EVEN AS THE PROGRAM ENDED, WE HAVE MAINTAINED OUR CONTACTS AND OUR LISTS FOR USE IN THE FUTURE, WHICH PAID OFF FROM JAN - APR 2025, AS DENOTED ABOVE. (10) PRINTED AND MAILED OUR DEFENDER NEWSLETTER TO A MAILING LIST OF APPROXIMATELY 13,000 SUPPORTERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES. (11) RESPONDED TO MEDIA INQUIRIES, HELD PRESS CONFERENCES AND CRAFTED MEDIA STATEMENTS ON OUR EFFORTS AND ON MATTERS REGARDING CIVIL LIBERTIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS. (12) UPDATED AND PRINTED BROCHURES REGARDING CIVIL LIBERTIES WITH TOPICS SUCH AS THE RIGHT TO PROTEST, VOTING RIGHTS (IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH), AND RIGHTS WHEN INTERACTING WITH POLICE (IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH).