Legislation

The First Amendment is clear. Government actors and agencies cannot and should not censor people for disagreeing with them, whether that is at a town meeting, on a public sidewalk, or online.

The ACLU-CT believes in everyone’s right to free expression, and that includes speech by faculty members at public institutions of higher education on their scholarship, research, teaching, and on matters of public interest.

We believe the best solution to the tension between the right to privacy and the right to vote has a simple solution: allowing voters to opt out of data disclosure.

Without network neutrality, internet service companies can determine which content we can see, how quickly we can access it, and how much we pay for it. This bill would protect the freedom of the internet for the people of Connecticut.

We encourage the committee to amend Senate Bill 846, An Act Concerning the Municipal Gain, the Preparation of Utility Poles and Enterprise Funds for Municipal Broadband Services to require that municipal broadband services comply with network neutrality policies and to support the amended bill.

If amended to require that municipal broadband services follow net neutrality policies, this bill would protect the free speech rights of Connecticut residents by providing an alternative to internet service providers that choose not to continue to follow critical network neutrality policies.

It is important that the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Board of Trustees of The University of Connecticut establish an academic freedom policy for the public higher education institution within their jurisdiction.

As an organization that protects free speech, the ACLU-CT supports putting restrictions on workplace nondisclosure agreements (NDAs). An employer should not have the right to require a potential employee to sign an NDA regarding sexual harassment or sexual assault as a prerequisite for employment.