Urban Mayors' Association Weighs in on School Funding Formula

Newark - The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and the Seton Hall Center for Social Justice have submitted a brief on behalf of the New Jersey Urban Mayors' Association in a long-running school funding lawsuit before the New Jersey Supreme Court. The brief challenges the state's changes to its education funding formula, which now places the burden to fund education back on municipalities that cannot afford to adequately fund education on their own. The changes disproportionately harm minorities and poor families, who suffer most from these changes.    read more...

ACLU-NJ Ensures Bird Store Protest Can Take Flight

Burlington, NJ - The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey yesterday beat back a lawsuit from a Burlington bird store that sued three animal rights organizations in an effort to block them from gathering April 12, in front of the store. Bird Paradise also sued the City of Burlington, which had approved the gathering. "We were surprised at the lengths Bird Paradise went to try to silence us," said Rachel Ogden, the founder of Reach Out for Animal Rights, one of the organizations protesting the store. "Fortunately, it won't be a silent spring, but springtime for the First Amendment."    read more...