ACLU: Mail Voting and Corrections Should Be Next In COVID-19 Response

(KFOR NEWS  March 24, 2020)    As state senators reconvene to authorize emergency funding related to the COVID-19 outbreak, the ACLU of Nebraska is calling for further action to protect public health.

The three-day emergency funding session will provide support for health resources, staffing and testing needs.

Danielle Conrad, executive director of the ACLU of Nebraska, said the funding request is an important first step that should be followed by action to protect access to the ballot, reduce the risk of the virus to people who are incarcerated, and meet the needs of families and businesses.

“We stand in solidarity with our state leaders, who are working hard to put public health needs first,” Conrad said. “The fact remains that this appropriation is a very modest amount that fails to address other needs to advance public health goals and carry out critical government functions. State leaders should continue their progress by facilitating an all-mail primary for all registered voters, addressing humane release for vulnerable populations in our jails and prisons, ending debtors’ prisons for people held pretrial who cannot afford bail as well as those sitting out fines and fees, and allocating funds for family leave to meet the needs of Nebraska families and caregivers who have been hit hardest by this crisis.”

The ACLU of Nebraska’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis is outlined online.