On Friday, June 16, Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) delivered the luncheon address at the 2006 ACS National Convention. Rep. Frank discussed the case of Terri Schiavo, and the extent to which the conservative agenda frightened the American people and inspired a renewed respect for courts. He suggested that when conservatives discuss "morality, in every case, they're talking about injecting the government into decisions that shouldn't be any of the government's business: who to express intimacy with; what a woman should do when she's pregnant; how, when and whether to pray; what to read; what you see on the internet . . . ." He argued that "the degree of results orientation is as strong on the right as it is on the left." concluded by asserting that "We do not need to invite the government" to grapple with these issues.

While a number of problems plague our democratic system today, many would say that partisan redistricting has been a significant factor in the increasingly polarized nature of our political system and a growing sense of disenfranchisement among ordinary people. That said, others have serious concerns that it is impossible, and in fact, undesirable, to eliminate politics for the redistricting process altogether. On June 16, ACS hosted a panel at the 2006 National Convention that discussed recent legal developments in this area, including the challenges to the controversial 2002 Texas redistricting plan that the Supreme Court heard this term. Panelists also examined what the limits should be on redistricting, the degree to which politics should play a role, and the merits of proposed changes to de-politicize the process, such as independent commissions.

 

Since 9/11, the Bush Administration has engaged in a range of surveillance and detention practices that many are challenging in court. The government has repeatedly attempted to avoid judicial review of such cases through a variety of overarching and case-specific strategies. On June 16, ACS hosted a panel at the 2006 National Convention to discuss the serious challenges that face litigators in this area. Panelists addressed secrecy, limitations on discovery, difficulties in finding clients and case-by-case tactics, as well as the tools that can be used to overcome these challenges and to ensure that the government’s policies are reviewed in a court of law. A transcript of this document is available in the ACS document clearinghouse.