This week, we’re turning our eye to some of our nation’s court cases and how the judiciary creates or denies change. Check it out!
California
- Google Racial Discrimination Allegations
- Why we’re watching: Google, one of the country’s largest companies and certainly the most ubiquitous, was recently implicated in a racial discrimination lawsuit. The attorney leading the charge, Ben Crump, has filed a class action suit, or joined otherwise several individual court cases together to make the point that racial discrimination is bigoted, wrong, and won’t stand anymore.
Federal
- College Athlete Discrimination
- Why we’re watching: The National College Players Association announced that it submitted a complaint to the Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Education, alleging several schools discriminate against compensating mostly Black athletes. The data backs up their claim and we hope the courts see as much.
- Georgia Public Defender
- Why we’re watching: Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff just introduced the Access to Justice Act of 2022, which would require all 94 federal court districts to have a public defender’s office or other nonprofit located in that district. This is one of those proposals that is so sensible, it’s hard to believe that the law isn’t already on the books, but here we are.
- Nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
- Why we’re watching: President Biden upheld a campaign promise when he nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court – the first Black woman to hold that honor. This week, senators grilled her, revealing the often-private discrimination that Black women face, on her old court cases, decisions, and personal life. The display was a shameful one for all but Jackson, who replied with poise, dignity, and intelligence.
Wisconsin
- Statewide Congressional Map
- Why we’re watching: The fix is in throughout our country. More plainly, state legislatures have rigged the deck against Black and Brown voters through restrictive laws and unfair maps. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court ruled against Republicans undergoing this process after Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, drew maps for the state. We hope this signals a larger judicial willingness to order the reconsideration of gerrymandered maps.
What do you think of the news in this week’s legislative roundup? Did we miss anything? Drop us a line on any of our social channels or hit us up through our contact us form. Let us know what’s happening in YOUR neighborhood!
