Indiana NAACP Partners with Lawyers for Good Government to Defend Equity in Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment

Indianapolis, IN — As the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission (IURC) prepare to roll out the funding, policies, and procedures that will shape the state’s shift to electric vehicles (EVs), the Indiana State Conference of the NAACP (Indiana NAACP) is leading a coalition of political, faith, and community leaders to advocate for an equitable transition to clean transportation. 

With pro bono legal assistance from Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) and Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP (Dentons) under L4GG’s Decarbonization and Climate Resilience Funding Clinic, the Indiana State Conference of the NAACP (Indiana NAACP) is intervening in the Commission’s Proceeding (Cause No. 45816) to help ensure equitable policy-making for EV siting and infrastructure in Indiana. 

This proceeding falls under the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) and will promote greater electrification of the transportation sector in Indiana.  The way the Commission implements these efforts will have serious implications for the future of EV mobility for all Hoosiers.  As an Intervenor, Indiana NAACP testifies that in order to ensure that all Indiana communities can benefit from EV infrastructure, the IURC should adopt relevant portions of the Indiana Alliance for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure and Economic Opportunities (Alliance’s) Six Point Plan in a final Order that it will issue. Adopting the Six Point Plan will help establish regulatory policies and provide critical guidance to utilities to ensure the equitable placement and siting of EV infrastructure and a just transition to clean transportation for decades to come. All parties have been asked by the administrative law judge to craft a joint proposed order, but it remains to be seen whether the utilities will be willing to incorporate tangible measures to ensure equitable distribution of EV charging for all Hoosiers, including Black and other communities of color and low-income communities. 

““We need to electrify our interstates and install charging where people live, worship, work, and play. The EV transition offers real opportunities to Black and other people of color in policy innovation, small business, and job creation. By centering the needs of communities of color, we can ensure racially equitable benefits across communities.””

— Denise Abdul-Rahman, State Chair, Environmental Climate Justice, Indiana State Conference of the NAACP. “

““It is critical for groups like Indiana NAACP to be an equal party to the Commission’s proceedings to ensure that utilities prioritize siting and maintenance of EV infrastructure in Black communities and communities of color and to ensure that at least 40% of the $100M of federal funding going to the State of Indiana actually benefits disadvantaged communities consistent with Biden’s Justice40 requirements. The policies that will result from the Commission proceeding are critical in this regard.””

— Jillian Blanchard, Director of Climate Change & Environmental Justice at Lawyers for Good Government

Right now, the State is poised to receive almost $1B over the next five years for EV infrastructure, and the IURC is in the process of crafting an order that will determine what, if any, measures Indiana’s five big investor-owned utilities will need to take to ensure that EV infrastructure is deployed equitably in communities that have been historically neglected.  

The IURC proceeding is one critical piece in a larger puzzle that will shape Indiana’s EV siting and infrastructure with major implications for racial equity, economic opportunity, and public health. Together, the Indiana NAACP and L4GG are actively advocating for equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color, particularly through EV infrastructure buildout.

Indiana NAACP has worked for years to ensure equity in the rollout of EV charging infrastructure requirements in the State of Indiana by coordinating with coalition partners in the Indiana Alliance for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure and Economic Opportunities (the Alliance). Last year, the Alliance raised the alarm about the need for the State’s NEVI plan to ensure both meaningful community engagement and equitable siting, hiring, and management of placement of EV infrastructure, working at the local, state, and federal levels.

L4GG has been working on similar policies at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure the equitable distribution of the billions of dollars coming down under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for EV transportation projects, including providing pro bono legal assistance to Black communities and other overburdened communities that have long been neglected—and often directly harmed—by traditional transportation projects. 

The Indiana NAACP’s intervention in Cause No. 45816 is driven by the understanding that the current EV revolution could perpetuate, rather than challenge, long-standing racial inequalities. Systemic barriers such as financial capacity for EV ownership, access to charging stations, and digital literacy for EV-related research contribute to racial inequities that could prevent Black and brown communities from enjoying the benefits of the shift to clean cars and better air quality.

The Indiana NAACP acknowledges the economic impact of the emerging green economy, and recognizes the critical importance of directing investments towards disadvantaged communities. An equitable distribution of funding for and siting of EV infrastructure not only supports the fight against climate change, but it can also empower marginalized communities to take part in building and benefitting from the new green economy and starts to level the playing field.

In addition, the health benefits of accessible and widespread EV adoption cannot be overstated because decades of segregation and structural racism have resulted in Black communities suffering from higher exposure to transportation pollution. 71 percent of African Americans live in counties in violation of federal air pollution standards. Our collective advocacy aims to combat these public health disparities by advocating for more EV infrastructure in all communities, thereby reducing harmful tail-pipe emissions and improving overall public health, particularly in the communities that have suffered the most from transportation pollution.

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The Indiana State Conference of the NAACP Our mission is to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.

Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) coordinates large-scale pro bono programs and issue advocacy efforts to protect human rights, defend the environment, and ensure equal justice under the law, and has a network of 125,000+ lawyers to assist in its efforts. The Climate Change and Environmental Justice Program leverages its vast pro bono network to expedite the just, equitable, and fair transition to a green economy. 

Preserving Reproductive Rights: The Power of Religious Freedom in the Fight Against Abortion Bans

Written by L4GG’s 2023 Summer Intern, Veronica Dickstein

In the wake of recent disheartening SCOTUS decisions and the erosion of reproductive rights in many U.S. states, it can be difficult to also see the positive developments in reproductive rights happening nationwide. Yet, across the country, attorneys and advocates are using creative strategies to protect bodily autonomy in a post-Dobbs America.

One such strategy centers around freedom of religion, an ideal central to the fabric of our country and our constitution. White nationalist movements have used religion to control and restrict, but this legal initiative shows that religion does not have to be used in such a poisonous, distorted way.

In Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, and Indiana, pro-choice advocates are arguing that abortion bans restrict religious freedom and are, therefore, unconstitutional. Some cases with this argument focus on their respective states’ constitutions’ enshrined right to freely practice religion. Meanwhile, some focus on their state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Acts, acts modeled off the 1993 federal act of the same name that aimed to strengthen religious freedom protections. 

Let’s go through some of the cases that use this religion-oriented strategy:

• In Florida, plaintiffs are declaring the Reducing Fetal and Infant Mortality Act (a 15-week abortion ban) unconstitutional in Generation to Generation v. State of Florida. In this ongoing case, plaintiffs argue that because Jewish law states that “abortion is required if necessary to protect the health, mental or physical, or well-being of the woman,” which this act does not allow, the act is therefore unconstitutional because it violates the plaintiffs’ freedom of religion. Using Judaism in these cases is a common thread, due to its assertions that anything can be justified to save a life; Judaism also lacks any evidence that a fetus would be considered a life in the same way as a human baby, or a pregnant person for that matter.

• In the same vein, in Kentucky, plaintiffs in the ongoing Sobel v. Cameron are filing suit against Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Jefferson County Attorney General Thomas Wine. This case draws on Kentucky’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which states that “no preference shall ever be given by law to any religious sect, society or denomination; nor to any particular creed, mode of worship or system of ecclesiastical polity.” Plaintiffs argue that because the bill declares that life begins at conception, an ideology that conflicts with Jewish religious beliefs, this bill violates their religious freedom. They also claimed that, consequently, this bill gave preferential treatment to those with Christian beliefs and was, therefore, discriminatory.

• In Rev. Blackmon v. Missouri, plaintiffs are challenging the constitutionality of Missouri’s abortion ban due to its undeniably religious character; Missouri’s abortion ban was described by state legislators in explicitly religious terms. Missouri Representative Adam Schnelting said when discussing the ban: “I know of no greater way of affirming the natural rights of man than to declare that they are a gift from our Creator that neither man nor government can abridge.” Plaintiffs in this case claim that because of this, the ban is a violation of the separation of church and state, something clearly protected in Missouri’s constitution. They also argue, similarly to plaintiffs in the Florida and Kentucky cases, that this ban forces all Missouri residents to adhere to a definition of life only held by some—mostly those part of specific sects of Christianity. The 13 plaintiffs, all religious clergy members belonging to different Christian sects, Unitarian Universalism, and Judaism, do not share those religious beliefs. This case is ongoing, with important implications outside of the reproductive rights arena. How can we call ourselves a democracy, not a theocracy, when we enact legislation in the name of the Judeo-Christian creator?

• As mentioned in L4GG’s 7/07/23 Repro Digest, Anonymous Plaintiffs, Hoosier Jews for Choice v. Medical Licensing Board of Indiana argues that Indiana’s abortion ban violates the religious freedom rights of the Jewish, Muslim, and spiritual plaintiffs. It therefore violates Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act; the plaintiffs’ respective religions do not hold the beliefs that life begins at conception or that a fetus is entitled to the rights of a human baby. Like other cases, this one also argues that Indiana’s constitutional clause prohibiting the state from preferentially treating any one religion is violated by the state's extreme abortion bans. This case is especially important because the plaintiffs were granted a preliminary injunction by Indiana state trial court in December 2022, meaning that while litigation continues, the abortion can cannot be enforced against the plaintiffs. The state has appealed this injunction. Americans United along with other organizations is continuing to advocate as to why the injunction should hold and the ban should not be enforced—not just for the plaintiffs, but for all Indiana residents. Although there is no clear outcome for this case right now, it demonstrates that courts even in states usually hostile towards reproductive rights and bodily autonomy may respond to a religious-freedom oriented argument to mitigate abortion bans.

Using religion to combat abortion bans is ingenious because it has so often been used to create them. This irony is compounded in the cases that use their states’ Religious Freedom Restoration Acts, which have been used to combat laws that aimed to fight discrimination and require insurance companies to cover contraceptives. 

Contrary to the recent abortion bans that often, whether explicitly or implicitly, use Christianity as an excuse for suffocating legislation, religion in America is not monolithic. To think so is both naïve and discriminatory. It is dangerous. These cases serve as beacons of hope in tough times for reproductive rights in America, using religious diversity to protect and progress and working to maintain our democracy.

List of PDFs

• Document: Complaint for Declaratory Relief and for Temporary and Permanent Injunction Declaring House Bill 5, Invalid Unconstitutional and Unenforceable (June 10, 2022) (Generation to Generation v. Florida)

• Document: Complaint for Declaratory Relief (Sobel v. Cameron)

• Missouri Constitution 

• Petition for Injunctive and Declaratory Relief (Blackmon v. Missouri) 

• Amended complaint in Blackmon v. Missouri 

• Anonymous Plaintiffs, Hoosier Jews for Choice v. Medical Licensing Board of Indiana

UPDATE: L4GG Works Directly With Federal Highways to Ensure that Billions of Federal Funding to States Prioritizes Climate and Equity

After Lawyers for Good Government (“L4GG”) condemned the Federal Highway Administration (“FHWA”) for removing its support of climate and equity considerations in its guidance to states on how to spend $466 billion worth of funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (“BIL”) set aside for transportation projects, L4GG, along with its coalition partners, secured a key meeting with management at both the US Department of Transportation (“DOT”) and the FHWA to voice concerns relating to the revised guidance and to identify specific legal actions that both DOT and the FHWA can take to ensure that equity and climate are prioritized in state-level federal transportation spending. This work is a key component of L4GG’s larger strategy to ensure that BIL and Inflation Reduction Act funding is equitably implemented in states and local communities across the United States to prioritize equity and climate issues. 

L4GG coordinated with key coalition partners—NRDC, Communities First Infrastructure Alliance, Evergreen, and PolicyLink—to meet with over a dozen representatives at the FHWA, including the Director of FHWA and Secretary Pete Buttegieg’s undersecretary to discuss the FHWA’s removal of guidance on equity and climate considerations on the $300B allocated to states.  During the meeting, the coalition provided DOT and FHWA with concrete examples for incorporating equity and climate considerations in state-level transportation projects that involve federal funding.

In response to the meeting, the Director of FHWA, Shailan Bhatt, responded directly to L4GG attorneys in a letter, thanking L4GG for the meeting and restating the FHWA’s commitment to equity and climate change.  

Since the meeting with FHWA, L4GG, along with the coalition partners named above, have taken concrete steps to ensure FHWA adheres to this commitment, including providing comments on the IRA’s Environmental Review Implementation Program to ensure that streamlining projects under the National Environmental Policy Act, a key procedural hurdle needed to build highway infrastructure, does not cause negative equity or climate impacts.  Similarly, L4GG worked with key coalition partners and the Transportation Equity Caucus to provide detailed comments on DOT's Equity Action Plan.

In addition to this work, L4GG continues to work at the state and local levels to ensure the equitable implementation of federal dollars, including providing hands-on pro bono legal assistance to overburdened communities through the Decarbonization and Climate Resilience Clinic. 

L4GG: One year after Dobbs, we’re helping states like NY win the fight for bodily autonomy.

L4GG is thrilled to share some exciting news that will profoundly impact our community’s fight to protect our access to healthcare and bodily autonomy. Over the weekend, Governor Kathy Hochul signed two groundbreaking laws that significantly advance reproductive justice and the civil rights of transgender people in New York. This momentous achievement is a testament to the unwavering dedication of L4GG’s policy team and the collective support of advocates like you.

L4GG staff participated in significant advocacy efforts on both pieces of legislation. We worked with allies on the ground in New York and used our expertise in public health law and policy to ensure that the state grounded these new laws in strong constitutional, case law and statutory bases.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Governor Hochul for her steadfast commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of all New Yorkers. With her leadership, New York sets an inspiring example for the rest of the nation.

Now, let's delve into the key provisions of each law:

Law #1: Strengthening Access to Reproductive Health Care

• Enables New York providers to offer telehealth reproductive health care and medication abortion to patients in states with restrictive abortion laws.

• Shields doctors, providers, and facilitators from litigation in those states.

• Prevents professional discipline for delivering reproductive telehealth services to out-of-state patients.

• Expands protections for New York healthcare providers treating out-of-state patients.

"This moment is a resounding victory for reproductive justice and a necessary step forward in protecting healthcare providers and patients. Through L4GG's Reproductive Health Legal Assistance project, we have witnessed firsthand the challenges doctors face navigating the rapidly changing and complex landscape of reproductive healthcare laws. With the signing of these laws in New York, both doctors and their patients are getting the protection they deserve."

- Alyssa Morisson, L4GG's Reproductive Justice Staff Attorney

Law #2: Safeguarding Trans Rights and Promoting LGBTQ+ Equality

• Prohibits child removal based on gender-affirming care in custody cases.

• Restricts law enforcement cooperation on gender-affirming care performed in New York.

• Prevents subpoenas related to out-of-state proceedings on gender-affirming care.

• Ensures addiction services based on gender identity, expression, and sexual orientation.

• Removes outdated and stigmatizing language from "sexual orientation" definition.

• Mandates gender-neutral terms in laws, rules, and resolutions.
  

"This law is a great first step and a meaningful signal that New York cares about its trans, non-binary, and intersex residents. It is constitutionally sound and incremental in its approach to reflect that these sorts of laws are untested and to protect people from harm while recommitting the state to our protection. We will continue to support New York advocates in their fight for the right to privacy and equitable healthcare for everyone in the state and help them achieve both rigorous and ambitious wins that center the needs of trans people. As cultural leaders and the originators of Pride throughout history, trans, non-binary, intersex, and gender nonconforming people have made this state great and belong here, now and always." 

- Khadijah Silver, L4GG Civil Rights Supervising Attorney

These achievements reinforce the urgency of L4GG's mission and underscore the vital role of good government in achieving meaningful change. This is just the beginning of the road – states and cities across the country are requesting L4GG’s help to ensure they are offering their residents the strongest protections possible, while remaining within the bounds of the law. It reinforces the urgency of L4GG's mission and underscores the vital role of good government in achieving meaningful change.

If you would like more frequent updates on the state of bodily autonomy laws in the country, subscribe to our bi-weekly Reproductive Health Digest, which highlights major changes in reproductive health laws across 56 states and territories.

L4GG extends its deepest gratitude to all those who have supported our crucial work. Together, we stand united in our commitment to protecting and advancing the rights and autonomy of all individuals in our community.

L4GG Victory: Maryland Takes a Stand in Protecting Access to Trans Health Care

In a resounding victory for transgender rights, Maryland has become the 11th state to proactively protect gender-affirming care through a critical Executive Order. Maryland’s Order sends a strong message about its commitment to equality and inclusion and shields trans individuals and healthcare providers from attacks from states like Florida and Texas. Lawyers for Good Government, in collaboration with the National Center for Transgender Equality and Trans Formations Project, worked closely with Maryland Governor Wes Moore's office to draft and advocate for this groundbreaking order!

Let's delve into the details of this significant milestone and the impact it will have on transgender individuals' access to healthcare.

Shielding Trans Rights in Maryland:

At a time when transgender rights face challenges from states like Florida and Texas, Maryland's Executive Order serves as a shield, ensuring protection for transgender individuals in the face of adversity. The order encompasses several key provisions aimed at safeguarding their rights and well-being, including:

1. Protecting Doctors Providing Care:
   
   The Executive Order safeguards the medical licensing of physicians who provide lawful gender-affirming care in Maryland. This protection remains intact even if these physicians are being investigated by another state hostile to transgender care. By doing so, Maryland solidifies its commitment to providing inclusive healthcare options for all its residents.
   
   

2. Rejecting Invasive Investigations:

Under the Executive Order, Maryland categorically refuses to participate in another state's criminal investigation into individuals who have received lawful medical care. This includes measures such as declining to respond to extradition requests, participating in subpoenas aimed at anyone obtaining gender-affirming care for themselves or their child, or sharing personal medical information. This provision shields transgender individuals from discriminatory targeting and interference by adverse states.

Maryland's Executive Order marks a watershed moment in the fight for transgender rights. While this victory is cause for celebration, it also serves as a reminder that the fight for bodily autonomy, including trans health, LGBTQIA+ rights, and reproductive freedom, is far from over. The challenges posed by other states emphasize the need for continued advocacy and support. By recognizing and amplifying this triumph, we can inspire other states to follow suit and ensure gender-affirming care is protected across the nation.

Please join us in commending Governor Moore for taking a stand for trans rights and urging other states to join this critical movement:

1. Thank Governor Moore: Please show your appreciation to Governor Moore for taking a stand on this crucial issue. Click here to send a quick message of thanks to his office, expressing your gratitude for his leadership in protecting access to healthcare for transgender individuals.
   

2. Donate to Fight for Trans Rights: Your contribution to the L4GG Action Fund plays a crucial role in helping us extend these essential protections to other states, both empowering transgender individuals to access the care they need and deserve and protecting the rest of us from the overreaching impacts of hateful laws.
   

3. Share: Help us spread the word about this incredible win on your social media platforms and by forwarding this email. By amplifying this victory, we can inspire other states to follow Maryland's example and take proactive steps to protect gender-affirming care.

SCOTUS' Sackett Decision is Anti-Science & Will Devastate Our Water Supplies

Today, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Sackett v Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), overruling over 50 years of well-established protections for surface waters and wetlands. The Court has dramatically narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act and the EPA’s authority, undoing protections that have safeguarded our water resources for over 50 years.  The Court’s ruling embraces extreme demands of big polluters and favors landowners and developers over the health and security of our Nation’s most precious resource—water.  

Everyone should be troubled by this Supreme Court ruling.

By removing critical protections for wetlands and surface waters, and completely ignoring established science, the Court has failed the most vulnerable among us—namely indigenous communities, communities of color, those most vulnerable to pollution, and those facing intensifying climate disasters. Now the EPA is stripped of its ability to protect our communities, public health, and local ecosystems. 

A majority of Americans do NOT support this. On the contrary, more than three in four people in this country support strong federal protections for our waters.

Congress and state officials across the country need to act fast to protect water bodies that our nation relies on for drinking, farming, cooking, fishing, and fueling local economies. While today’s ruling guts our nation’s bedrock clean water law, it’s imperative that we take full advantage of tools that remain to stop big polluters from indiscriminately bulldozing our wetlands and dumping waste into our streams, impacting critical water supplies.

States are still empowered to act to protect wetlands, headwaters, and vital resources that support our water supplies, but many do not currently have necessary protections in place for wetlands. We must call on them now to use their authority to act to protect these critical resources before it’s too late.

Lawyers will be essential in this fight to help ensure that states have adequate protections in the wake of Sackett to avoid catastrophic and permanent damage to our ecosystem and water supply.

Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) will continue its important work with our allies in the Clean Water for All Coalition to provide key legal resources to advocates and state decision-makers to pass protections where they are needed and to mitigate this significant loss of fundamental protections to our right to water. 

To learn more about L4GG’s continued efforts to protect vital resources and water supply in disadvantaged communities like Benton Harbor, Michigan, click here.

“““By disregarding established science and removing critical safeguards, the Court has failed the most vulnerable among us, including indigenous communities, communities of color, and those already facing the brunt of climate disasters. This decision, even narrower in scope than the previous Trump administration’s Clean Water Rule, undermines the progress made in preserving our water resources. It is imperative that Congress and state officials swiftly step up to protect our water bodies to ensure the well-being of future generations. Despite this setback, Lawyers for Good Government, in collaboration with the Clean Water for All Coalition, will continue to provide vital legal resources to advocates and state decision makers, standing up for the right to water and working tirelessly to mitigate the devastating consequences of this ruling. Together, we will continue fighting to defend our ecosystems and ensure a sustainable future for all.”

— Jillian Blanchard, Director of Climate Change & Environmental Justice, L4GG

DeSantis Enacts Cruel, Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia

Written by Khadijah Silver, Supervising Attorney of Civil Rights at L4GG

For many of us, there is one fear greater than the fear of death: fear of harm to those we love. The idea of our loved ones’ suffering drives many of our bravest feats, our worst nightmares, and our most impassioned advocacy. Many of us have ancestors that fled to this country, escaping oppression or death, seeking the right to be themselves, free of persecution. Some of us are Black or Native American, and have known what it means to flee one’s home and seek sanctuary from bigotry in another state or even another country.

Right now, this week, family members of transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people are confronted with that same calculus, as our southernmost state has signed a host of laws criminalizing trans people’s use of public facilities, access to healthcare, and ability to exist safely, authentically and in dignity. Should we stay in our homes, in a place that has written hatred for us into the letter of the law, and fight? Or should we leave that home behind to protect ourselves and those we love?

On Wednesday morning, standing in a private Christian school in Tampa, a city with a lesbian mayor, behind a lectern with a sign reading “let kids be kids,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis forced families across his populous state to ask this question as he signed a slate of anti-LGBTQ+ bills targeting both youth and adults and further stripping Floridians of their civil liberties.

The first and most immediately dangerous of these new laws is SB 254, an anti-trans healthcare bill that criminalizes gender-affirming care for minors, vastly curtails care for adults, and permits unsupportive parents to claw back custody of a trans child residing out-of-state, on the grounds that receipt of gender affirming care constitutes an emergency akin to child abuse. Already, adults have been forced off their medication as prescription refill requests are refused. This law is a human rights violation of tremendous proportions, placing Florida at odds with the  United States government and international bodies such as Amnesty International and the World Medical Association, which  have found that deprivation of medication is a form of torture.

The second, SB 1438, bans vaguely and broadly defined “adult oriented performances'' and attaches criminal penalties for officials who grant permits for events featuring drag. In addition to drag shows themselves, this bill is likely to impact event permitting for the state’s wildly popular pride events – already, organizers have canceled Tampa’s “Pride on the River,” which boasts 10-20,000 visitors a year, and Port St. Lucie’s pride celebration.

From the House, HB 1069 further expands Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which restricts pronoun use in both public and private schools and declares that it is “false” to utilize a pronoun that does not conform to a person’s sex assigned at birth. The bill also broadly prohibits discussion of gender identity or sexual orientation in the classroom, opening the door to penalties for LGBTQ+ supportive school officials. 

Finally, Governor DeSantis signed HB 1521, a trans bathroom bill which allows individuals to ask trans folks to leave the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity and attaches criminal penalties if the trans person fails to do so, once again elevating the “rights” of the intolerant over the safety of trans people. HB 1521 also opens all publicly owned spaces up to lawsuits brought by the state AG or revocation of their operating licenses if they are reported for noncompliance with the law. 

“Taken together, these bills constitute an urgent threat to the safety and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Floridians and visitors to the state, dangerously expanding the criminalization of already marginalized groups. They harm members of our staff, our community, and our stakeholders.

Further, although he has not yet formally announced his candidacy, Governor DeSantis has indicated in no uncertain terms that he intends to run for president in 2024, using bigotry as his platform. His potential candidacy is a threat to the rights of all Americans, and his record of viciously legislating against bodily autonomy, LGBTQ+ rights and abortion must be viewed as absolutely disqualifying. L4GG calls on its community to strongly condemn the Florida legislature’s unjustifiable actions in passing these laws and to stand in solidarity and action with all LGBTQ+ Floridians. ”

— Khadijah Silver, Supervising Attorney of Civil Rights at L4GG

As a nonbinary attorney that was disowned for my gender identity as a young person and forced back into the closet to receive my mother’s care when I fell ill, I am terrified today. Not just for myself, but for my loved ones in Florida, Texas and across the country that keep sending me Signal messages, asking “what should I do?” I am terrified for the local attorneys in states with bans on gender-affirming care, writing me to ask, “what can I do?” And, I am terrified for our country, which does not have a clear answer for them. Please join all of us at L4GG in standing against these hateful laws, and standing up for your trans loved ones. 

Please join all of us at L4GG in standing against these hateful laws, and standing up for your trans loved ones. Read more about the challenges they are facing at L4GG.org/TransHealth.

Asylum As We Know It Is Ending - Lawyers Are Needed More Than Ever

Tomorrow, the Biden administration will end Title 42, a Trump-era policy that effectively closed the southern border for the past three years. In clear violation of international and U.S. immigration law, Title 42 gave the U.S. Border Patrol the power to return vulnerable families to Mexico without so much as a chance to open an asylum claim. The policy also inflicted unimaginable suffering on hundreds of thousands of stranded families that were neglected, kidnapped, and tortured while waiting in Mexico. 

While the expiration of Title 42 is a welcome development and presents an opportunity to implement humane, equitable paths to asylum, the Biden administration is instead introducing new immigration policies that will severely limit access to asylum, separate families, and endanger the lives of thousands of individuals seeking safety in the U.S.

These new policies not only complicate the asylum-seeking process, which is an internationally recognized human right, but also significantly increases the risk of deportation and banishment for the most vulnerable people.

This policy shift means that the ONLY way asylum seekers will make it is with lawyers advising them, both before and after they present on the border. These changes are certain to result in thousands of asylum seekers being left to fend for themselves if they don’t have the support of lawyers like us.

Asylum seekers need us now more than ever. Please support Project Corazon as we provide critical services to help migrants understand their rights and ensure their safety amidst this treacherous legal landscape.

“The Biden Administration’s new rule is cruel and in blatant disregard to our international obligations to accept those seeking refuge from persecution within our borders. Under the rule, L4GG’s clients, who are LGBTQ+ people, political activists, racial minorities, victims of torture, and other people fleeing violent persecution in their countries of origin, will no longer have a viable pathway to fair, orderly asylum processing. Instead, they will face the dilemma of risking deportation and banishment from the U.S., or remaining in countries which have poorly functioning or non-existent asylum systems, many of which pose the same dangers to our clients as their home countries. In fact, this rule increasingly endangers the thousands of vulnerable women, children, and families who are forced to live on the streets of border cities in Mexico, where cartel violence is currently escalating. We call on the administration to immediately withdraw the rule and instead pursue pathways to fair, orderly migration that restore full asylum.”

— - Priscilla Orta, Supervising Attorney, Project Corazon

“In his briefing on the end of Title 42 this morning, Sec. Mayorkas repeated it twice: “we are a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.” And yet, with this rule, the administration is breaking domestic and international laws that require us to honor the immigrants upon whom this nation’s success depends. By penalizing those that are too poor, too disabled, too Black, too language-impaired, or too illiterate to use the extremely limited means of CBP One to schedule an appointment for consideration of an asylum claim at our Southern border, our President is hardening this nation’s stance beyond even what his predecessor imagined.

All that we at Lawyers for Good Government and other legal aid organizations have been asking for is the opening of lawful pathways to asylum, but what we have gotten are roadblocks. If the administration wants to fix immigration, they need to work with and listen to the people that have been filling the gaps Congress has left since this country decided to abrogate its responsibilities to both immigrants and the law.”

— - Khadijah Silver, Supervising Attorney, Civil Rights

L4GG Statement on Biden Administration Doubling Down on Anti-Asylum Policies

Yesterday, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department made a joint announcement on expanded legal pathways and refugee processing. However, this announcement was coupled with intentions to move forward with the proposed asylum transit ban, limited appointments through the CBP One app, inequitable access issues, and more anti-immigrant policies.  

“Punishing asylum seekers with deportation and banishment for pursuing safety through an internationally-recognized and protected pathway will surely lead to their harm and leave us in breach of our moral and legal obligations. While we welcome the announced expansion to refugee admissions and the creation of new pathways to protection for people from Central and South America, we are deeply concerned that the Biden Administration is doubling down on its limitations for seeking asylum, a human right that is recognized by both domestic and international law. Additionally, we find framing the refugee program as a tool to help manage border migration particularly harmful and politically wrought. As President Biden reminded us on World Refugee Day, ‘as Americans, protecting and welcoming refugees is part of who we are.’”

- Priscilla Orta, Supervising Attorney for Lawyers for Good Government’s Project Corazon

Earth Day Every Day - What Lawyers Can Do for Environmental Justice

Our planet is in crisis, and attorneys are uniquely situated to take bold action to address climate change. Lawyers can celebrate Earth Day every day by volunteering with and supporting L4GG’s Climate Change and Environmental Justice Program.

Lawyers are uniquely qualified to:

1. Understand environmental laws and regulations & find legal solutions

   Lawyers are equipped to decode complex environmental laws. They can help overcome legal barriers by analyzing the policies that prevent states and local governments from implementing climate tools, such as virtual power purchase agreements and community programs, and coming up with legal solutions.
   

2. Shape Federal, State, and Local policy
   Lawyers can help shape federal policy by commenting on federal agency regulations and programs, including how the federal government should spend the over $2T coming from federal agencies under Biden's Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act! Moreover, lawyers can provide legal guidance and help draft state and local climate and equity laws and policies as well.
   

3. Communicate effectively
   Lawyers have strong oral and written communication skills, giving them the ability to work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders. They can use these skills to develop and deliver compelling arguments and presentations for community members, government officials, and others. Importantly, lawyers can also work with overburdened communities to make sure their voices are heard by state and local decision-makers implementing climate projects to ensure that community needs and environmental racism are addressed.
   

4. Provide pro bono support
   Environmental justice issues directly affect marginalized communities. Lawyers can provide free legal support to frontline communities looking to implement climate projects and access historic federal funds.

Volunteers for L4GG’s Climate Change and Environmental Justice program do all of this and more! 

This Earth Day, we are excited to highlight 4 superstar volunteers who have plugged into our various initiatives! Read on to see how you can be using your legal skills to protect the environment this Earth Day and beyond.

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Bo Mahr

Bo is a renewable energy development attorney who helps a wide variety of clean energy companies navigate project development from cradle to grave. From greenfield to decommissioning to tax equity, his practice has grown from utility-scale wind and solar to green hydrogen, DAC, battery storage, floating solar, and everything in between.

Bo has volunteered with L4GG for a few years now, working on various projects.

Determining whether municipalities can enter into virtual power purchase agreements (a first-of-its-kind issue), might be my favorite L4GG project that I’ve worked on. It’s a timely and critically important issue, and, having grown up in Missouri, it was great to play a part in advancing the already great work the city of St. Louis is doing in this area. These kinds of projects, with real and immediate impacts on great organizations, is what makes working with L4GG so special.  

Olivia Lin

Olivia is in the Investment Funds group at her firm, where she represents clients such as institutional investors and fund sponsors, and advises them on matters including fund formation, operation and regulatory compliance.

Olivia is currently involved with L4GG’s Benton Harbor Right to Water project. She assists with document review and data compilation regarding the state and local governments’ policy, internal communications, and actions taken in light of the various lead exceedances discovered in Benton Harbor’s drinking water. The data addresses local petitioners’ requests for more detailed background information on how government has responded to the crisis, including any internal incompetency or negligence.  Most recently, she assisted with drafting parts of a chronology report documenting the background and causes of the crisis.

I was drawn to the project because having watched the horrific Flint water crisis play out,  it was disturbing to see the cycle continue in Benton Harbor, another predominantly black and low-income community. For the past few years, residents of Benton Harbor were denied not only the fundamental right of having access to clean, affordable water, but also timely, transparent information and action from the state and local governments. With the crisis also being largely neglected on a national scale, the L4GG team is working to provide more transparent reporting for both Benton Harbor residents and the general public, which may ultimately influence government action and state/federal policy and enforcement. It is a pleasure to work with and learn from the L4GG team, who are passionate and knowledgeable about this grave issue, and who are working to bring to it more attention and transparency.

Mariya Naulo

Mariya is an attorney in Orrick’s Restructuring group. In addition to pro bono work, her practice includes the representation of creditors and debtors, the representation of parties buying and selling distressed assets, and bankruptcy-related investigations.

I volunteered to partner with L4GG on its 50-State Disadvantaged Communities Report soon after joining Orrick. This project was an exciting opportunity to support the efforts of disadvantaged communities to prepare for, withstand, and recover from severe environmental events. I have also enjoyed learning about how different states pursue environmental justice. L4GG staff are knowledgeable and passionate about their work. They are committed not only to the project at hand, but also to its underlying values.

Derek Green

Derek Green works at Davis Wright Tremaine. His practice includes a combination of energy regulatory and transactional matters.  He focuses on renewable energy development and advising clients on the changing legal landscape surrounding local energy policy and climate change.

Derek assisted with L4GG’s Federal Funding Webinar Series, which trained over 700 communities in how they can access over $2T in federal funding for climate equity and infrastructure projects.

Partnering with World Resources Institute and L4GG, I was part of a DWT team that helped to present on funding opportunities for meaningful decarbonization projects, with a focus on climate equity, through the US Department of Energy’s State Energy Program. L4GG is helping to provide practical advice and assistance to effectuate a clean energy transition. I appreciate the organization’s focus on climate resilience, clean energy and climate justice.

Want to leverage YOUR unique skills as a lawyer towards crucial climate equity initiatives? Learn more about how you can plug into the work we’re doing at L4GG: