Resources Archive

Collecting Criminal Justice Debt Through the State Civil Justice System

May 19, 2021

A primer for advocates and policy makers INTRODUCTION The use of the criminal justice system to collect fines, fees, restitution, and other types of criminal justice debt has been condemned as punitive, self-defeating, discriminatory, and, in some cases, unconstitutional. Would use of the existing civil justice system be a viable alternative? The criminal justice system’s…

Implementing a Roadmap to Utility Service as a Human Right

April 28, 2021

Utility services, including electricity, heat, water, telecommunications, and internet access are essential to health, safety, and daily life. The vital need for uninterrupted utility service was evident before the coronavirus pandemic, but the COVID-19 public health emergency reinforced both the essential nature of utility service and the problem of energy and water insecurity or energy…

Letter Regarding Use of the Congressional Review Act to Invalidate OCC True Lender Rule That Facilitates Predatory Lending

April 25, 2021

Fact Sheet Supporting Mass Fair Chance in Employment Act Regarding Credit Checks by Employers

April 20, 2021

Why we need the FCEA to keep credit reports out of hiring decisions now Credit Reports Will Be Negatively Impacted by the COVID Crisis Credit Reports Don’t Predict Job Performance Credit Reports Are Riddled with Errors Credit Reports Perpetuate Historic Racial Inequities and Injustices

What Has the U.S. Supreme Court Done? Many Robocalls and Robotexts May Now be Legal after the Court’s Decision in Facebook v. Duguid

April 1, 2021

On April 1, 2021, in Facebook v. Duguid, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its long-awaited interpretation of the definition of “autodialer” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Relying almost exclusively on arcane grammatical rules instead of policy considerations, the Court interpreted the definition in a dangerously narrow way that is likely to dramatically increase…

Letter to CA Senate Regarding Direct Deposits to Qualifying Accounts, Overdraft Features

March 29, 2021

Support Letter for CA SB 497: Qualifying Accounts for Direct Deposit of State Payments

Memorandum and Order Vacating Judgment and Granting Request to Certify Question to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

March 25, 2021

Maryland Testimony: Promoting Accuracy in Background Checks and Tenant Screening

February 25, 2021

Testimony before the House Economic Matters Committee of the Maryland General Assembly, 2021 Legislative Session

Letter in Support of the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act

February 11, 2021

Group letter to the Committee of the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act

Letter Supporting Inclusion of Homeowner Relief in COVID Stimulus Relief Package

February 8, 2021

We are writing to urge you to include desperately needed relief to struggling homeowners in the COVID-19 relief package before Congress. Specifically, we request that it include $25 billion for direct assistance to homeowners with COVID-19 hardships, who disproportionately represent communities of color hurt most by the pandemic, with the bulk of the funds deployed through state housing finance agencies through the Homeowner Assistance Fund and including at least $100 million for housing counseling and $39.7 million for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program.

Forced Arbitration: Harming Wyoming Consumers, Servicemembers, and Veterans

February 5, 2021

Forced arbitration clauses take away Wyomingites’ constitutional right to a day in court when companies break the law. Instead of a judge, a private arbitrator, often chosen and paid by the company, decides cases in a secretive proceeding with no appeal.

Forced Arbitration: Harming Wisconsin Consumers, Servicemembers, and Veterans