News & Commentary

An interview with UUJusticePA Executive Director Michael Mehrazar about the organization’s work to protect Pennsylvanians’ vote.

When voters stay involved and engaged in politics, we win on the issues that matter to us most. 

Two significant reforms to the Pennsylvania criminal legal system were ignored by our legislature during the latest budget debate, even though they provided an opportunity to make our commonwealth fairer and more just while saving taxpayers tens of millions of dollars every year.

Our democracy is at its strongest when people work together to make sure politicians do the job that we elected them to do.

Make sure your vote counts! Here’s how to protect your franchise.

In December of 2020, a McKeesport police officer was shot while in pursuit of a suspect. The suspect was an individual who was well-known to McKeesport police. As they called in reinforcements from other police departments across the county, McKeesport police began an aggressive manhunt that intentionally and unconstitutionally targeted and terrorized Black residents.

Constitutional rights are only as good as their implementation. More than fifty years later, Gideon’s promise—the right to counsel for individuals who cannot afford an attorney—remains unfulfilled. So we continue the fight.

School responses to student walkouts, including the anti-ICE demonstrations, may or may not be unconstitutional, depending on the specific facts. Here’s some guidance on the legality of different types of school responses to student walkouts.

Counties must make it easier, not more difficult, for Pennsylvania voters to cast their ballot.