An email from the American Association of People with Disabilities says,

Events this week may help determine whether Terrence Boyle, a Judge with a clear record of hostility to the Americans with Disabilities Act, is confirmed ...

As Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Boyle has repeatedly criticized the ADA as a law requiring "special treatment" instead of equality, . . . has ignored established precedent, Congressional intent and the letter of the law. Boyle even ruled that Congress lacked the power to apply any of the ADA's public services provisions to the states.

The Supreme Court's decision in Tennessee v. Lane made clear that Boyle was wrong, but even after Lane, he continued to stand by his previous rulings that Congress overstepped its bounds in applying parts of the ADA to the states.

No wonder that many national disability rights advocacy organizations including AAPD, ADAPT, NCIL, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, National Association for the Deaf, DREDF, United Spinal and ADA Watch/ NCDR strongly oppose Boyle's nomination. . .

AAPD lists a "Gang of 14" Senators influential in the nomination process -- Ben Nelson (D. - NE), Joseph Lieberman (D. - CT), Daniel Inouye (D. - HI), Mark Pryor (D. - AR), Mary Landrieu (D. - LA), Robert Byrd (D. - WV), Ken Salazar (D. - CO), John McCain (R. - AZ), Mike DeWine (R. - OH), Lindsey Graham (R. - SC), John Warner (R. - VA), Susan Collins (R. - ME), Olympia Snowe (R. - ME) and Lincoln Chafee (R. - RI).

If one of these is your Senator, AAPD urges calls and faxes.... Info and contact numbers here.

More at http://www.aapd.com/News/judicial/rejectboylenom.htm