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Home » E-newsletter » Archives » January 30, 2004
January 30, 2004 ACLU of Illinois E-News 01.30.04 Patriot Act -- Part I In his speeches around the country defending the increasingly-controversial Patriot Act, Attorney General John Ashcroft regularly reports that the legislation had withstood every legal challenge to its constitutionality. That line won't work any longer. Late last week, a federal judge in Los Angeles held that one section of the Patriot act was unconstitutional. Specifically, the judge found that a section of the Patriot Act barring any "expert advice or assistance" was too vague, and threatened to infringe upon individuals First Amendment rights. Patriot Act -- Part II In last week's State of the Union message to Congress, President Bush urged Congress to make permanent some controversial portions of the Patriot Act that are scheduled to expire at the end of 2005. The President's call was met with little enthusiasm -- on either side of the political aisle. House Judiciary Committee Chair James Sensenbrenner, R- Wisconsin, and Senator Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, weighed in against acting rashly to make the Patriot Act permanent. On January 27th, the Chicago Tribune joined the chorus, suggesting there was no need for a rush to judgment on the renewal of these provisions. Curiously, however, the Tribune argued that "(e)ven the American Civil Liberties Union . . . . firmly opposes repeal" of the Patriot Act. Huh? ACLU of Illinois Executive Director wrote to the Tribune in response, noting that "Since the days immediately following the introduction of this legislation, the ACLU of Illinois and colleagues across the country have offered strong public opposition to many elements of the Patriot Act. Although the ACLU did not oppose several provisions of the Act that are non-controversial, including the section offering compensation for victims of terrorism, equating our lack of opposition to these provisions with "opposition" to repeal the Patriot Act mischaracterizes the ACLU’s consistent resistance to the crucial provisions of the Act. The ACLU continues to voice strong opposition – in Congress and across the nation – to a number of provisions in the Patriot Act that give law enforcement too much authority to engage in intrusive surveillance and searches without individualized suspicion that an individual actually poses some threat to our nation." ACLU Gears Up for Legislative Fight on Marriage Rights for Gay Couples -- Make Your Voice Heard! The Illinois General Assembly has reconvened for its 2004 spring session. One of the first emerging issues that will be highlighted in the upcoming months is an effort to discriminate against same-sex couples in Illinois by denying the right to marry to our gay and lesbian neighbors, friends and family members. Not content to recognize this discrimination when courts rule that gay couples who are in loving, committed relationships should have the same benefits as their heterosexual counterparts -- the denial of which threatens partners and children -- some legislators are committed to writing discrimination in marriage benefits into the U.S. Constitution. Senate Joint Resolution 48, introduced in the Illinois Senate, calls on the Congress to add such discriminatory language to the Constitution. ACLU of Illinois and Other Groups Weigh in on Chicago School Desegregation! The ACLU of Illinois and a number of other prominent Chicago-based civil rights groups have asked a federal judge to slow down the process for vacating a consent decree requiring the Chicago Public Schools to take specific steps to insure integration. You can read more about this filing -- and visit our brand new ACLU of Illinois website -- by going here. |
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