|
Home » E-newsletter » Archives » April 15, 2005
April 15, 2005 ACLU of Illinois E-News 4.15.05 April 9th Summit Meeting is Huge Success The Emergency Summit we hosted last week in Champaign to discuss future plans to defend our Constitution was a great success! Nearly 300 ACLU supporters from more than 70 communities gathered to discuss issues from the Patriot Act to the efforts by some to substitute "intelligent design" for valid science. The conference drew a good deal of media attention -- Fox News Network sent a crew from Chicago, and the ABC and CBS affiliates from Champaign turned out, as well as the local NPR station. We even had our own set of protestors! If you want to read more about the event and see some photos, go to our website at www.aclu-il.org/conference. As the Legislative Session Moves Forward -- A Great Honor for the ACLU's Mary Dixon The 2005 Spring session of the Illinois General Assembly is rolling along -- with lots of discussion about civil liberties issues including racial profiling, juvenile justice, freedom of expression and other critical issues. One of the reasons that the ACLU of Illinois has been so successful in advancing our agenda in Springfield is through the hard work of our Legislative Director, Mary Dixon. Turns out that we are not the only people who have noticed Mary's expertise. This past week, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago presented the First-Ever Mary Dixon AIDS Advocacy Award. It is a great honor for Mary and one that makes all of us at the ACLU of Illinois very proud. Former Governor to Speak on Death Penalty at Peoria ACLU Annual Banquet The 2005 ACLU Peoria Annual Banquet will feature an address by former Illinois Governor George Ryan, who will speak about his actions in commuting the sentences of all 167 prisoners on Illinois' death row. The event takes place on Saturday, April 23rd, beginning with a social hour at 6:00 p.m. The dinner will be held at the Lariat Steakhouse, located at 2232 West Glen in Peoria. You can learn more about the event and make a reservation by calling (309) 692-8445. Public Discussion about Marriage Moves to Naperville The next in a series of panel discussions on equal access to the benefits guaranteed by marriage will take place on the campus of North Central College in Naperville on Wednesday, May 4th. The discussion, featuring same-sex couples talking about the daily obstacles they face owing to the current marriage laws, will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the White Activities Center, 325 East Benton Street in Naperville. If you are interested in more information about this event, email us at ACLUofIllinois@aclu-il.org. |
|
