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Home » News » Archives » April 2007 Archives
April 2007 Archives ACLU Applauds Governor and Other Illinois' Constitutional Officers Public Support for House Bill 317 April 25, 2007 The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today applauded the strong statement by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and four other state Constitutional officers -- Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, Secretary of State Jesse White, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, and State Comptroller Daniel Hynes -- supporting House Bill 317 as necessary to protect the "health and safety" of young women in Illinois. House Bill 317, currently pending before the Illinois House of Representatives, reforms the dangerous and harmful 1995 Illinois law forcing all teens in our state facing an unintended pregnancy to tell her parents about the decision to terminate a pregnancy, or go before a judge to explain why her parents cannot be consulted. The legislation endorsed by the state Constitutional officers today expands the number of trusted adult whom a young woman can consult about her decision, and creates an option for a young woman to consult with a medical professional in those rare instances when she cannot discuss her pregnancy with her parents. read more » ACLU Applauds Illinois House for Rejecting Ill-Conceived REAL ID Act as Threat to Privacy April 20, 2007 The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today applauded yesterday's "unopposed" vote by the Illinois House to add Illinois the list of states "in full revolt against REAL ID." The measure, House Joint Resolution, was sponsored by State Representative Karen Yarbrough and a bipartisan group of legislators concerned about the personal privacy of constituents. H.J.R. 27 calls on Congress to repeal the REAL ID Act of 2005, a measure that creates an unworkable system of nationalize the collection and sharing of data from the driver's license agencies of all 50 states and the territories. read more » ACLU and National Abortion Federation Criticize Decision by U.S Supreme Court Upholding Federal Abortion Ban April 18, 2007 The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Abortion Federation (NAF) today sharply criticized a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding a federal law banning certain abortions. It is the first abortion decision from the Supreme Court since Justice Sandra Day O'Connor retired. Both organizations said that the Court's decision will endanger women's health. "Unfortunately, today's decision has placed politics above protecting women's health," said Vicki Saporta, President and CEO of NAF. "This ruling is a set back for all Americans who believe politicians should not legislate medical decision-making. The decision disregards the opinion of leading doctors and medical organizations that oppose the ban because it is harmful to women's health." read more » Peoria Area Student Wins National Scholarship Recognizing Youth Activism April 17, 2007 A Washington Community High School Senior who recently spoke out publicly telling her personal story to encourage public school officials to breathe life into policies that protect gay and lesbian youth from harassment and abuse is one of eleven students across the nation being honored for her exemplary activism by the American Civil Liberties Union. read more » |
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