The Lake County News-Sun did an article about the consent decree resulting from an ACLU of Illinois case, Williams v. Quinn, which allowed people with mental illnesses to be able to move out of large institutions and into homes of their own. The ACLU's argument in Williams was that the State’s decision to needlessly warehouse people with mental illnesses in large institutions violated the Americans with Disabilities Act’s mandate that state-funded services be provided in the most integrated appropriate setting. Because of the victory in Williams, approximately 4,300 Illinoisans living in nursing homes were given the option to live independently.

Known as the Williams Consent Decree, the state agreed to fund several county programs and Lake County received a five-year grant of $4.5 million to help people transition to living on their own.

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LGBTQ Nation wrote about yesterday's hearing on the motion to dismiss in the same-sex marriage case, Lazaro and Matos v. Orr. The ACLU of Illinois is representing nine couples who wish to be married. Lambda Legal is representing another sixteen couples in Darby v. Orr. All 25 couples from across Illinois have applied for marriage licenses and have been denied.

John Knight, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Project of the ACLU of Illinois, said only marriage will ensure that gay couples in Illinois get protections that other married couples enjoy, including family medical leave and veterans and tax benefits.

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The Associated Press covered the hearing yesterday on the motion to dismiss in Lazaro and Matos v. Orr. The ACLU of Illinois is representing nine same-sex couples seeking the freedom to marry. The AP spoke with plaintiffs Richard Rykhus and Carlos Briones outside of the court room:

Several couples named in the lawsuit attended Tuesday's hearing, including Richard Rykhus and Carlos Briones of Evanston. They were married in Canada eight years ago.

"I just really hope that we can continue to have the opportunity to tell our stories and say why not allowing marriage equality is wrong and how it affects us," Briones said.

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