There was an article in The Chicago Tribune today about the recent law passed in Washington D.C. that eliminates the requirement for any type of surgery in order for transgender individuals to change the gender marker on their birth certificates. The article highlighted the ACLU of Illinois' victory in Grey v. Hasbrouck -- a case which won transgender Illinoisans the right to obtain new birth certificates without a genital surgery requirement. The Tribune spoke with ACLU of Illinois LGBT Project Director John Knight:

 Knight said a policy like Washington's is "ideal."

"We don't think the state should be dictating how much surgery or what kind of surgery a person needs."

Read the entire article (PDF).

The Chicago Sun-Times wrote an editorial about Illinois' need for a law to protect citizen's privacy and place limits on data collection from cellphone use. The law on whether a warrant is required from officials who wish to obtain cellphone data varies from state to state. The most recent ruling in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that cellphone tracking data are nothing more than business records that can be obtained with a court order -- which is much easier for officials to obtain than a warrant.

Last spring, Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) introduced legislation that would require authorities in Illinois to get search warrants before collecting cellphone tracking data, but he pulled the bill back to give time for debate over concerns raised by law enforcement. For example, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office argued the bill was so restrictive it would ban authorities from Internet searches the general public can do. Also, any bill requiring search warrants should have some exceptions, such as emergencies or searches for missing persons. Taking time to craft a workable bill is wise, but this is an issue that must be addressed in the next legislative session.

Read the whole thing.

“Burner” Cell Phone Resolution to be considered by Cook County Board Committee on Legislation and Inter-governmental affairs

 
Statement of ACLU of Illinois Executive Director Colleen K. Connell

Tomorrow, the Cook County Board Committee on Legislation and Inter-governmental affairs is scheduled to consider a non-binding resolution urging the Illinois General Assembly and the Congress of the United States to adopt legislation that would require anyone purchasing a pre-paid cell phone to present a photo identification card that would be copied and stored.  The resolution links the use of such pre-paid cell phones to human trafficking and sexual abuse.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois abhors human trafficking and sexual abuse, and we have supported a number of measures by federal, state and local government officials to interdict and prosecute individuals who maliciously and callously traffic in human life.

We cannot, however, support this resolution. In an effort to curb human trafficking, the resolution urges legislators at the federal and state level to ignore the right of law-abiding individuals in our society to speak anonymously – a right guaranteed under our Constitution’s First Amendment. Anonymous speech has played a critical role in our history. Indeed, the Federalist Papers were written anonymously.

There are myriad reasons for an individual to speak anonymously via a phone, something that is technologically possible by using a pre-paid phone.  These valid reasons should not – and must not – be ignored in a rush to address a societal harm.

We urge the Committee to reject this resolution.