The Chicago Tribune ran an article about the recent ACLU report that looks at racial disparities in arrests for marijuana possession. The report found that in Illinois, black people are 8 times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession, despite the fact that both racial groups use marijuana at equal rates.

The report also found that Cook County made far more marijuana possession arrests in 2010 than any other county in America. Cook totaled more than 33,000 pot arrests that year, with blacks making up nearly 73 percent of those busted.

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An article in The Chicago Tribune reports that the Cook County Sheriff's Office will begin taking DNA samples from inmates next month, due to the recent Supreme Court ruling in Maryland v. King. The ruling will allow the government to collect and analyze DNA samples from individuals who have been arrested, but not yet convicted, without a warrant or consent. The decision could also lead to expansion of Illinois law through legislative efforts.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois opposed the legislation in Springfield on the basis that collecting "intimate information about people who are presumed innocent" was an invasion of privacy, said spokesman Ed Yohnka. Unlike fingerprints, he said, DNA contains personal information about everything from a person's health history to heredity.

"Once that massive database (of DNA information) exists, people are going to want access to it," he said. "Once it's there, it's just a gold mine for private interests."

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The Chicago Tribune editorial about the freedom to marry bill explains why the bill's sponsor, Representative Greg Harris, decided not to call the bill for a vote on Friday. Without enough votes, Harris decided to wait until November and to allow his colleagues more time to talk to their communities about the issue. The ACLU of Illinois is a committed partner in the Illinois Unites for Marriage coalition, and to building up support for the freedom to marry for all Illinoisans.

Partners in a civil union have the same spousal rights, under state law, as married heterosexuals. But they don't qualify for many of the same federal benefits, tax exemptions and legal protections. That's unequal treatment.

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