On Wednesday, March 6th, ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Adam Schwartz presented testimony to the Illinois Senate Criminal Law Committee on Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 1587 - the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act. He stated:

The unmanned drones of the future pose a far greater danger to our privacy than the manned airplanes and helicopters of the past. Drones are far less expensive, so they will be far more common. Drones are small and quiet, so they can be secretly deployed. Drones are highly maneuverable, so they can move in very close to the surveillance target.

Reasonable people expect that the government is not tracking our movements in public places, storing that information in a dossier, and later using it against us. When the government monitors where we are, it learns who we are: whether we went to a political protest, a union meeting, a controversial movie, a psychiatrist, a church, or a criminal defense lawyer.

Download a copy of his testimony.

We note with great sadness the passing of former Illinois Comptroller, former State Senator and former long-time ACLU of Illinois Board member Dawn Clark Netsch, who passed away at her home after a courageous battle with a debilitating disease. Dawn played a pivotal role in the history in advancing civil liberties and fundamental fairness. She was a delegate to the convention that created Illinois’ modern, expansive constitution and fought to include explicit protections of the right of privacy. She was an early leader and supporter for advancing LGBT rights. She was a staunch defender of the ability of women to access reproductive health care. She fought every battle with a wry wit and a relentless commitment to do the right thing.

Dawn was awarded the Roger Baldwin Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 for her life’s work in the classroom, in the courts, and in public to consistently, and with a strong voice, advance the efforts of civil rights and civil liberties.
Dawn Clark Netsch will be missed.

A memorial service for Dawn Clark Netsch will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, in Thorne Auditorium at the Northwestern University School of Law, 375 E. Chicago Ave.

Dawn Clark Netsch discussing civil liberties at a 2010 event with Steve Shapiro, ACLU National Legal Director