Last week, the Obama administration announced today that it will no longer defend the discriminatory "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) in court.

In a recent press release, Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU, shared his reaction to the Obama administration's actions.

"The president did the right thing and just propelled gay rights into the 21st century, where it belongs. Our government finally recognizes what we knew 14 years ago — that the so-called 'Defense of Marriage Act' is a gross violation of the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection before the law."

Read the full article.

HB 1739 mandates saliva or tissue collection of all persons arrested for a felony or a Class A misdemeanor.

House Sponsor: Rep. Reboletti

HB 2195 mandates saliva or tissue collection of all persons arrested for committing a felony.

House Sponsor: Rep. Mendoza

SB 58: Mandates blood, saliva, or tissue collection of all persons arrested for the commission or attempted commission of a violent crime.

Senate Sponsor: Sen. Silverstein

Want To Learn More About These Bills?

• HB 1739: Download The Factsheet --> Read The Bill --> Check The Status

• HB 2195: Download The Factsheet --> Read The Bill --> Check the Status

• SB: 58: Download The Factsheet --> Read The Bill --> Check The Status

HB 1948 - Surveillance Camera Data Collection

House Sponsors: Reps. Jakobsson - Rose - Currie - Davis, M - Kay
ACLU Initiative

HB 1948 would require police agencies that own or have access to video surveillance cameras to disclose to the Attorney General (1) the number of cameras they own or have access to, and (2) their privacy regulations, if they have any. It would also require the Attorney Generally to post this information on its website.

To learn more about why surveillance camera data collection is important, you can:

• Download the HB 1948 Factsheet
• Read the ACLU of Illinois Camera Report
• Watch Senior Attorney Adam Schwartz on YouTube

Want To Learn More About This Bill?

• Read The Bill
• Check The Status of HB 1948