On Tuesday, February 22, 2022, a member of the DuPage County Board misrepresented the position of the ACLU of Illinois on House Bill 4640, a measure regarding public health, currently under consideration in the Illinois House of Representatives. In response to inquiries from interested parties from DuPage County, the ACLU of Illinois issued the following clarification that can be attributed to Edwin C. Yohnka, Director of Communications and Public Policy for the ACLU:
We offer this clarification with regard to the position of the ACLU of Illinois on House Bill 4640. It is sad that House Bill 4640 has become the subject of misrepresentation and wild exaggeration. These misrepresentations have led to such a frenzy that some have actually made threats of violence and death to the bill’s sponsor. Because of that, we believe it is imperative that the ACLU make clear our position, in our own words.
We have not taken a final position on House Bill 4640. We have expressed concerns about some data privacy issues raised by the proposal after the measure was filed. After hearing our concerns, the sponsor has engaged in discussions and been amenable to language that would move our final position to neutral. Those conversations continue.