News & Commentary

News reports in Illinois indicate that a number of county sheriffs have begun the process of transferring prisoners held in county jails to the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). These transfers had been blocked by an order from Governor Pritzker as part of the State’s strategy to curb the spread of COVID-19 in state correctional facilities. After a group of county sheriffs challenged the order, a Logan County Judge ruled against the Governor’s order, and sheriffs quickly began the transfer process before the ruling could be appealed.  

As I opened my computer and prepared to click on the Zoom link for this year’s ACLU National Advocacy Institute, I felt very anxious about what was to come. Automatically muting my mic and deciding on whether or not to show my face or just my profile picture, I was greeted by this amazing voice. This person was so thrilled to speak to us youth about social justice issues that have been plaguing our minds and was actually willing to listen. 

The following statement can be attributed to Camille Bennett, Director of the Corrections Reform Project, ACLU of Illinois: 

Two men repeatedly ticketed for seeking help to survive from motorists stopped at a Downers Grove intersection can continue their lawsuit against the Village and six individual police officers for violating their rights under the First Amendment, according to U.S. District Court Judge Robert W. Gettleman. The ruling came yesterday in a lawsuit filed by Michael Dumiak and Christopher Simmons in August of 2019. 

Did you know that if you have a criminal record, you can still vote?

The below statement can be attributed to Colleen Connell, Executive Director, ACLU of Illinois:

The below statement can be attributed to Colleen Connell, Executive Director, ACLU of Illinois:

After a process that took a number of years, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) recently announced it would move children in its care to a managed care health plan on September 1st. The plan would be responsible for overseeing the provision of health care for these children.  

In early July, the U. S. Supreme Court upheld a Trump Administration rule that allows virtually any employer in the country to claim a religious or moral exemption in order to opt out of having to provide birth control coverage for employees. Every lower court to decide this issue found that the White House did not have authority to issue these harmful rules, which also apply to universities. It’s an extremely disappointing decision that undermines what Congress intended when it adopted the Affordable Care Act a decade ago. Congress meant for birth control to be provided at no cost under most health care plans. That coverage was a game-changer for people across the country. The Supreme Court’s decision creates the potential for a lot of people to lose this critical coverage.