News & Commentary

One way or another, most of us will end up visiting a courthouse at some point in our lives. We may be there for jury duty, as part of a legal case, or to support a loved one. Courthouse doors should be open to all – but currently, that’s not the case in Illinois.

During the District 211 Board Meeting on November 14th, our client Nova Maday was able to address the Board and the crowd before the vote. She shared her experience in the district, and asked for the Board to approve this policy in hopes that future students will be treated with full and equal access in District 211.

Since at least 2005, the Chicago Police Department has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars on invasive surveillance technology that is capable of gathering vast amounts of data about people’s cell phone locations and communications. This technology is commonly referred to as a Stingray, which is the name of the most well-known model of cell-site simulators. 

In July, there was some bright news when Emily French successfully pressured the Illinois Department of Corrections to change a harsh and unfair policy denying parents the ability to breastfeed their children in visitation rooms. We were pleased to help Emily in this effort.  

 Maintaining Reasonable Expectations of Privacy: House Bill 2134Chief Sponsors: Senator Don Harmon and Representative Ann WilliamsStatus: Signed by Governor  |  Effective Date: August 23, 2019 HB 2134 amends the existing Illinois Freedom from Location Surveillance Act to require law enforcement to also obtain a warrant before accessing historical location information. Previously, only current and future historical location information required a warrant. HB 2134 recognizes the 2018 Carpenter v. United States ruling that cell phone users have a reasonable expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment in historical cell site location data in addition to current or future location information. ACTION: THANK GOVERNOR PRITZKER FOR SIGNING Protecting LGBTQ Youth in Care: Senate Resolution 403 Chief Sponsors: Senator Julie Morrison Status: Resolution Adopted  |  Effective Date: May 31, 2019 SR 403 seeks to determine whether the Department of Children and Family Services is following state law and agency rules to fulfill its obligations to protect LGBTQ youth in its custody and provide affirming, non-discriminatory care for LGBTQ youth in its custody.  Promoting Child Welfare: House Resolution 362Chief Sponsors: Representative Mary Flowers Status: Resolution Adopted  |  Effective Date: May 30, 2019 HR 362 urges state implementation of child welfare reform pursuant to the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA).  By implementing the FFPSA, Illinois invests in a child welfare system responsive to the specific needs of children and their families, safely prevents the unnecessary placement of children into the foster care system, supports families using promising programs and well-supported practices, and promotes family-based settings for children who enter the foster care system.PENDING LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVESRepeal of Forced Parental Involvement LawChief Sponsors: Senator Elgie Sims Jr.Contact: Your State Senator and State Representative Repeals the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act, which requires a healthcare provider to notify an adult family member (parent, legal guardian, grandparent, of step-parent living in the household) at least 48 hours prior to performing an abortion for a patient under 18. Action: Contact your legislators  License to Work Act Update: This bill passed during Veto SessionChief Sponsors: Senator Omar Aquino and Representative Carol Ammons Contact: Your State Representative Removes driver’s license suspension as a sanction for failure to pay parking tickets, and for most other non-moving violations.Reinstates tens of thousands of licenses currently suspended for non-driving offenses. ACTION: contact your legislator  Ban the Box in Higher EducationChief Sponsors: Representative Mary Flowers Contact: Your State Representative and State Senator “Bans the box” in the higher education admissions process and prevents colleges and universities from asking about or considering a person’s criminal record for purposes of admission. 

For criminal justice advocates, recent headlines have provided encouragement: while the number of people incarcerated in Illinois prisons peaked in 2013 at nearly 50,000, the population has been on a steady decline since then and recently fell below 40,000—a 20% reduction. 

Recently, the Children & Family Research Center released the 2017 Illinois Child Well-Being Study, which takes a look at the current health of children and youths in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). This important snapshot of the well-being of children in the state’s care is the direct result of the ACLU’s advocacy in B.H., and the court-appointed experts’ recommendation to restore funding for the survey, which sampled 700 children and interviewed caseworkers, caregivers, and the children themselves. We have been anxiously awaiting this report as t

Mother’s Day is a time for us all to celebrate parents and caregivers – and that should include offering new mothers, pregnant persons, and breastfeeding parents the support and accommodations they need at work, at school, or elsewhere in their lives.