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.

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.

Across the country, survivors of domestic violence can face eviction as a result of laws in their local communities that punish them for crimes committed against them and/or for needing police assistance. The ACLU’s National Office recently settled a lawsuit against a town in Missouri on behalf of one of these survivors who was kicked out of her home – and banished from her city for six months – because she called the police to get protection against an abusive ex-boyfriend. 

Testimony of Amy Meek, ACLU of IllinoisBoard of Commissioners of Cook CountyLegislation and Intergovernmental Relations CommitteeTuesday, February  6, 2018

Happy Birthday Roe! The decision that established the constitutional right to abortion is middle-aged and so am I, which means I’m one of the millions of American women who grew up with this freedom.Abortion is common (1 in 4 American women will have an abortion at some point, and 42% of

Imagine you’re at work and your boss tells you he is firing you because he is “old school” and believes that a woman should really stay home to care for her children. You would think that “he can’t do that. It’s sex discrimination.” Maybe not if a recent court decision is allowed to stand. 

An update on our ACLU of Illinois client case from the Fire Law Blog:

Below are the remarks from Lorie Chaiten, Director, Women's and Reproductive Rights Project from the HB 40 bill signing ceremony:

Something happened yesterday. Something that may seem like a fairy tale in the current political moment. A Republican governor signed a bill to lift bans on insurance coverage for abortion for low-income women enrolled in Medicaid. The bill would also protect the right to abortion in Illinois — even if the unthinkable happens and Roe v. Wade is overturned.