News & Commentary

ACLU of Illinois Criminal Justice Policy Attorney Benjamin Ruddell was quoted on a segment of the Morning Shift on WBEZ during a discussion about releasing low-level offenders from prison as a way to reduce overincarceration rates. Ruddell states that in order to effectively reduce the prison population, Illinois would need to consider ways to reduce sentences for more serious offenders:

State Representative Peter Breen has filed legislation that would change the law that allows individuals to donate their bodies to science after they die to exempt the donation of fetal tissue, the Daily Herald reports. The measure comes in light of the attacks from anti-abortion activists against Planned Parenthood regarding the videos released that show Planned Parenthood officials discussing fetal tissue donation. The Daily Herald spoke with the director of the ACLU of Illinois' Reproductive Rights Project, Lorie Chaiten:

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the City will begin covering gender reassignment services under its insurance policy for all non-union City employees, making Chicago the largest city with this type of provision, the Chicago Tribune reports. The decision to provide health care coverage for transgender City employees comes after the ACLU of Illinois raised the issue with the City, after hearing reports of a City employee who had been denied coverage for gender affirming services under the City’s insurance plan.

The City of Chicago will provide insurance coverage for gender reassignment services for its employees and their dependents, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The decision to implement this change came as a result of the ACLU of Illinois raising the issue with the City, after hearing reports of a City employee who had been denied coverage for gender affirming services under the City’s insurance plan. The Sun-Times spoke with the Director of the ACLU of Illinois' LGBT and HIV Project, John Knight:

I was six months pregnant when I moved from California to Illinois last fall. I was already a licensed attorney in California, but I needed to take the Illinois bar exam in order to continue practicing law. I signed up for the February bar exam, scheduled only nine weeks after my due date. I knew I could do it with the support of my husband and my family.I also planned to exclusivel

Current Illinois law allows doctors, nurses and other health care providers to deny care and even information to their patients if the providers feels doing so goes against their personal religious beliefs. The State Journal-Register spoke with Angela Valavanis, who has been affected by this law when she was denied a tubal ligation during a c-section operation because she was at a Catholic hospital. The ACLU of Illinois is advocating for the passage of a bill - Senate Bill 1564 - currently before the Illinois House that would amend the law so that health care providers must make sure their patients are given full information about their options. The State Journal-Register also spoke with ACLU of Illinois Executive Director Colleen Connell:

The ACLU of Illinois' work to improve conditions for foster children under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is highlighted in an article from the Associated Press (via the Rockford Register Star). Last week, a report was released outlining necessary improvements to be accomplished by the department in order to remain compliant under a decades-long consent decree overseen by the ACLU of Illinois. The article quotes ACLU of Illinois Associate Legal Director Ben Wolf:

As the public responds to the dashcam video documenting the traffic stop and arrest of Sandra Bland, an Illinois native who subsequently died in a jail cell three days later, many questions about the stop have been raised. The ACLU of Illinois has studied traffic stop data over the years and has found there to be significant racial disparities in the traffic stops and searches by police in Illinois. The Southern Illinoisan published an article about the Sandra Bland case and spoke with ACLU of Illinois Communications and Public Policy Director Ed Yohnka:

The State Journal-Register ran an editorial endorsing Senate Bill 1564 which aims to amend Illinois' Health Care Right of Conscience Act. The Act, which reflects current Illinois law, harms patients by allowing doctors, hospitals and other health care providers to refuse to give a patient care and even information that conflicts with the provider’s religious beliefs. The ACLU of Illinois continues to advocate for the bill's passage. The bill is currently awaiting a vote in the Illinois House.