News & Commentary

In These Times published an overview of current tactics being used by police forces in Illinois that have the power to monitor the everyday activity of innocent people. Along with stingrays and facial recognition technology, police officers across the state have been utilizing automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) to track the location and behavior of criminal suspects.

In an effort to reform services and care for children who are wards of the state of Illinois, independent monitors from the University of Illinois at Chicago's psychiatry department have begun their review of residential treatment centers operated by the Department of Child and Family Service (DCFS), as the result of a court-approved agreement in ACLU litigation against the agency, the Chicago Tribune reports. Investigative reports from earlier this year exposing cases of abuse and neglect within the facilities prompted the ACLU to go back to court to jump-start reforms. The ACLU of Illinois represents these children under a decades-long consent decree originally designed to improve the quality of services and to ensure the safety of children who are under DCFS care. The Chicago Tribune spoke with ACLU of Illinois associate legal director Ben Wolf:

Harmful legislation signed today by Governor Mike Pence of Indiana will allow business owners to refuse to follow anti-discrimination protections and other laws based on religious objections. In an opinion piece for the Chicago Tribune, Rex Huppke notes that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, now Indiana law, will most likely harm lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, as they are not protected under the state's anti-discrimination laws like they are in Illinois, where discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited. The ACLU of Indiana and the National ACLU had petitioned Governor Pence to veto the bill, but to no avail. The ACLU remains concerned about similar bills in other states that have been introduced. Huppke spoke with ACLU of Illinois Communications and Public Policy Director Ed Yohnka:

The release of the ACLU of Illinois report, "Stop and Frisk in Chicago," was met with an appropriate volume of media coverage, responding to the disturbing trends about the Chicago Police Department's use (and overuse) of stop-and-frisk tactics. The report found that:

Chicago often wears the title of “Second City.” Today we know that the City has become the nation’s leaders in one area – the use of “stop-and-frisk” by police. Yes, Chicago has replaced New York City for the greatest use of the tactic, after that City became notorious for the technique.

(This post was originally published by Pete Brook, and has been shared with his approval. Read his insightful essay about Try Youth As Youth here.)Currently on show at

Local CBS affiliate WCIA in Champaign spoke with Mindy Swank, a woman who was denied information about her options during a troubled pregnancy because of the religious objections of her care-givers. Mindy joined the ACLU of Illinois in testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Springfield on Tuesday, about a bill that would fix Illinois law so that patients can no longer be denied information about their health, due to religious objections. The bill - Senate Bill 1564 - passed out of committee with a vote of 7 to 3, and is now on its way to the Senate floor. Watch the segment below.

Colleen Connell, Executive Director of the ACLU of Illinois, testified before the Illinois Senate Appropriations I Committee on Tuesday about how Governor Bruce Rauner's budget will harm some of the most vulnerable Illinoisans. The Governor's budget cuts will eliminate funding for foster youth ages 18-21. This is a critical age range in development, and a period when adolescents need support in preparing for a full and productive adulthood. The ACLU of Illinois represents all Illinois foster youth under a decades-long consent decree designed to improve care and services for children in the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family services (DCFS). Progress Illinois quotes from Connell's testimony: 

The State Journal-Register wrote about the ACLU-led effort to fix the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act (HCRCA) - one of the broadest and most radical religious health care refusal laws in the country. Senate Bill 1564 seeks to insure that patients get the information they need to make an informed decision about their healthcare. After a hearing on Tuesday, the bill passed 7-3 out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is now on its way to the floor of the Illinois Senate. The State Journal-Register spoke with the bill's sponsor, State Senate Daniel Biss: