News & Commentary

Mark Wahlberg is already a famous movie star, but now he wants to expand that star power into the restaurant business.

This past week, both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly passed a measure that closes loopholes in Illinois' eavesdropping law, the Associated Press reports. The ACLU of Illinois has a history of fighting for the First Amendment right to make an audio recording of public officials performing a public duty in a public place -- in ACLU v. Alvarez-- which had been illegal under what had been the strictest eavesdropping law in the country. In 2012, an appellate court ruled to allow the recording of public officials for ACLU purposes. Then in January, the eavesdropping law went to trial before the Illinois Supreme Court, which ruled the whole of the law to be unconstitutional. The bill clarifies any remaining ambiguity in the current eavesdropping law by restoring two-party consent, but also exempts police from having to obtain a warrant prior to eavesdropping for certain types of crimes:

Peggy Young’s request wasn’t outrageous.The Maryland woman delivered packages for U

The Chicago Tribune is currently running (beginning December 3 and 4, 2014) a series of front-page stories exploring the cruelty and neglect children experience in some of the residential treatment centers in Illinois. Many of the children featured in the stories are placed in these residential treatment centers under a contract with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

The New York Times has an article about the case before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding a UPS employee who was placed on unpaid leave because she was pregnant. Peggy Young was denied accommodations that would have enabled her to work despite a heavy-lifting restriction recommended by her doctor. Young previously sued UPS for violating the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978--losing twice in district court and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals which both affirmed UPS' "pregnancy-blind" policy. The ACLU of Illinois recently helped to draft and successfully pass legislation that requires employers in the state to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant workers. The case before the Supreme Court is expected to be heard this week.

ACLU of Illinois Executive Director Colleen K. Connell appeared on WTTW's Chicago Tonight to discuss the issue of "net neutrality." In short, the discussion about net neutrality is a question about whether the Internet is going to remain a free and open place, a level playing field that operates without discrimination and bias. You can watch the entire segment below, and then share it on social media and continue the conversation:

Author and journalist Matt Taibbi has returned to writing for Rolling Stone magazine with an article profiling JPMorgan Chase whistleblower Alayne Fleischmann. Taibbi is most acclaimed for his books, Griftopia and more recently, The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap. The ACLU of Illinois is pleased to be welcoming Mr. Taibbi as the guest speaker at the first annual ACLU Lunch on April 17, 2015 in Chicago.

With just a few days to go before Election Day we know you are being barraged with political advertising, mailings and emails for specific candidates. The ACLU of Illinois wants to remind you that there are two critical ballot issues worthy of your support. 

Thirty-six years ago this week, the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act was signed into law. The law protects pregnant workers from job discrimination, and requires that employers treat pregnant workers the same as other workers in similar situations (like those with temporary disabilities).