15 to Life: Kenneth’s Story The United States is the only country in the world that regularly sentences children to life and death in prison. On Tuesday, Oct. 21, the Springfield branch of the American Civil Liberties Union invites the public to Capital City Bar & Grill for a free Liberty Brew & View screening […]
ACLU
Posted inNews
Supreme Court strikes down recording law
Watch what you say; it can now be recorded without your knowledge or consent. The Illinois Supreme Court decided this very thing last week in a pair of unanimous decisions that invalidated a state law requiring “two-party consent” to record conversations. The decisions bring Illinois in line with the majority of other states and further […]
Posted inNews
Supreme Court decisions bolster same-sex marriage fight in Illinois
Two decisions handed down last week from the U.S. Supreme Court gave momentum to advocates of same-sex marriage in Illinois. But the broadness of the rulings means same-sex couples in Illinois won’t actually get any new rights immediately. And while an Illinois court considers a class-action lawsuit suing for same-sex marriage rights, proponents are pushing […]
Posted inOpinion
Blanket of PR to make you want to hug a drone
In a recent senatorial dustup, Sen. John McCain called Republican colleague Rand Paul one of “the wacko birds” of Congress. McCain was giving Sen. Paul a tongue-lashing for having mounted a 13-hour, old-fashioned, stand-alone filibuster over the possibility that murderous drones could be used for targeted assassinations of Americans right here at home. McCain said […]
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Agreement paves way for juvenile justice reforms
A federal class-action lawsuit settled last week requires Illinois to improve conditions for incarcerated youth, but the state agency overseeing the facilities says many reforms are already in place. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice settled a lawsuit demanding improvements to safety, services and treatment for […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Civil liberties
Springfield-area American Civil Liberties Union and Liberty Brew & View host a free showing of the powerful new documentary, Better This World, on Tuesday, July 17. UIUC Law Professor Steve Beckett speaks after the film. The film is a dramatic story of idealism, loyalty, crime and betrayal as the War on Terror made its impact […]
Posted inNews
Two Springfield couples fight for same-sex marriage
Randy Walden did everything right, but it wasn’t enough. When Walden’s partner of nine years, Curt Sills, was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, Walden and Sills drew up documents giving Walden power of attorney and placing Walden in Sills’ living will. As Sills grew weaker in 2004 and had to be taken to the hospital, […]
Posted inNews
Not too young to know
At least 21 children between the ages of 12 and 14 had the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia in 2006, according to the Sangamon County Department of Public Health. That startling fact illustrates the growing trend of young people contracting STDs across the nation. One Illinois activist and lobbyist is pushing the state to modernize sex […]
Posted inNews
Reformers: sex offender mandate would hurt Illinois
As Illinois lawmakers debate a bill to increase registration requirements for sex offenders under a federal mandate, reform advocates say it would cost the state too much. They say many other states have declined to enact the federal law for the same reason. Currently, most sex offenders in Illinois are required to register for 10 […]
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Civil union adoption fight gets heated
More than nine months after Illinois’ civil union law took effect, state lawmakers are still arguing over what it means. That’s because of a controversial measure to exempt religious adoption agencies from the law. Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, sponsors Senate Bill 2495, which would allow a religious adoption agency to not place children in a […]
Posted inNews
Minorities disproportionately stopped and searched
A study of traffic stop data released by the Illinois Department of Transportation shows minority drivers in Illinois and in Springfield are more likely than white drivers to be stopped and searched by police. Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union is pushing the federal government to investigate racial bias in traffic stop searches. The IDOT […]
