2019 YEAR END REPORT ACLU of Illinois 2019 YOU MARCHED 3,000+ BY THE NUMBERS attended the RHA Rally The ACLU of Illinois worked to protect and expand your right and 10,000+ civil liberties throughout the state in the courts, in the legislature, attended the Stop Separating and on the streets. With your support we... Families Rally in Chicago CHANGE WAS MADE IN SPRINGFIELD YOU SUPPORTED US YOU JOINED US 11 70,000+ 3,000+ legislative initiatives this session members and supporters attended ACLU events throughout the state throughout the year 5 passed legislative bills: - SB 25: Reproductive Health Act - SB 1786: License to Work Act - SB 2090: Increasing Voter Access and YOU MADE YOUR WE SUED Education VOICE HEARD - HB 1613: Permanent Traffic and Pedestrian Data Collection by Law 5 Enforcement 1,000+ new cases filed - HB 2134: Reasonable Expectation of Privacy calls made to legislators 30+ 7,000+ cases in our legal docket emails sent to legislators 2 new court enforced agreements WE GREW YOU LISTENED to reform systems 9 new staff members 3,000+ 7 listens of our joined our team court enforced agreements in place to reform systems in 10 Illinois 44 new episodes of our podcast staff members working to TALKING LIBERTIES protect your civil liberties For the ACLU of Illinois, 2019 was a time of big wins and transition. We won victories that will benefit all residents in Illinois for decades to come and laid the foundation for growth for the future. This is an exciting time for our organization. In 2020, the ACLU celebrates our 100th anniversary. This amazing milestone gives us the time to reflect back on the remarkable history of the organization and look forward to future progress. The victories outlined in these pages are only possible because of our members and supporters from every corner of Illinois. We could not do this work without you. We will continue to fight to protect your rights today and for generations to come. Thank you for your continued support. Colleen K. Connell Executive Director, ACLU of Illinois REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ACT WE LEGISLATION SIGNED INTO LAW | SB 25 The ACLU of Illinois’ 50-year commitment to protecting reproductive rights culminated in the passage of the Reproductive Health Act – one of the most WON’T protective reproductive health act in the country! ACLU of Illinois staff was in the lead on this effort: our lawyers drafted the language, our Advocacy staff led the lobbying strategies working side-by-side with our sponsors, and GO our Communications staff led the messaging campaign in support of the bill. The Reproductive Health Act (RHA) recognizes that each BACK person in Illinois has a fundamental right to make Governor Pritzker signing the Reproductive Health Act into law. decisions about reproductive health care, including As the clock approached midnight to end the Spring contraception, abortion, and maternity care. The RHA legislative session, the Senate voted to pass the RHA and writes into law current standards of medical practice for send the bill to the Governor. The RHA was signed it into reproductive health care, requires private health insurance law shortly after at a celebration hosted by the ACLU of plans in Illinois to cover abortion like they do other Illinois. pregnancy related care, and repeals outdated laws that were not being enforced because of court rulings - many Our work to protect reproductive freedom stands in stark from the work of the ACLU of Illinois. contrast to the efforts in surrounding states to enact abortions bans aimed at getting the Supreme Court to chip This effort to pass the RHA involved ACLU members and away, or eliminate, the abortion protections under Roe. partners across the state. Handmaids stood watch at the During the 2019 legislative season, nine states passed State Capitol as legislators debated this bill in committee severe restrictions on reproductive health care, seven of hearings and in session. Thousands of you sent letters, which have been blocked by the courts thanks to the made phone calls, and visited your legislators. More than diligent nationwide work of the ACLU. 3,000 of you joined us for a rally in Chicago to urge the legislature to act on protecting reproductive rights. RELIGIOUS REFUSALS religiously affiliated hospital offered to lease them a facility. However, the religious hospital insisted that the Across the United States, one in six hospital beds County agree to operate the clinic under this local operates under some form of religious restriction, hospital’s religious restrictions – even though the clinic limiting the services available to patients. In Illinois, this would be operated with taxpayer funds. number is closer to one in three. The restrictions impact a patient’s ability to access a full scope of reproductive The ACLU cautioned the County against making this health care, including contraception and abortion. The deal, noting the impact that limiting contraceptive and dominance of these religious restrictions has real and other care would have on residents in the County. At harmful consequences – even for non-religiously present, the county has not moved forward. affiliated health care providers. The ACLU advocacy prioritizes putting patients first. Religious refusals remain a significant threat to reproductive health across the state and we continue to When Clinton County public health officials began to monitor these developments. explore a new facility for their health clinic, a local JUDICIAL BYPASS COORDINATION PROJECT Nearly 450 young women have now been forced to go to court to control their own reproductive health care. The Six years. That is how long Illinois has been enforcing process is not easy. It requires a youth to find their way the dangerous law requiring involvement of an adult to the Judicial Bypass Project Hotline, to be connected family member in a young woman’s decision about an and to communicate with a lawyer to arrange and pre- unplanned pregnancy. pare for a bypass hearing, and then travel to court where they have to share details of their life with a judge who And for those six years, the ACLU of Illinois has been will determine if they will be granted a waiver. operating a Judicial Bypass Hotline, providing legal assistance to hundreds of young women as they try to Of the many young women we have accompanied to navigate the law and the process of getting a judicial court, only one has ever been denied a bypass waiver. bypass. This number tells us that these youth are mature enough and well-informed enough to make this decision The law requires that if the pregnant minor can’t notify without forcing them to undergo this process. And a parent, grandparent, legal guardian, or step-parent Illinois should trust them to make this decision. who lives with them, the minor has to go to court and convince a judge that they are mature and well enough In fact, under Illinois law young women can make every informed to make this decision for themselves. other decision about their health care during pregnancy without any forced parental involvement. Pregnant Most young women voluntarily tell a parent or adult in youth can consent to treatments like amniocentesis or their life about a pregnancy; when they do not, they have a cesarean section without any input from a parent. It is a very good reason for not doing so. only the decision to terminate a pregnancy that requires Jane Doe was a 17-year-old high school student this forced parental notice. Abortion is health care and who worked part time. When Jane discovered that we should treat it that way. she was pregnant she discussed the situation with several health care providers and a teacher, and We are working to repeal this dangerous law, but – until ultimately decided she wanted to have an we do – the ACLU will continue to provide assistance in abortion. But since Jane’s parents strongly the judicial bypass process to these youth to help them opposed abortion, she was afraid that they would make the best decisions for themselves about their try to force her to continue the pregnancy, as they reproductive health care. had done when Jane’s older sister got pregnant. She also feared that if she went through with the abortion against their wishes, they would kick her out of their house. Jane therefore decided she would pursue a judicial bypass. TRANSGENDER STUDENTS BELONG SCHOOL DISTRICT 211 At the end of the night, the Board voted 5-2 to approve a new policy that aims to ensure transgender students are On the night of November 14th, the cafeteria at Fremd treated equally at school. High School in Schaumburg was filled with hundreds of concerned residents. The audience was waiting for the Our work in the District continues as Nova Maday’s District 211 Board of Education to vote on a new lawsuit is still ongoing. We are hopeful that the new inclusive policy intended to assure transgender students policy adopted by the Board will be implemented in have full and equal use of all facilities in the District’s a way that ensures all students, including transgender high schools, including restrooms and locker rooms. students, have full and equal use of the locker rooms and restrooms in District 211. Four years ago, the District made headlines across the county when the ACLU filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education challenging the District’s decision to deny our client Student A’s use of the school’s girls’ locker room to change her clothes for sports be- ILLINOIS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION cause she is transgender. Our progress in Palatine’s School District 211 builds on two recent rulings from the Illinois Human Rights District 211 responded by installing curtains in its Commission on behalf of our client in Lake Park’s locker rooms and forcing transgender students to District 108 and our client in District 94 in North change behind them, away from their classmates.