Jaylan Butler and his swim team were getting fresh air from a long bus ride following a conference championship meet. Then the police appeared with guns drawn, shouting and yelling.
The Champaign County chapters of both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) jointly sent a letter to the Champaign Community Unit School District 4 Board of Education and superintendent Susan Zola highlighting a lack of access to gifted and advanced placement classes for black Unit 4 students, as well as disparities in discipline and academic proficiency for black pupils as compared to their white peers.
An anti-abortion law firm is asking the federal government to block a portion of Illinois’ reproductive health law. They say it improperly says forces people to pay for health insurance that covers abortions.
The American Civil Liberties Union sent letters to eight Illinois municipalities last week — including Danville — urging them to repeal their panhandling bans. The nonprofit organization warned of legal action if community officials don't heed their warning.
A new proposal in Illinois aims to reduce the time juveniles spend behind bars before their trial, but some argue it might not be in the best interests of the young people accused of wrongdoing.