AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION

 of Champaign County Steering Committee

September 3, 2009

Present: Bill Brown, Susan Cohen, Paul Debevec, Ward Henson, Carol Inskeep, Stuart Laird, Carol Leff, Esther Patt, Stephen Portnoy, Richard Schnuer, Shirley Stillinger, Paul Wisovaty

The meeting was called to order at 7:03 p.m. by the chair, Esther Patt. The minutes of the June meeting were approved as distributed.

Safe Schools Forum

Esther and Stuart have been attending the meetings. The forum, a panel presentation, will be 6:30-8:30 p.m., Monday, November 2 in the Parkland theater. The State Superintendent of Schools will attend and has invited all schools.

Security Cameras

Carol Leff reported that the University as a whole does not have a policy on security cameras; she handed out a copy of the policy of the Department of Computer Science, which is on-line. She will continue to investigate.

Racial Profiling

Carol Inskeep has been meeting with a group of concerned people, which has identified several issues. One issue is police use of force, especially with the mentally ill. Carol will continue to attend these meetings. Some members of the steering committee are interested in knowing how the Police Training Institute handles these issues.

Fall Newsletter

The target date for delivery is October 23, with a reminder card for the fall gathering later. Any items for the newsletter should get to Bill Brown by Friday, October 16. There will be a mailing party at Shirley’s, 1003 S. Busey, at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, October 22..

Fall Gathering

The event will be at the home of Marcie Dodds and Cody Sokolsky, 1005 W. University, Champaign. Shirley will invite members of the Y’s Friday Forum committee to attend as our guests.

Parental Notice of Abortion Act

The law went into effect August 3, 2009. Judge Arnold Blockman will hear the petitions in the 6^th Circuit; minor women wanting abortions in all six counties will have to come to Urbana. ACLU will do a training for attorneys.

Patriot Act

Ed Yohnka contacted us for help getting a U.S. Representative to co-sponsor Sen. Durbin’s legislation to repeal some of the worse aspects of the Patriot Act.

Market in the Square

We will have a table on September 26. Carol Inskeep, Carol Leff, and Paul Wisovaty will be there.