Tag Archives: State: Illinois

The Washington Post reports: “. . . City schools chief executive Arne Duncan, President-elect Barack Obama‘s choice for education secretary, pushed that performance-pay plan and a host of other innovations to transform a school system once regarded as one of …

The Illinois Family Institute reports: The nation’s first “gay”-affirming middle school has just been approved right here in the Midwest. On Dec. 16, 2008, the Milwaukee Board of Education approved a “gay-friendly” school for 11, 12, 13 and 14-year-olds. According …

Plaintiffs . . . that own and operate pharmacies in Illinois–brought a declaratory judgment action . . . seeking to invalidate an administrative rule that forces pharmacies to dispense Plan B contraception (also known as the morning-after pill or emergency contraception) . . .

Zafar Hasan, a Muslim of Indian descent, claims that, post-9/11, he was fired from Foley & Lardner because of his religion, race, national origin and color. The district court granted the firm’s motion for summary judgment. Today, a three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit reversed. Here’s the opinion.

A proposal to allow civil unions in Illinois between same-sex couples has been stalled in the state legislature and seems likely to stay that way, as gay rights activists Wednesday plan nationwide “Day Without a Gay” rallies to protest California’s Proposition 8 and other measures opposing gay marriage.

A man charged Wednesday with buying child pornography over the Internet has resigned as vice president of the Bartlett park board, the Daily Herald is reporting.

A proposed homosexual-friendly Chicago public high school is “necessary” for the well-being of students, a Chicago Public Schools administrator told CNSNews.com Wednesday.

The AP reports: “Federal authorities arrested Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Tuesday on charges that he brazenly conspired to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest bidder.” The Chicago Sun-Times carries this …

Eugene Volokh has this post on the Volokh Conspiracy discussing a recent district court opinion that holds that the 2nd Amendment is not incorporated against the states as per some very old 7th Circuit precedent.  The 7th Circuit may now …

The Paris Beacon News reports: Marshall city leaders have something tangible to be thankful for this holiday.  After a nearly two decade long fight, the city has prevailed over adult oriented businesses on state Route 1, near the interchange with …

LifeNews.com reports: “A federal appeals court ruled earlier this month that Illinois officials who don’t want to issue Choose Life license plates for state motorists don’t have to do so. On Tuesday attorneys from the Thomas More Society filed a …

Proponents of an Illinois constitutional amendment to restrict marriage to heterosexuals, buoyed by voter approval in three states on Nov. 4, say they’re gearing up to try again in 2010.

Mauck & Baker, LLC, and the Thomas More Society in Chicago have announced that they reached an out-of-court settlement after joining forces to preserve the constitutional right of Moody Bible student Matthew Rivera and his classmates to share the message of Jesus on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train platforms.

The Pantagraph reports: “The American Civil Liberties Union says it won’t fight a plan to erect a Christian nativity scene inside the Capitol Rotunda. After a month-long review, the Illinois chapter of the ACLU said Daniel Zanoza’s proposal to erect …

. . . we conclude specialty plates are a nonpublic forum. Illinois may not discriminate on the basis of viewpoint, but it may control access to the forum based on the content of a proposed message . . .

BlackChristianNews.com reports: “Opposition to a school for homosexuals and lesbians in Chicago is growing. The school has taken public input on setting aside the school as a safe haven for homosexuals, but Mayor Richard Daley has announced opposition to the …

The Daily Journal reports:  . . .  And, even though no politics from the pulpit is part of federal law, some local pastors — and a national alliance — say it infringes on their First Amendment rights and their responsibility …

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and allied attorneys filed a friend-of-the-court brief in federal court Thursday in defense of an Illinois law allowing a “period of silence” for students attending the state’s public schools.

One News Now reports: An ABC television station in Chicago is refusing to run a pro-life commercial. An organization called Caring Outreach bought time to run a commercial called “85 Days,” depicting a baby’s growth through the first few months …

Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney David Langdon will be available for media interviews Wednesday following a hearing at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit concerning a Hazel Crest church prevented from meeting at property it has already legally purchased.

Southtownstar.com reports: “Arson is suspected in an early-morning fire Sunday at Club 390, a Chicago Heights gentlemen’s club that features nude dancers.”

One News Now reports: “Planned Parenthood is again attacking an Aurora, Illinois, pro-life group. It all began when the Pro-Life Action League tried to expose Planned Parenthood’s construction of an abortion clinic by allegedly devious means.”

Above the Law reports on a new program at the U. of Illinois that will allow students to bypass the LSAT.

Fox News reports: “The School for Social Justice Pride Campus, if approved, would be the city’s first school for gay, lesbian and transgender students, The Chicago Tribune reported. The final vote by the Board of Education is scheduled for Oct. …

The Chicago Sun-Times reports: “A ‘gay-friendly” Chicago public high school that will weave gay and lesbian ‘heroes’ — from James Baldwin to Gertrude Stein — into its curriculum was among 20 new school proposals unveiled Wednesday.”

HSLDA reports: “The family had recently legally withdrawn their daughter from public school in order to homeschool her. Instead of accepting the fact she was being homeschooled, however, school officials contacted the truant officer. “

The AP reports: “Under a new Illinois law, computer technicians must report to law enforcement any customers whose computers contain child pornography.”

The Chicago Tribune reports: Should students and professors at the University of Illinois face discipline for attending a political rally on campus? That question was hurled at the university and state ethics offices Friday morning–adding fuel to a growing controversy …

Chicago Tribune reports:  More than 300 people gathered Sunday at the 32,000-square-foot temple, a mix of prairie-style and classic Hindu architecture, to see the new shrine room consecrated by a priest dressed in white, who burned incense while surrounded by …

Stateline.org reports: “Hawaii is one of three states — along with Connecticut and Illinois — where voters will decide this year whether to convene constitutional conventions. The question is on the ballot in all three states automatically, because their state …

The Naperville Sun reports: – For the second time in as many weeks, a city board has dismissed appeals filed against Planned Parenthood’s New York Street clinic. Earlier this week, the Building Code Board of Appeals rejected the lion’s share …

The Knights of Columbus and the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office for Evangelization are co-sponsoring a national conference to focus on the effects of abortion on men whose children have been aborted in Chicago on Sept. 8 and 9.

A Kane County, Ill., circuit court’s decision yesterday to dismiss a libelous ad and letter in a lawsuit filed against Planned Parenthood of Illinois and Director Steve Trombley could have far-reaching consequences for free speech rights throughout the state.

Obama voted in committee against the 2003 state bill that was nearly identical to the federal act he says he would have supported.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois is filing a motion in Kane County Circuit Court, alleging a small group of pro-life citizens is trying to squelch its right to free speech.

His campaign yesterday acknowledged that he had voted against an identical bill in the state Senate, and a spokesman, Hari Sevugan, said the senator and other lawmakers had concerns that even as worded, the legislation could have undermined existing Illinois abortion law. Those concerns did not exist for the federal bill, because there is no federal abortion law.

The Religion Clause Blog reports: “In re Estate of Max Feinberg, (IL Ct. App., June 30, 2008), an Illinois District Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, held unenforceable decedents’ testamentary provision disinheriting any grandchild who marries outside the Jewish …

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled Thursday that an ordinance restricting the distribution of religious literature in Granite City is unconstitutional, upholding a previous district court ruling. The Alliance Defense Fund has provided funding for the case, being litigated by an ADF-allied attorney, for more than four years.

Obama’s approach to education is part of a much broader pattern that characterizes his political career.

The ordinance’s preamble outlines several reasons why sexually oriented businesses could be harmful in a community, including serving as a venue for prostitution and casual sex and association with increased crime and decreased property values.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the Thomas More Society has filed an appeal with the Zoning Board of Appeals in Aurora seeking to repeal approval of a Planned Parenthood clinic.

Citizen Link reports: “Thanks to one patron speaking up, there is one fewer offensive DVD on the shelves at the Bloomington, Ill., Public Library.”

The Daily Herald reports: “Plans to regulate of adult businesses in DuPage County could mean soda and water only at gentlemen’s clubs that feature all-nude dancers.”

The Religion Clause Blog reports: “In Chicago last week, atheist activist Rob Sherman filed a state court lawsuit against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and other state officials challenging a $1 million state grant to help rebuild Chicago’s historic Pilgrim Baptist …

The Chicago Tribune reports: . . . What his neighbors didn’t know is that Michael had decided to convert his $3 million residence into the Armenian Church of Lake Bluff, qualifying him for a nearly $80,000 break on his annual …

The Religion Clause Blog reports: “In River of Life Kingdom Ministries v. Village of Hazel Crest, Illinois, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 53491 (ND IL, July 14, 2008), an Illinois federal district court in an elaborate opinion denied a preliminary injunction …

Jonathan Adler has this post in the Volokh Conspiracy.  Apparently, 101 professors at the University have signed a letter opposing the establishment of a Milton Friedman Institute at the University of Chicago.  “In particular, they raised concerns that it would …

The Journal Start reports: “A letter signed by more than two dozen Christian leaders from five central Illinois counties was delivered to the Heart of Illinois United Way on Thursday, asking the funding organization to cut ties with Planned Parenthood …

The Religion Clause Blog reports: “In Family Life Church v. City of Elgin, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47210 (ND IL, June 18, 2008), an Illinois federal district court rejected a series of challenges by Family Life Church to Elgin, Illinois …

Eric Zorn has this article on the Chicago Tribune. He begins: Does your marriage feel a little less special today, straight couples? Does knowing that octogenarian lesbians Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon had a legal wedding this week in San …

The South County News reports: A Carlinville alderman has resigned in the wake of the city council’s failure on Monday night to override Mayor Robert Schwab’s veto of an agreement to settle a federal lawsuit brought against the city by …

Lambda Legal has issued this press release that begins: “Lambda Legal issued the following statement today concerning the introduction by Alderman Tom Tunney of a proposed amendment to the Chicago domestic partnership ordinance that will preserve benefits for city employees …

ADF-allied attorney shocked as mayor vetoes settlement he previously approved,
church left with thousands of dollars in expenses.

The Daily Herald reports: . . . Trustees had previously voted unanimously to include invocations on the agenda, but Trustee Paul Humpfer on Tuesday rejected the policy . . . The policy states that “all invocations must be of nonsectarian …

The Telegraph reports: The mayor has vetoed a City Council vote to approve a mediated settlement that would have allowed the Carlinville Southern Baptist Church to move into an old Wal-Mart.  The council’s 5-4 vote and the mayor’s veto came …

A federal judge on Thursday barred school districts statewide from holding the daily moment of silence suitable for prayer that is required under state law.

The Chicago Tribune reports: Divorce and domestic violence are probably the last things on the minds of loving couples when they buy marriage licenses. But statistics suggest they shouldn’t be, considering that half of all marriages end in divorce and …

Views toward surrogacy have evolved over the years as new technology emerged so that now both legislatures and courts provide protection for surrogacy contracts. For example, in 2005 Illinois enacted a controversial new Gestational Surrogacy Act that provides contractual rights to parties involved in gestational surrogacy.

The event at the National Museum of Mexican Art is being billed as a dance for “LGBTQ youth” (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning), but adults are also invited.

The Religion Clause Blog reports: Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in St. John’s United Church v. Chicago, IL, (Docket No. 07-1127) (Order List). In the case, the 7th Circuit had rejected a challenge to Chicago’s use of eminent …

A court Thursday blocked the city of Chicago’s attempt to stop a lawsuit filed by an ADF-allied attorney representing Beth-El All Nations Church.

The 7th Circuit has issued this opinion: Koger v. Bryan, 05-1904 (7th Cir., Apr. 24, 2008). The opinion begins: MANION, Circuit Judge. Gregory Koger (“Koger”), a former inmate at the Pontiac Correctional Center in llinois, filed suit against six prison …

Humorously dubbed the “pole tax” by some political observers, the $2-per-person admission charge targeting the state’s 120 strip clubs has a serious goal — helping financially ailing rape-crisis centers across Illinois . .

The How Appealing blog links to video and audio of yesterday’s oral arguments and several reports.

The legal fight over Illinois’ moment of silence law could expand soon. In fact, it could rope in all of the state’s public schools and students.

The Illinois Supreme Court is slated to hear complaints about Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s three-year-old order requiring pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception.

Ms. Madigan’s office filed paperwork Thursday indicating that it will ask the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to reinstate a statute that generally requires underage girls to get parental permission to have an abortion. The law had been tossed out by U.S. District Judge David Coar, who ruled last month that the statute is incomplete and defective.

“Just five months ago, Illinois lawmakers voted in favor of a daily moment of silence in public schools. In October, an atheist, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, filed suit. Now, 33 state representatives have changed their minds.”

Catholic Citizens of Illinois reports that HB-5615, the "Reproductive Justice and Access Act" heads for floor vote.

. . . bill (HB 5615) that would bar state or local governments from restricting women’s access to contraceptives or abortions except in limited circumstances . . .

Deerfield High School in Deerfield, Illinois, had assigned the pornographic book “Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes” to students as required reading.

“Two different courts last week focused on when an organization meets the standards for a property tax exemption as a religious or charitable non-profit institution.”

AP writer Michael Tarm reports: “A federal judge refused to allow enforcement of an ill-fated state law requiring teenage girls to notify their parents before getting abortions, potentially ending any chance the decades-old measure will ever take effect.” Howard Bashman …

The American Civil Liberties Union has joined a Naperville high school student in her fight to wear a T-shirt that expresses opposition to homosexuality on moral grounds.

Religion Clause blog reports on action in 4 states: Kansas, Kentucky, Illinois, and Oklahoma.