Welcome to the online home of

The Peoria Chapter of the Illinois ACLU
(American Civil Liberties Union)

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Links to webites or articles of interest to ACLU members (found by the webmaster or forwarded from members & friends):

• "Americans may need passports to board domestic flights or to picnic in a national park next year if they live in one of the states defying the federal Real ID Act." from CNN online, August 17, 2007
• Broader Privilege Claimed In Firings The Washington Post, July 20, 2007
• All-white jury likely to hear racial fight case in Louisiana International Herald-Tribune, July 20, 2007
• Angler: read all about our vice-president a four-part series from the Washington Post, beginning June 24, 2007
• Justices, 5-4, Accept No Excuses From Inmate for Mistaken Late Filing of an Appeal from the June 15 New York Times
• Smile, You’re on N.Y.P.D. Camera from the Feb. 17, 2007, New York Times
• Driver’s License Emerges as Crime-Fighting Tool, but Privacy Advocates Worry also from the Feb. 17, 2007, New York Times
• USA PATRIOT Act and Intellectual Freedom USA PATRIOT Act and Intellectual Freedom
• Bush Directive Increases Sway on Regulation From the January 30th New York Times
• Life on the Plantation Bill Moyer's Address to the National Conference for Media, Memphis, Tennessee, January 12, 200 (in MS Word)
• Newspapers...and After? From THE NATION, January 29, 2007
• Website: http://www.unrealid.com - the subject of an initiative by Ed Yohnka for the year 2007 and beyond (added 1.2.07)
• Don't miss this newest NSA video!
• ABA Report on presidential signing statements (.pdf)
• Read the Fine Print NY Times lead editorial, Tuesday, July 25th (regarding presidential signing statements)
• Homeland Security Monitored Students NY Times, Thursday, July 20th

Know a story you think should be linked here? Email the webmaster or the chapter president.

Blogs of local Peoria interest (Note: listing blogs here does not denote ACLU support, other than our belief in free speech)

• Peoriastory.com News. Analysis. Advocacy Journalism (from Elaine Hopkins)
• Peoria's Medical Mafia

Biography of Jeffrey Johnson, PHR: Jeffrey Johnson (he prefers ‘JJ’, to avoid taking himself too seriously!) has been an active ACLU/Guardian-of-Liberty member since 1999, but has supported ACLU objectives, and similar causes for many years. 
With 15 years of experience in human resources management, Jeffrey has first-hand involvement with workplace discrimination issues.  His experience is both specific and broad-based; he investigates specific allegations of civil liberty infringement, while also working to ensure that company management complies with the laws governing harassment and/or discrimination.
Although he’s originally from Peoria, ‘JJ’ made a career-based relocation in 1986 to the St. Louis–area, where he lived and worked for nearly 20 years.  In 1990, he was nominated as a candidate for the state legislature; although he lost his bid to a twenty-year incumbent, Jeffrey points-out with pride that he was one of just three party candidates to receive the endorsement of NOW (National Organization for Women), as well as NARAL.  Jeffrey has been recognized for development of a training series designed to raise awareness of diversity issues in the workplace.       
In 2002, Jeffrey earned certification as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR).  He recently moved back to Peoria, to help care for his parents, and to spend more time with his brother & sister, and their families.