AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION

Of Champaign County

March 2, 2006

Present:  Bill Brown, Ward Henson, Gary Peters, Roger Clark, Rachael Dietkus, Paul Wisovaty, Stan Levy, Esther Patt, Richard Schnuer, Marsha Woodbury, Steve Shoemaker, Kristin Solberg, Susan Cohen, Colin Bishop, Jay Rosenstein.

Absent with notice:  Steve Portnoy, Shirley Stillinger, Carol Spindel, Allan Levy, Stan Levy.

The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. 

Approval of Minutes:

The minutes of February, 2006 were approved after modification note that Steve Portnoy was not in attendance.

Announcements:

Susan Thistellwaite was an excellent speaker; keep her in mind for the future.  Expertise: separation of church and state.

Ali Carter will speak on March 28 on same sex marriage.

Reports: 

A.   Treasurer’s Report:  Three contributions and some interest made the monthly balance $3170.13.

B.   Student Chapter:  Colin Bishop distributed the Know Your Rights card and Do Not Disturb door hanger developed by the Student Chapter.   Distribution going well; Student housing office is cooperative.    Student Chapter will cosponsor Human Rights Symposium; a Human Rights Film Series will be presented.    No one knows how ACLU got listed as a cosponsor of the No Child Left Behind forum.   The LGBT association will host a forum for student trustee candidates.

C.   Law School Chapter: No report.

D.   The Illinois Chapter:   Stan not in attendance but reported through others: he does not necessarily want or need to step down as liaison to State chapter, but invites any others interested to take over.   Meetings are 12- 1:30 every other month in Chicago.

E.   Nominations:   All of the current steering committee is returning except Shoemaker and Solberg.  Elaine Gehrmann, lawyer and minister, Mary Cory general manager and publisher of Illini Media, Ben Grosser, IT at Beckman Center, and Andrea Rundel of Eastern Illinois Food Bank have been nominated.    Nominated as officers:   Rachael, President; Susan Vice President, Henson Treasurer, Stillinger/Woodbury co-secretaries.   Bill agreed to serve as Treasurer from June to January.

F. Awards: Stone Award to John Lee Johnson. No other awards to be presented this year.

New/Continuing Business:

A.   The Annual Meeting will be arranged on the expectation of 125 attendees; costs will be $25 per person; $15 per student.   Josh will be asked to advertise the event around the Law School, Victor will introduce Geoffrey Stone.  Paul and Esther will work the door. Gary will help.

B.   Annual Summit is coming, April 24. Focus on voting rights, poll watching, election law.

C.   Is the FBI reading faculty emails?  Marsha will make inquiry.

D.   Should we stock area school classrooms with Civil Liberties books.  Rachel will explore possibility of furnishing materials and recent ACLU DVD series to local schools.

Adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Kristin R. Solberg