AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION                                              

                                                              of Champaign County

 

                                                                Steering Committee

                                                                     May 1, 2008

 

Present: Bill Brown, David Gehrig, Ward Henson, Carol Inskeep, Carol Leff, Stan Levy,

 Esther Patt, Stephen Portnoy, Shirley Stillinger, Paul Wisovaty, Marsha Woodbury

 

 

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by the chair, Esther Patt.  The  minutes of the April meeting were approved as distributed.  The treasurer’s report showing $6,708.74 was accepted; Ward Henson pointed out that the bill of $1,886 for the brunch  had been received after the report was prepared.

 

Old Business

 

(a) The two study sessions held by the Urbana City Council considering regulation of  public access to its television channel were discussed.  The council voted 6-1 to send the revised manual to the council at its regular meeting Monday, May 5.

 

(b) The Illinois division is asking chapters to help with phone banking in favor of the civil unions bill; no one on the steering committee wanted to participate.

 

(c) Esther, Paul, and David reported on the statewide ACLU meeting they attended in Peoria.

 

New Business

 

(a) People signed up to work at the ACLU table at the Urbana farmers’ market on May 10.  Carol Inskeep will draft a one-page FAQ on the UPTV and freedom of speech to hand out.  Carol and Marsha will look through catalogs for bumper stickers that would be appropriate to sell; the division office has none.

 

(b) A few people signed up to march in the Freedom Celebration parade.  Esther will send out a message on the announce list for others.  We want a minimum of fifteen.

 

(c) The steering committee will meet at WILL in June but consider one of the libraries beginning in September.  There will be no meetings in July and August.

 

(d) Bill Brown brought the new Freedom Files:  DVD’s with a teacher’s guide.  Carol will arrange to have them shown on UPTV.  The committee discussed giving a copy to each high school library in our area and voted to spend up to $800 on them.  Paul will get the information for the high schools in Douglas County; Shirley will do the same for Champaign County.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Shirley Stillinger

 

                                              NEXT MEETING: Thursday, June 5, 2008