[Peace] (Fwd) Urgent - Oppose Employment Discrimination

[blue2 at net66.com]

This bill allows religious organizations and secular
nonprofits controlled by a religious organization to discriminate 
against any protected class listed in the Illinois Human Rights Act.  

Meg

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URGENT - Take Action Today!

Oppose Employment Discrimination in Illinois -- 

Urge Your Representative to Oppose House Bill 1063

May 11, 2005

Dear Action Alert Member, 

Your call is needed!  Please contact your representative in the
Illinois House and urge him/her to oppose Floor Amendment #4 to 
House Bill 1063 when it is called for a vote some time in the next 
two days.

 We know that Members of the Illinois General Assembly are 
poised to vote on the amendment as early as tomorrow.  If 
adopted, Amendment #4 becomes House Bill 1063 - a measure 
that allows discrimination in hiring on any basis including race and 
sexual orientation- for religious organizations and secular 
nonprofits (for example, a hospital or social service organization) 
affiliated with religious groups.  

House Bill 1063 allows both religious organizations and secular
nonprofits controlled by a religious organization to practice
employment discrimination on any grounds - including race, 
disability, age, gender or sexual orientation - whenever the 
discrimination is based on the religious tenets of the religious 
organization.  The tenets of faith of the religious group, however, 
are not relevant to the hiring decisions of secular nonprofits, many 
of which receive federal and/or state funding.  

You can read more about the legislation on our website at
http://www.aclu-il.org/legislative/alerts/hb1063.pdf.  

            Please contact your state representative by calling the
Capitol switchboard at (217) 782-2000 and ask to be connected to
his/her office.  Urge your state representative to oppose Floor
Amendment #4 to House Bill 1063 when it is considered in the full
House.  If you are unsure, you can find out who your state
representative is at
http://www.elections.state.il.us/dls/pages/DLSAddresscrit.asp.  

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