Every hyperlink in that article just links back to it's own website, which makes it hard to verify the claims it is making.
The letter you provided from the ACLU, et al is a response to an older version of the bill, located here:
I do not have time to review the older bill and compare it to the newer bill, but I think it's safe to say that because the previous bill was met with dissatisfaction that it was rewritten to address their concerns.