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* ACLU of Illinois…
Seeking to protect the ability of all individuals to make their own decisions about the full range of reproductive health care, four Illinois legislators joined Illinois advocates to announce two bills set for introduction in Springfield this week. The Reproductive Health Act modernizes Illinois laws around reproductive health care by repealing an abortion law adopted in 1975, and replacing it with language that affirms the right of all people to have full access to reproductive health care in a post Roe world, following on the promise and commitment of Illinois legislators with the passage of HB 40. That law – although largely blocked by the courts – among other things, still proscribes criminal penalties for physicians providing abortion care to patients.
The second bill will repeal the dangerous Parental Notice of Abortion law, a measure enforced for the past five years after decades of courts blocking enforcement. In the years since this law has been enforced, young people who do not have an adult family member or guardian to turn to, are forced to go before a judge before getting the healthcare that they need from a healthcare provider.
The introduction of these bills follows the release of a report from Governor Pritzker’s Equality, Equity, and Opportunities transition team. The report reads in part: “The new administration should take action to keep abortion safe, legal, and accessible in Illinois. It should work with lawmakers to repeal the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975 and the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion act of 1995 and replace it with legislation that keeps abortion safe, legal, and accessible.”
“The Governor’s transition team identified the reality that a person’s decision around abortion and reproductive health care is affected today by a law adopted in 1975,” said State Representative Kelly Cassidy, chief House sponsor for the Reproductive Health Act. “As a woman, a mother and someone who has been a long-time supporter of full access to reproductive care, from contraception, abortion, pregnancy and postpartum care, it is time to modernize and update these laws to reflect the equality of women in Illinois.”
“Keeping this old law on the books with the attacks on reproductive freedom coming from Washington, DC creates confusion and invites mischief,” added State Senator Melinda Bush who will lead the legislative effort for the Reproductive Health Act in the State Senate. “We know that there is a movement today to limit access to reproductive health care. We want to reflect our values in Illinois and trust women.”
The Reproductive Health Act recognizes that abortion care is health care, not criminal activity as designated by the current law. The bill seeks to treat abortion care like all health care, with regulations that reflect current medical standards. Among other items, the bill would:
• Repeal the largely enjoined Illinois Abortion Law of 1975, including the criminal penalties imposed on doctors who offer abortion care;
• Repeal the long-blocked Partial Birth Abortion ban;
• Remove out-of-step regulations on health care clinics that provide abortions – regulations applied only to such clinics as a means of limiting access to abortion; and,
• Lifts disciplinary penalties adopted decades ago aimed at physicians who provide reproductive health care to women.The sponsors and advocates supporting the Reproductive Health Act note that the bill specifically affirms that individuals and families should be the ones to make the personal decision around the use of birth control, the decision to continue a pregnancy and the decision to seek or refuse an abortion.
Finally, the bill requires private insurance plans in Illinois to cover abortion care on the same basis as contraception, fertility and maternity care.
Constituents in the 118th district and across Illinois have watched in horror over the last few weeks as states like New York, Virginia, and Rhode Island have enacted or proposed legislation essentially legalizing abortion at any point during the pregnancy, even at the time of labor. 118th District State Rep. Patrick Windhorst is voicing his outrage.
“In just a few short years, the left went from ‘safe, legal, and rare’ to proudly promoting the killing of full- term babies right before birth,” Windhorst said. “I listened in shock as the Democratic Governor of Virginia went on live radio to advocate for their proposed bill and seemingly defended the killing of a baby with deformities AFTER birth. My heart sank as I looked at pictures of the Empire State Building illuminated in pink lights celebrating the signing of legalized infanticide in New York. It’s time for Illinois to decide who we want to be in the eyes of history and our Creator.”
Illinois’ current abortion law already reads similar to the laws passed in New York and proposed in Virginia and Rhode Island. Abortion in Illinois after the point of viability is only legal if it is, “necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother.” The definition of “health” does not appear in current statute and has been interpreted to allow late-term abortions for more reasons than preserving the mother’s life or physical health. The intentional vagueness and broad use of this terminology is what was just enacted in New York. Virginia goes even further to include “mental health.”
The “Illinois Anti-Infanticide Act”, filed as HB 2384, would prohibit abortion after an unborn child is viable except to save the life or serious physical health of the mother. “The Act would narrowly define health as serious physical impairments,” Windhorst said. “This act will save lives.”
Windhorst is pro-life and is the chief sponsor of a bill repealing HB 40, which provided taxpayer-funded abortions. As a member of the minority party in the House, Windhorst also understands the political realities of Springfield at this time and is seeking to amend Illinois’ current abortion law in a bipartisan manner to eliminate the barbaric act of infanticide.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 1:28 pm
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–proposed legislation essentially legalizing abortion at any point during the pregnancy, even at the time of labor–
Good to see that the GOP crack-pot caucus has a new member.
Comment by King Louis XVI Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 1:39 pm
Third trimester abortions occur generally after the parents have picked out a name and furnished a nursery. They’re tragedies the same way a stillbirth is, or an infant dying during or immediately after birth. So could we stop torturing the people who have to have this procedure? They’re suffering enough.
Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 1:52 pm
Abortions at twenty weeks and beyond make up less than 2 percent of all abortions…..According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the three most common reasons are “she didn’t realize she was pregnant” (71 percent of women surveyed); “she had difficulty making the arrangements” (including gathering funding, finding a provider in her area or making travel arrangements–48 percent of women gave this response); and “she was afraid to tell her parents or partner” (33 percent).
https://www.thenation.com/article/waiting-room/
Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:03 pm
This is far from the normal topic I would even choose to comment on. I am a 70 year old male, but one who has very strong opinions and well grounded positions on many issues. This is a very difficult topic for me to comment on, but let me attempt.
I just finished reading a Guest Writers commentary on Huffington Post and wish to share. This will be a very disturbing read for may, but it needs to be considered in the discussion of this legislation -
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/late-term-abortion-rape_n_5c630b8de4b0a8731aeabbd6
That being said, before my youngest niece was born her parents found out she had an abnormal chromosome. An abortion was out of the question. She could have had untold difficulties and life long problems that could not be foreseen. Long story short, she started grade school a year early, graduated magna cum laude in less than 3 years from ISU and became a graduate teaching assistant at a major mid-west University at age 19.
This is a complicated and very emotional issue.
Comment by illini Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:07 pm
I always have problems with parental notification. I think that should be necessary but realize why it should not be required. Also going to a judge is not realistic and you get the wrong judge is another can of worms. Taking the whole system out of the criminal system seems right
Comment by DuPage Saint Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:09 pm
Although I have my own opinion on this from a moral / religious perspective, I’m going to approach this from a different perspective.
If the parents are legally and financially responsible for a minor child’s action until they are age 18, then the parents should be notified of any action that could impact their legal / financial liability prior to that action being taken, and should have a say in it. The one exception I would make to that is if the minor is not, in fact, the responsibility of the parents , ie, legally emancipated / on their own.
If you don’t like that, then legally redefine the arbitrary line between a minor and an adult. And while you are at it, clarify the hodgepodge of sometimes 18 is an adult and other times 21 is an adult.
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:26 pm
We’re now in the race with NY, RI, VA. It’s just a sad place to be. And we’re paying for this whether we’re morally opposed or not.
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fnewschannel20.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Ftaxpayer-funded-abortions-increase-by-1758-percent-in-one-year%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3IlCdM6beVedbRUyr3S7w8qwjDg3hY7Js2i2y9uIv8lQh-CuN8Wtwsra0&h=AT025SjT6SL2sFW2H8ucf_TS2OABwnebHyPXLVndDl4aj0hi-H4PBK07FS4cGeCv6iKcnT9O5g8pz354EwkOW-ZkQsWZ1OpHjK__YYGZrcs4dYfzbZ2GsMV0er-Mrcdamcls0XAeo_XmyH9jMOkOlF0kpmDqu28lhRwJ8ol8NI2yzKiJv-7VX4_VedlG7mymW_434_aCNG0lvRc4lVSyPSy-lbU3nkUx3gRwl_zU3D3olfiBkXyUWp6×062JJoBTqrx6QEJxI20qVq4XX3LJFZcFMzHOZRxFLKi2W7VmtzMLShREJSWexwEECWUfwmCklvefmhJI-nzWjFqaUtIAeGfMNAOnz4osFPjt-jBJCRdXHVJF18XoFTgZwBRJqH-zmMaavyoz1COuPRCL0JLzl7bAv5jJF8c703V9ijok93H2n48NS70mrJeTfHW7c5i4Q71kz8Thi6rpWlzuM0JX1I4_P6brWM-TSn7L9kgq2KvNVNBs3v4VfEh4NT62UpQ8xmYKcFBxieTvXzmDlqtTEvvS_ZkAYfK3Z3u-jDOw2iSgfi4oMJHp6jp6ZF8pc1CS6X-3zVNCsR-dtSoT-WlG6SUHoAe3LwWL7mXjAtndJt9cIetAXC6Xnhiq737f4VKM9ChKt28DG4h4g2606qvjhzuzbGV235q89f6mEQ
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:35 pm
===“In just a few short years, the left went from ‘safe, legal, and rare’ to proudly promoting the killing of full- term babies right before birth,”===
What’s actually happening right before birth is delivery. And before that, labor. Nobody, but nobody, even contemplates an abortion as the baby is crowning.
Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:37 pm
Sorry for the long link. It’s from a Springfield station reporting the increased number of publicly funded abortions for the same 6 month period of 2017 and 2018. A 1700%+ increase.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:41 pm
==Nobody, but nobody, even contemplates an abortion as the baby is crowning.==
You might want to listen to the interview with the Governor of Virginia, also a Pediatrician. He went further than “crowning” in his description.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:43 pm
The Partial Birth Ban has been enjoined in Illinois for a decade. As have many of the items pointed to in the press release
Comment by YoYa Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:46 pm
A guy - I believe he was talking about babies born with conditions that were incompatible with life. They were not going to survive. Not any random birth. “And it’s done in cases where there may be severe deformities, there may be a fetus that’s non-viable. So in this particular example, if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered, the infant would be kept comfortable, the infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.”
Comment by NoGifts Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:49 pm
==Windhorst…is seeking to amend Illinois’ current abortion law in a bipartisan manner to eliminate the barbaric act of infanticide.==
While not spending a penny on postpartum care for the child or mother.
Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:56 pm
===You might want to listen to the interview with the Governor of Virginia, also a Pediatrician. He went further than “crowning” in his description.===
First, A guy, learn how to do tiny URLs.
Second, as NoGifts said, he was talking about cases where a baby is born with extreme maladies or deformities, where life is not possible, where the only thing possible is palliative care. What he was referring to is permissible even in Catholic medical ethics.
Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 3:07 pm
It should be noted, Illinois has a parental notification law, not a parental consent law. A minor can still get an abortion even if her parents are against it. Obviously, a teen-parent conflict can cause all kinds of angst (and even danger) for the pregnant girl, which is why the law allows a work around that negates the notification requirement. It’s hardly an unreasonable law.
Comment by RZH Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 3:24 pm
Donnie Elgin - that 2% number represents over 12,000 abortions per year according to the 2015 CDC numbers - not an insignificant number.
Comment by KJSmith865 Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 4:09 pm
==I believe he was talking about babies born with conditions that were incompatible with life.==
Respectfully, I could not discern that from what he said in full context and what you accurately laid out in text here. I did not see or hear any distinction from him in several readings and viewings of that interview.
I’m not saying you misinterpreted. Just sharing what I was seeing and hearing.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 4:36 pm
RNUG - Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:26 pm:
Thank you
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 6:28 pm
NoGifts -
No he wasn’t
He was talking about babies After birth
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 6:34 pm
Jocko - Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 2:56 pm:
If they are not given a chance at life, nothing else matters. However, the Pro life movement pours many millions into care for Mothers and babies after birth and works to help the Mothers with there needs not only right after their pregnancy but for as long as they need extra help
I know this for a fact being involved in the movement for many decades. It has gotten much better at helping Mothers and their children
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 13, 19 @ 6:40 pm