Federal Judge David Coar—he of NOW v. Scheidler fame—ruled Friday that Illinois’ Parental Notice of Abortion Act was still not ready to be enforced. The law, passed in 1995, was initially held up due to Coar’s insistence that the provisions for judicial bypass were not expressed clearly enough.
No Parental Notice Law Yet; Just Bureaucracy and Red Tape
So, red tape has ensued. This law, which Thomas More Society chief counsel Tom Brejcha describes as “…defensible, constitutional law”, has been held up for well over a decade over details. Judge Coar placed an injunction on the law until the Illinois Supreme Court spelled out the procedures, and then we waited.
First, we had to wait for the Illinois Supreme Court to spell out the judicial bypass procedures, and then for Judge Coar to approve them. He was urged to do so by Attorney General Lisa Madigan last summer and has been sitting on the case ever since.
Coar has declared that the procedures passed by the Illinois Supreme Court are “contradictory and incomplete” and he still refuses to lift the injunction. Madigan’s office has said they are reviewing the case now and considering all options, including appeal.
35 states have laws similar to the Illinois law. They have been tried at the Supreme Court and found constitutional. 80% of Illinoisans support this law. There is absolutely no reason to wait any longer. This law needs to be enforced before more young women incur the emotional and physical pain of abortion without their parents’ knowledge.
Ask Madigan to Appeal Coar’s Decision
Contact Attorney General Lisa Madigan and let her know that Judge Coar’s decision must be appealed and this law enforced as soon as possible. E-mail her office here or, preferably, call one of the numbers below:
- Lisa Madigan’s main office in Springfield: 217-782-1090
- Lisa Madigan’s Chicago office: 312-814-3000
Don’t Put Down That Phone!
And, while you’re in a mode to contact your elected officials, also call your representative in the Illinois House and ask him to oppose H.B. 5615, the “Reproductive Justice and Access Act”, one of the most sweeping pro-abortion bills ever proposed in the state. As League Executive Director Ann Scheidler has plainly said, “This bill would cement Illinois’ status as the abortion capital of the midwest.”
The bill, introduced by Representatives Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) and Rosemary Mulligan (R-Des Plaines) would:
- Kill all restrictions on abortion in the state, including parental notification and the partial birth abortion ban.
- Force pro-life health care professionals to cooperate in abortion by making abortion referrals.
- Mandate so-called “comprehensive” sex-ed programs, which promote promiscuity and undermine the family, for all public schools.
- Require taxpayers to fund abortions through Medicaid.
- Keep abortion 100% legal in Illinois if Roe v. Wade is ever overturned in the Supreme Court.
How You Can Help Defeat H.B. 5615
- Find contact information on your representative on this Illinois House list.
- Who is your Illinois state representative? Find out here, and get contact information, or call 217-782-3944.
Play at Chicago Theater Deals with Abortion
A Chicago theatre called Infamous Commonwealth is currently running a play called Keely and Du, in which a pregnant woman who wants an abortion is kidnapped by a group of overzealous pro-lifers intent on forcing her to have her baby. Written in 1993, the play is somewhat dated, and no doubt biased in favor of the “pro-choice” view, but one of the actors who plays one of the overzealous pro-lifers has visited the League offices on two occasions and spoken with us in a good-faith attempt to understand what motivates us, ultimately with the aim of helping him do justice to his role—and that we find admirable.
Keely and Du runs through March 23. Showtimes are Thursday through Saturday at 8:30pm, and Sunday at 3:30pm, at the West Stage of the Raven Theatre Complex, 6157 N. Clark St. in Chicago.
If you go, try to go on Thursday, March 6, or Thursday, March 20, as after the show on those two nights, a discussion will be held about abortion, and you’ll be able to throw in your two cents.
For reservations, call 312-458-9780. Tickets are $20, with a $5 discount for students and seniors. Get more information here.
