* Roll call..
Democrats voting No: Davis, Deluca, Scherer, Walsh, Yednock, Zalewski.
Democrats voting Present: Burke, Crespo, Hurley.
Democrats not voting: Moylan, Tarver.
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* More later…
Democrats voting No: Ammons, Burke, D’Amico, Deluca, Flowers, Hurley, Kifowit.
Democrats voting Present: Guerrero-Cuellar, Mayfield.
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* Amanda with the scoop…
More when I know more.
*** UPDATE *** Partisan analysis…
And…
The House Redistricting Committee on Wednesday released an updated version of the proposed congressional map that accounts for public feedback while improving minority influence.
“I am extraordinarily proud of the passion and dedication that has been present throughout this redistricting process,” said Rep. Lisa Hernandez, Chair of the House Redistricting Committee. “I want to thank my colleagues on the bipartisan redistricting committee, as well as the members of the public, advocacy groups and grassroots organizations that have helped provide the crucial testimony needed to ensure we have diverse representation in Washington. I am confident these proposed congressional boundaries will maintain our status as a leader in the nation for minority representation.”
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Oct 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
With MLBplayoffs underway, the college footballand NFL seasons in full swing and NBA and NHL action just getting started, people across Illinois will have plenty of opportunities to cash in over the next few months.
The state’s sports betting handle — the amount of money wagered — has ranked in the top three with New Jersey and Nevada in each of the last seven monthly reports released by the Illinois Gaming Board.
* The Question: Have you bet on sports since it was legalized? Tell us about it, or tell us why not.
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* The governor was asked today for his thoughts on the deliberations over the new congressional map. Pritzker said he wants to wait to see what the final drawing looks like before commenting. When pressed a bit, he said…
But to be clear, I do want to say one thing, which is, as you know, the basic principle here is making sure that we end up with representation that is truly diverse, that represents the diversity of the state of Illinois. And so that’s something that I look strongly at whenever I’m looking at any of these maps. And, you know, I think it’s moving in the right direction, but I know that the legislature will be making adjustments or at least, I think they may be and so again, we’ll wait until the final version.
Not much there.
* The BND has a good story about what happened to what has been known as the East St. Louis House district…
A map approved by the Illinois General Assembly and Gov. J.B. Pritzker in September carves out a chunk of state House District 114 represented by Democratic Rep. LaToya Greenwood, who is Black. The map takes thousands of Black voters from the East St. Louis area and puts them into District 113, pushing another chunk of Black voters into District 112. White Democrats represent both.
A fifth of Black voters were moved out of East St. Louis, and thousands of white voters were moved in, a lawsuit challenging the map alleges. In the current map, Black residents of voting age represent 37.1% of the population, but only 33.4% in the new map, according to the suit. […]
“I thought that Texas was passing a racist law on voter suppression,” [Frank Smith, chair of the East St. Louis Democratic Central Committee] said, referencing a recent voting restrictions law in the state, “but when I looked here at home, I saw the same thing in just a different way.” […]
“There has been a lot of misinformation about the intent and impact of the recent redistricting on the 114th District,” [Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis] said in a prepared statement. “For the past forty years, persons of all racial and ethnic backgrounds have come together to elect an African-American legislator in this district, despite the fact that the district was not a majority African-American district. Under the new map, I believe the 114th District will remain a strong district for African-American representation in Springfield, and I would not have supported the map if I believed otherwise.”
* Chair Hernandez admits the obvious…
The latest draft of a new congressional district map for Illinois met with much of the same criticism as the first draft during a House committee hearing Tuesday.
The latest proposal from legislative Democratic leaders was released Saturday. It divides the state into 17 congressional districts, one fewer than the state currently has due to its population loss since the 2010 U.S. Census. […]
During the hearing, Republican Rep. Tom Demmer, of Dixon, asked Democratic committee Chairwoman Lisa Hernandez, of Cicero, directly whether the maps were drawn to increase Democrats’ partisan advantage.
“I would say politics plays a part,” Hernandez said.
* This practice is as old as the republic itself, but it’s a fair hit…
State Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, chairman of the Senate Redistricting Committee, told WBEZ he hasn’t ruled out running for a second Latino-leaning congressional seat that would be created in the Democrats’ map.
That situation, [Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield] said, is an example of the ethical conflicts that can occur when politicians draw maps.
A spokeswoman for Senate Democrats didn’t respond to a request for comment on Butler’s statement.
* On to campaigns. A Republican declares for Supreme Court…
Judge Daniel B. Shanes today announced his candidacy for the open Illinois Supreme Court Second District seat. He was joined by current and former public officials who emphasised Judge Shanes’s fair and impartial record, his experience as a judge and prosecutor, and his commitment to the Constitution as key reasons for their support for his candidacy. Quotes from each of these officials endorsing Judge Shanes can be found below and photos and video from today’s event are available upon request.
Endorsements of Judge Shanes
Fred Foreman, former United States Attorney & Chief Judge for Lake County - “Judge Dan Shanes is an ideal candidate for the Illinois Supreme Court. His commitment to our Constitution and the Rule of Law is exactly what we should expect from someone on the highest court in our state. Through his service as an assistant State’s Attorney coupled with over 14 years as a judge, he has the necessary experience, knowledge, and commitment to the law, and I’m proud to support Judge Shanes.”
Joe McMahon, former Kane County State’s Attorney - “When I consider the importance of our Supreme Court, I think that someone like Judge Dan Shanes is exactly who we need to set our state on the right path. A fierce defender of the law, an unerring commitment to the rights of the individual, and a fair and impartial record of rulings make him the right person for the job of Supreme Court justice. Judge Shanes will be a judge to make all of Illinois proud, and I encourage everyone in the Second District to support him.”
Patrick Kenneally, McHenry County State’s Attorney - “Judge Shanes is an upstanding judge and someone who will rule with integrity on the Supreme Court bench. His record speaks for itself, displaying a years-long commitment to the rule of law and balance in his rulings that will benefit our state from the Supreme Court. Judge Shanes has always shown great deference to our Constitution and the rights imbued in it, and it will benefit all Illinoisans knowing they have someone as committed to their rights as Judge Shanes on the Supreme Court.”
Judge Daniel B. Shanes announced his candidacy for the Illinois Supreme Court Second District seat today in Lake County. Judge Shanes has more than 14 years of experience as a judge, first as an Associate Judge and for the last 11 years as a full Circuit Judge, having been appointed in 2010, then elected in 2012, and retained by the voters for another full term in 2018. He currently serves as the Chair of the Illinois Judicial College Board of Trustees by Illinois Supreme Court appointment, teaching judges to better serve people across Illinois. Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Shanes served as an Assistant State’s Attorney and Division Chief in Lake County, leading some of the County’s most challenging cases and spearheading reform efforts such as establishing Lake County’s Drug Court, a program of comprehensive treatment for non-violent repeat felony offenders driven by substance addiction.
* Something to consider when thinking about the upcoming Republican primaries. Here are the “Yes, definitely” responses from a Morning Consult poll taken October 22-October 24 of 1,999 registered voters, with “Yes, probably” results added to the final total in parentheses…
Do you think the results of the 2020 presidential election should be overturned?
Republican: 42% (60%)
Republican women: 49% (66%)
Republican men: 32% (51%)
Conservative: 40% (57%)
Homemaker: 40% (53%)
Rural: 30% (44%)
Biden Job Strongly Disapprove: 45% (64%)
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COVID-19 roundup
Wednesday, Oct 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Daily Herald…
New cases of COVID-19 among Illinois children ages 5 to 11 reached 277 Tuesday, the same day a federal panel of experts recommended use of Pfizer’s vaccine for that age group.
New infections in children age 4 and younger came to 73, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported. Combined, the tally of 350 represents 15.8% of the 2,213 total new COVID-19 cases announced Tuesday.
* Press release excerpt…
Governor JB Pritzker today announced that $505 million of the initial tranche of Illinois’ 2021 emergency rental assistance from the federal government has been distributed, as Illinois leads the nation in getting this funding out the door faster than any other state. More than 57,000 households have now received assistance through the Illinois Rental Payment Program (ILRPP). With Illinois’ initial 2021 allocation of rental relief funds fully paid out, IHDA will open a new round of assistance funded by a separate federal bill on Monday, November 8, 2021.
According to the latest report from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Illinois is a national leader in providing critical emergency rental assistance to vulnerable households. Illinois leads all other states in disbursing this initial emergency rental assistance with 84 percent of all funds allocated to the State as well as directly to other municipalities, and now in the hands of eligible renters and landlords as they regain their financial footing. This compares to the national rate of just 23 percent of federal dollars making it into the hands of renters and landlords in September. The deadline for states to disburse 65 percent of the money they received under the first batch of funding was September 30. […]
ILRPP builds on the state’s comprehensive rental assistance programs launched by the Pritzker administration in 2020. The current statewide program provides up to $25,000 in emergency rental assistance to cover up to 15 months of past due rent and up to three months of future rent payments for tenants suffering a financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant payments were made directly to the landlord on behalf of the tenant as long as the landlord agreed to forgo an eviction.
* Last I checked, Chicago was still within the boundaries of the state of Illinois, which has a mask mandate…
Chicago’s top doctor said Tuesday that she hopes Chicago’s mask mandate will end “soon” and provided a metric for when the city could remove the requirement.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said in a Facebook Live event that, per U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, the city would need to be below 200 cases per day to remove the mask mandate.
“Our numbers are going down,” Arwady said. “When we get below 200 per day with good testing, per the CDC, moving out of that ’substantial transmission’ risk, that’s what [the mask mandate] would be coming off.”
* I told subscribers about this yesterday morning and then Crain’s ran its own little blurb later in the day without attribution…
Rep. Flowers’ claim sent me on a hunt today for how crack and the the vaccine are made. Yeah, OK, I was a little bored.
Basically, cocaine and baking soda or ammonia are heated with water to make crack. The only active ingredient in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is messenger ribonucleic acid. Lipids give it a “greasy” exterior, salts balance the acidity and table sugar keeps it stable when frozen.
So, I’m not quite sure where that conspiracy theory came from (I even Googled it several different ways to no avail), but it’s definitely quite weird.
* Daily Journal…
While five employees were granted a court-issued extension in regard to receiving the COVID-19 vaccination to continue working for Riverside Healthcare, that same extension does not cover any other employee.
The hospital, in a Tuesday email message to its staff, noted the Oct. 31 deadline regarding being vaccinated remains in effect.
“The court ruling does not apply to any other Riverside employees,” the statement read.
Of the organization’s 2,913 employees, 90 percent have been vaccinated. Employees not vaccinated by Oct. 31 face a two-week unpaid suspension. If they are not vaccinated following the suspension, they will be terminated.
* Related…
* CPS enrollment continues to plummet: ‘I would have never imagined seeing this steep of a decline’: Enrollment is down 3% compared to the 340,658 students counted in the last school year — when the COVID-19 pandemic was well underway — and 7% versus the 355,156 students in the 2019-20 year. The figures cover more than 600 schools, which include district-run, charter, contract and SAFE schools.
* Former hotel workers sue Swissotel Chicago, accused it of violating ‘Right to Return to Work’ ordinance
* Gov. JB Pritzker works with doctors, schools to offer COVID-19 vaccines to kids ages 5-11
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* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker will travel to London and Glasgow to tout Illinois’ climate leadership and economic development opportunities from November 2 to November 9, 2021.
“Illinois is leading the Midwest on climate action and building a green energy economy and I am eager to tout our success abroad,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Our historic clean energy legislation, talented workforce, and role as a transportation hub for the nation makes our state a top destination for international companies looking to do business in the U.S. I look forward to visiting London and Glasgow to encourage companies to come to Illinois and promote the international action needed to combat the climate crisis.”
The Governor and top staff will arrive in London, England on Nov. 2 and spend two days meeting with business leaders, discussing Illinois’ economic development opportunities and prospects for investment within our burgeoning green economy.
On Nov. 5, the Illinois mission led by Gov. Pritzker will attend the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. The Governor will share how Illinois is becoming the leading state in the Midwest on climate action and clean energy. He’ll also urge other governments, business leaders, and organizations to take further action to combat the climate crisis.
More information on specific events will follow.
I’m told the two Democratic legislative leaders have been invited, but no decisions have been made as of today.
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Organizations Call For Repeal of PNA
Wednesday, Oct 27, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Dear members of the Illinois General Assembly:
As organizations, we support the repeal of Illinois’ Parental Notice of Abortion Act, and urge the General Assembly to take up legislation to get rid of this dangerous law during the current veto session.
Decades of research and experience demonstrate that such forced parental involvement laws hurt young people and serve no valid purpose. Most young people will involve a parent or other adult family member in their decision about having an abortion voluntarily regardless of what the law says. The minority of young people who do not talk to their parents in this situation have grave concerns such as: fear of physical or emotional abuse, loss of financial support, or homelessness; fear of being forced to give birth against their will; or serious family problems such as a parent who is sick or imprisoned.
This law has been in effect and putting young people in our state in harm’s way for over eight years, and the time for the General Assembly to protect youth and repeal this law is now. The urgency of eliminating this dangerous barrier to abortion access is all the more apparent with a case to overturn Roe v. Wade pending in the U.S. Supreme Court, and a new radical law in Texas that authorizes individual bounty hunters to enforce a ban on abortion.
Read the full list of organizations here.
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* Amendment 3 to SB1169…
Violations related to COVID-19 requirements. It is not a violation of this Act for any person or public official, or for any public or private association, agency, corporation, entity, institution, or employer, to take any measures or impose any requirements, including, but not limited to, any measures or requirements that involve provision of services by a physician or health care personnel, intended to prevent contraction or transmission of COVID-19 or any pathogens that result in COVID-19 or any of its subsequent iterations.
It is not a violation of this Act to enforce such measures or requirements. This Section is a declaration of existing law and shall not be construed as a new enactment. Accordingly, this Section shall apply to all actions commenced or pending on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly. Nothing in this Section is intended to affect any right or remedy under federal law.
* Compare that to the original version…
The Health Care Right of Conscience Act is amended by adding Section 13.5 as follows:
Violations related to COVID-19 requirements. It is not a violation of this Act for any person or public official, or for any public or private association, agency, corporation, entity, institution, or employer, to take any measures or impose any requirements, including, but not limited to, any measures or requirements that involve provision of services by a physician or health care personnel, intended to prevent contraction or transmission of COVID-19 or any pathogens that result in COVID-19 or any of its subsequent iterations.
It is not a violation of this Act to enforce such measures or requirements, including by terminating employment or excluding individuals from a school, a place of employment, or public or private premises in response to noncompliance. This Section is a declaration of existing law and shall not be construed as a new enactment. Accordingly, this Section shall apply to all actions commenced or pending on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly. Nothing in this Section is intended to affect any right or remedy under federal law.
The highlighted words were removed from the newly revised version.
Thoughts?
…Adding… Very good point from a commenter…
Also deleted was the immediate effective date.
That means it’ll only need 60 votes. Subscribers know what the next option could be.
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* Hannah Meisel…
So far, employing Illinois’ HCRCA has proven an effective legal strategy for a small group of nurses at a Kankakee hospital, who this week won temporary protection from getting fired over their refusal to get their COVID shots. It’s also worked for employees at a trio of medical groups in Quincy, who were spared from terminations over their workplaces’ vaccine mandates earlier this month.
Other lawsuits, including those filed on behalf of teachers, go even further in trying to use the law to get out of regular COVID testing — offered as an alternative to getting vaccinated — and mask wearing at school. […]
It’s unclear how many lawsuits have been filed in Illinois so far using the HCRCA as a legal rationale to beat employers’ vaccine mandates; litigation has been initiated in many of Illinois’ 102 county circuit courts, in addition to federal courts. But since Pritzker is often named as a defendant in the suits, the eight cases the Attorney General’s office is defending the governor in is a decent gauge for the trend.
And Ashley Wright, chief of legislative affairs at the Attorney General’s office, said there’s reason to believe the spigot of litigation is just getting started. Wright told lawmakers Tuesday afternoon that the only way to stem the wave of lawsuits is to approve an amendment to the HCRCA this week, and warned that failure to do so could mean the functional collapse of Pritzker’s many COVID mitigation orders.
“To be clear, if we leave Springfield doing nothing on this issue, we’ll be walking back from all the progress that we’ve made so far…on all the mitigation efforts that we’ve made,” Wright said. “And that includes masks and testing. Not passing this bill ultimately means that the state cannot keep people safe.”
* Mark Maxwell…
Catholic bishops opposed weakening the law, criticizing government desire for “expediency,” but Bishop Thomas John Paprocki from the Springfield Diocese said employers who mandate Coronavirus tests as an alternative to vaccines are “reasonable.”
“The Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act was not intended to cover things like testing or taking precautions like wearing a mask,” Paprocki said. “I think that’s just common sense.”
Several Facebook groups that have rallied supporters to oppose vaccine mandates recruited their followers to fill out witness slips on the General Assembly’s website. Within 24 hours, nearly 50,000 witness slips appeared online from people claiming they opposed the House amendment to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act.
“It’s an organized effort of misinformation, and it’s very concerning to me,” Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) said on Tuesday night after the committee approved her bill.
Some of the critics who opposed vaccine mandates also sent menacing threats to her office. In a Facebook message Gabel’s office sent to law enforcement, one man from the Rockford area referred to her bill as “rape by needle,” and threatened to force a medical procedure on Gabel against her consent. Others leveled vile, sexist insults, or referred to her as “Satan,” or a “witch.”
“I think it’s unfair,” she said. “I think it’s unreasonable, and it’s scary.”
Legal experts say federal law and established case law protect an employer’s right to enforce vaccine mandates. Gabel argues her proposal wouldn’t change the existing power to enforce mandates, it would simply remove an illegitimate excuse people have used to try and skirt the vaccine or testing requirements.
* They’re such pleasant folks…
Ugh.
* People would still be able to apply for and even obtain a religious exemption, but employers wouldn’t be punished under state law for denying one. This is a misunderstanding of what’s going on now…
Democratic state Rep. LaShawn Ford said the amendment isn’t ready and may be the wrong approach to encourage vaccination.
“We have to make sure that we convince people that taking the vaccine is the right thing to do and make sure that they still have that option to have their doctor give the exemption and to make sure they get the religious exemption,” Ford said. “So those are important for me that we maintain the right to.”
* Meanwhile…
Operators of licensed day cares in Illinois say the governor’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate on the industry will make a staffing crisis even more acute. […]
Sarah Stoliker with Illinois Directors and Owners of Childcare Centers agreed.
“We’re not opposed to public health measures that will help bring this pandemic to an end, but there has to be a balance,” Stoliker said in an interview.
Yeah, very reasonable person…
I asked her group’s spokesperson for a comment on that post yesterday and it has since apparently been removed.
* Related…
* Editorial: Illinois should end moral, religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccination and testing: “In multiple cases, ostensibly religious reasons to decline immunization actually reflected concerns about vaccine safety or personal beliefs among a social network of people organized around a faith community, rather than theologically based objections per se,” the report states.
* Judge ‘Puzzled’ by Chicago Firefighters’ Vaccine Lawsuit: During Tuesday’s 45-minute hearing, which was held by videoconference, Lee asked several pointed questions to plaintiffs’ attorney Jonathan Lubin, including why forcing employees to disclose their vaccination status was even a constitutional issue at all. “I look puzzled because I am puzzled,” Lee said. “Because don’t we have to disclose medical information for all sorts of different jobs? Why is this any different?” In his response, Lubin started to argue that the “political nature” of the vaccine debate with COVID-19 could not be divorced from the legal issues — but the judge cut him off. “I don’t care about the political,” Lee said. “This is a court of law.”
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A little EV stuff for your perusal
Wednesday, Oct 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ABATE Illinois brought the Zero SR/S motorcycle to the Statehouse yesterday and parked it next to the R1T, which was brought to town by the Rivian folks…
* The Batman was looking good…
More pics here.
…Adding… A young Batinick…
* ABATE is trying to get language on electric motorcycles into the Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois Act. From a press release…
The newly introduced act continues to share the exact same language that was contained in the Illinois Energy Transition Act which excludes motorcycles from Illinois’ plans to electrify the transportation grid.
We were especially disappointed to see this language continue to be used after Governor Pritzker’s press conference at heartland college last Thursday. When the Governor was asked about the exclusion of motorcycles from the Illinois Energy Transition Act and of the potential of being excluded from this Act as well, the Governor stated “There’s no intentionality to exclude”.
ABATE of Illinois is calling on Governor Pritzker to stand behind those comments and work with ABATE to remove this exclusionary language from both the Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois Act & the recently passed Energy Transition Act.
Simply put, if the goal of this legislation is to encourage the manufacturing and adoption of electric transportation in Illinois, it must include all transportation in Illinois, not just certain sectors. Many Illinoisans use motorcycles as their primary mode of transportation, racking up thousands more miles on two wheels vs four wheels. For the last few weeks a beta of Illinois members have been posting pictures online with the hashtag #motorcyclesareprimary to bring awareness to this fact.
ABATE encourages members of the General Assembly and the Governor’s staff to work together on making the future of transportation equal to all modes of transportation.
* Chandra Brown and Brad Henderson writing in Crain’s…
The nation needs to know that Rivian’s first electric truck is being made not in Detroit, not in Silicon Valley—but in Normal, Ill.
The nation needs to know that MotorTrend has described that truck, which hits 60 miles per hour in about 3 seconds, as “the most remarkable pickup we’ve ever driven.”
The nation needs to know that Gov. J.B. Pritzker has introduced a sweeping piece of legislation—a set of policies to encourage the burgeoning electric vehicle industry to invest more here.
The nation needs to know that the state has awarded $7.5 million to Normal’s Heartland Community College to launch a program to train electric vehicle technicians, so that Rivian and its suppliers have the skilled labor they need.
And it goes on like that. But, they gotta pass a bill first. And that’s not yet a guarantee.
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[Bumped up to Wednesday morning for visibility.]
* Sun-Times…
Illinois moved closer on Tuesday to no longer requiring a parent or other adult family member to be notified before a minor child receives an abortion, as the state Senate approved overturning a 26-year-old law that took nearly two decades to go into effect.
State Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, said the repeal of the Parental Notice of Abortion Act and the creation of the youth health and safety working group is a “necessary proposal to move our state forward to protect our young people — often those who cannot protect themselves.”
But one downstate Republican called the measure a slap in the face to families, arguing “this body is being used to take away the rights of parents.”
Along with repealing the parental notice law, the measure Sims sponsored also creates the Youth Health and Safety Act, which establishes the working group to ensure “full and equitable access to reproductive health care for all persons” statewide regardless of such factors as race or ethnicity, immigration status, age, education level or economic means.
* Tribune…
The Democratic-controlled Senate voted 32-22 to repeal the parental notification requirement, with four members of the majority party joining Republicans in opposition. Five other Democrats did not vote.
The proposal, which has the support of Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, now goes to the Democratic-controlled House, where its prospects remain uncertain. […]
“This is a necessary proposal to move our state forward to protect our young people, often those who cannot protect themselves,” said Democratic state Sen. Elgie Sims of Chicago, the measure’s sponsor.
Opponents of repeal — largely Republican lawmakers, religious leaders and anti-abortion groups — have sought to frame the debate as one about parental rights rather than about abortion access.
Democrats voting No: Crowe, Cunningham, Joyce, Loughran Cappel.
Democrats not voting: Belt, Cullerton, Harris, Hastings, Landek.
* AP…
But with a 32-22 tally in favor of repeal, the count fell short of approval of all who make up the Democrats’ 41-18 advantage, showing the reticence among moderate Democrats on a law whose proposed repeal now moves to the House with two days left in the General Assembly’s fall session.
Republicans repeatedly point out that notification has the support of nearly three-quarters of Illinoisans responding to a poll conducted last spring. And they publicized the nearly 50,000 notices of opposition to the legislation that were filed electronically before the vote.
“It’s the most basic human relationship that we know and it is a precious bond for a lifetime, most critical during a young girl’s, a minor’s, formative years….” said Republican Sen. Jil Tracy of Quincy. “We have enough problems in the state without creating more wedges between children and their parents.”
Pro-notice advocates note that the 48-hour alert to a parent or guardian the law requires involves only notification, not consent. According to the Guttmacher Institute, of 38 states requiring parental involvement in a minor’s abortion decision, 21 require parental consent — in three of those, both parents must consent.
* WTTW…
The repeal’s sponsor, Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago said young people make up less than 10% of abortions in Illinois.
He said there is no legal obligation for parents know of other medical decisions surrounding a pregnancy, such as having the child or getting a C-section.
“The only decision when it relates to pregnancy, the only decision that a parent has to be involved in, is required to be involved in, is if the child choses to have an abortion,” Sims said.
He called the notion raised by critics that repealing the notification law is a slap in the face to parents “offensive.”
* ACLU Illinois…
Tonight’s action by the Illinois Senate to pass the Youth Health and Safety Act HB 370 moves Illinois a step closer to ending enforcement of the dangerous Parental Notice of Abortion Act. The measure approved tonight also helps identify resources for pregnant and parenting youth.
Over the last eight years, we have represented more than 575 young people who have been forced by this law to go to court seeking a judicial bypass because they knew they could not share their abortion decision with any of the designated family members. Ending this barrier for young people in Illinois is critical.
We are especially pleased that a majority of senators saw through the argument that PNA is not about abortion, only about parental “rights.” This is a fallacy. After all, the law only requires that young people share their decision about an abortion, not the decision to parent or place a baby for adoption. This has always been about deterring young people from access to abortion care, and nothing else.
We look forward to this bill moving through the Illinois House and being signed into law by the Governor. Many thanks to chief sponsor Senator Elgie Sims, chief-co-sponsor, Senator Melinda Bush, and all those who voted for the measure. Your leadership will help protect the wellbeing of young people in our state for years to come. This is public policy-making at its best.
* Sen. Rezin…
Senate Republican Deputy Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) issued the following statement after the Senate passed House Bill 370, which repeals the Parental Notice of Abortion (PNA) Act of 1995 with a 32-22 vote:
“Today’s vote is yet another attack on the rights of parents by the Democrat majority that will deny parents the opportunity to provide their daughters with the help and support that they need during one of the most difficult times in their life.
“By repealing the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle sent a clear message to the parents across the state that they believe parents have no right to know about their child’s health or health care decisions.”
* WCIA…
Paprocki predicted Illinois would see “drastically” more abortions if the law is repealed. He joined with other pastors from the Chicago region who traveled to Springfield on a bus to rally against the push to repeal the law.
“The number of minors getting an abortion has gone down since the notification law went into effect,” he said. “Now, isn’t that a good thing?”
Many of the pastors support further restrictions on abortions. Pastor Calvin Lindstrom of Christian Liberty in Arlington Heights said he supports the recent abortion restrictions passed in Texas, and would like to see Illinois move in that direction. “I support it,” Lindstrom said. “I think it could go further to be honest with you.” He said he supports banning abortion even in cases of rape or incest.
* SJ-R…
Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, blamed Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, for the repeal.
“Time and time again, this governor has spit in the faces of families in this state,” she said. “He has shown his total and complete disregard for the rights of the family unit, and now he’s at it again, but he’s using this body.”
* Capitol News Illinois…
Emily Werth, a staff attorney at ACLU of Illinois, responded that in Illinois, a minor who is pregnant no longer has to receive parental consent for any medical care. The pregnant minor could undergo a caesarian section, receive a vaccine or get any other medical care without parental notice or consent.
“And that is because the General Assembly has made the policy decision that when a young person is pregnant, it is in their best interests and all of our best interest that they have access to whatever medical care they need, without delay, without being put in harm’s way,” Werth said. “Abortion is one kind of medical care that they may need when they are pregnant. And it should be treated the same as any other kind of medical care.”
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