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It’s just a bill

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* WAND TV…

Legislators are calling for a repeal of the recently approved Reproductive Health Act and for new definitions of the viability of unborn children.

State Representatives Allen Skillicorn (R-Crystal Lake), Bard Halbrook (R-Shelbyville), Amy Grant (R-Wheaton), and Chris Miller (R-Oakland) are calling for the repeal.

House Bill 3850 was filed. It would create the Illinois Abortion Law of 2019 containing provisions of the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975.

The bill includes provisions defining, “viability to include when in the medical judgement of the attending physician based on the particular facts of the case before the attending physician, the unborn child has a fetal heartbeat, and defining fetal heartbeat as the cardiac activity or the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart within the gestational sac.”

* The bill is going absolutely nowhere, but Personal PAC is already fundraising off of it…

For the last 46 years, the anti-choice movement has been working tirelessly to overturn Roe one step at a time. Today, a group of State Representatives took the first step toward repealing the RHA and dismantling access to safe and legal abortion in Illinois.

The right-wingers will never give up their crusade to make birth control and abortion illegal. The only way to defend against their relentless attacks in Illinois is by electing pro-choice officials to state and local office. Help us make sure we are prepared to fight back by joining our 2019 Annual Awards Luncheon’s Benefit Committee today. The fate of the RHA rests with us in 2019!

Always in choice (no exceptions, ever!)

Terry Cosgrove
President & CEO

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 2:56 pm

Comments

Wait, Terry Cosgrove is operating in an intellectually dishonest manner? That never happens.

Comment by Philly H. Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:11 pm
Tip ‘o the hat to Terry Cosgrove for reminding us that they’re not just coming for abortion, as they’re also trying to outlaw birth control for everyone, including married couples.

Comment by Anyone Remember Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:11 pm
==they’re also trying to outlaw birth control for everyone, including married couples==

Well, that was the de facto situation prior to the 1965 case of Griswold v Connecticut.

It was illegal to distribute contraception. Including to married couples.

You say that as a joke, but it is not a joke. The religious right is working very hard to overturn supreme court decisions in this arena. The poster child is Roe v. Wade, but you better pay attention to the bigger picture - because they are.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:19 pm
What they’re proposing is similar to laws passed around the country. A fetal heartbeat can be detected around 6 weeks of gestation. However, a fetal heartbeat does not indicate viability. Many women, myself included, have had the heart wrenching experience of hearing a heartbeat only to learn 5 seconds later that there’s a problem with the fetus or the pregnancy.

Comment by read first Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:29 pm
==they’re also trying to outlaw birth control for everyone, including married couples==

Since the basis for Roe v. Wade is the right to privacy established in Griswold v. Connecticuta reversal of Roe would certainly weaken the precedent in Griswold.

I don’t think it is a stretch to say that if Roe falls some states may attack birth control. I think they are more likely to go after Obergefell v. Hodges (Same Sex Marriage) and maybe even Lawrence v. Texas (the right to engage in same-sex relations) first though.

Cosgrove isn’t really wrong about right-wing attacks on privacy rights (birth control, abortion, same-sex marriage) nationally.

Comment by TrumpsSmallHands Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:35 pm
It’s not his style, but Terry should send them some flowers or chocolates or something. This bill is to Terry what helmet laws were to ABATE.

Comment by DIstant watcher Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:35 pm
Nothing like a good lie to activate the donor base. No one is trying to make birth control illegal. One side of this argument is standing for human rights. The other side isn’t.

Comment by Downstate Illinois Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:40 pm
===No one is trying to make birth control illegal===

See some of the above comments.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:41 pm
Thank god for the democratic super majorities on the GA. This bill will never see the light of day

Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:43 pm
===State Representatives Allen Skillicorn (R-Crystal Lake), Bard Halbrook (R-Shelbyville), Amy Grant (R-Wheaton), and Chris Miller (R-Oakland) are calling for the repeal.===

The comedy that *is* the HGOP continues to think they can “teach”… and they’ve learned nothing about politics or the electorate.

The devolving of the Raunerites to Eastern Bloc folks, to the panderers of the few, the base… pretty soon what is left of the “ILGOP” will be 7-8 old, white, angry folks at the end of a bar yelling they can’t hear “Jeopardy” on the TV.

Maybe the HGOP can get below 40 members yet.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:45 pm
“Wait, Terry Cosgrove is operating in an intellectually dishonest manner? That never happens.”

Who made a bill that has less than zero chance of passing? Dishonesty is pandering to angry right wing voters when knowing the bill is beyond dead on arrival (see also Eastern Bloc Chicago separation from Illinois).

Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:50 pm
I will believe they are serious about the sanctity of all life, no exceptions, when they also file bills to curb gun ownership and restrict the use of guns for personal protection. These folks seem to trust pretty much anyone to take a life on the spur of the moment if it is with a gun. But, a woman and her doctor are not given any latitude whatsoever.

Also, does the bill include financial support for prenatal care? How about support for the child and mother for the next 18 years? Paid maternity leave? I bring these up because having a baby alters a woman’s life in uncounted ways. It impacts her education and career. If you want more women to “choose life,” remove the barriers that might prevent her from doing so.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:51 pm
It’s interesting that what jumps out people from this post is so very different depending on where readers stand on abortion. My immediate reaction was, “But…that’s not what the word ‘viability ‘means.”

Commenters above judged Cosgrove’s comments as intellectually dishonest, despite evidence that there’s reasonable basis for them. Meanwhile, the sponsors of this bill are literally telling us that a word doesn’t mean what it means. I trust that their intent is founded in sincere belief, and I know that this term is getting tossed around a lot, but the approach does strike me as a little Orwellian.

Comment by Words Words Words Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:57 pm
** lso, does the bill include financial support for prenatal care? How about support for the child and mother for the next 18 years? Paid maternity leave? I bring these up because having a baby alters a woman’s life in uncounted ways. It impacts her education and career. If you want more women to “choose life,” remove the barriers that might prevent her from doing so. **

Those things are the responsibility of the parents, end of story. Your gun comments are hyperbole.

Comment by Central bloc Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 3:58 pm
It’s interesting that what jumps out people from this post is so very different depending on where readers stand on abortion. My immediate reaction was, “But…that’s not what the word ‘viability ‘means.”

Commenters above judged Cosgrove’s fundraising message as intellectually dishonest, despite evidence that there’s reasonable basis for them. Meanwhile, the sponsors of this bill are literally telling us that a word doesn’t mean what it means. I trust that their intent is founded in sincere belief, and I know that this term is getting tossed around a lot, but the approach does strike me as a little Orwellian.

Comment by Words Words Words Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:04 pm
== they’re also trying to outlaw birth control for everyone, including married couples. ==

I have no doubt that there are some wacky, hard-right ideas out there on the fringe. But is there an actual bill filed somewhere calling for outlawing birth control for married couples? If not, that statement is a bit hyperbolic.

Comment by Philly H. Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:09 pm
For the past 46 years, very few people took the threats to Roe seriously, resulting in where we are in 2019 with its demise imminent. “No one is trying to make birth control illegal” Really? No one except the right-wingers who want the law to say that “life begins” at their magic and unscientific moment of conception which would outlaw nearly all forms of the birth control pill and the IUD. Then you have all the lies about women who have an abortion and even more lies about birth control. Welcome to the U.S. and Illinois in 2019.

Comment by Cosgrove Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:10 pm
==Those things are the responsibility of the parents, end of story===

Pretty harsh world you live in, friend. If a woman/family must provide everything for the child (including maternity leave, somehow), I can only conclude that you support the choice of a woman to have an abortion if she is not wealthy enough to provide everything.

Comment by Jibba Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:14 pm
- Grandson of Man -

I agree. Both Cosgrove and Skillicorn are dishonest and pandering. Zealots on the left and right are codependent.

@DIstant watcher’s ABATE/helmet law comparison is spot on.

Comment by Philly H. Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:18 pm
there’s a certain very large church which states that birth control pills and infertility treatments such as IVF are not right. There are others who agree. they work to reduce these choices for women or make these choices unavailable to women without means. it’s about a whole range of choices that women must have in order to have agency. choice is not just about abortion, not on the pro choice side or the anti choice side. that is why it is important to shine a light on the things that the anti side does.

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:18 pm
No terry, if that is really you, no one is trying to outlaw birth control. Public funding of birth control perhaps, but not birth control per se.

Comment by Central bloc Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:19 pm
There are many organization outside of religious ones that are Pro-Life and according to the Democrat’s Pro-Life group they say that over 1/3 of Democrats are Pro-Life. Planned Parenthood when founded indicated that abortion was wrong because it ends a life, science tells us that a unique human life begins at conception. It may not be viable outside the mother’s uterus but it does not change the fact that it is its own unique human Life with its own unique DNA. It is not a ‘blob of tissue’ when most abortions are done as this fast growing and ever changing life is most definitely a human life.

Comment by Arock Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:19 pm
Arock…polls consistently show that the majority of the American public is not comfortable with abortion, but they are not willing to outlaw it. This is an eminently sensible position. We might believe one thing for ourselves, but are not willing to make that choice for others. That kind of thinking permeates the discourse on many issues in the public eye.

Comment by Jibba Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:27 pm
Arock

Does that mean you think the eventual existence of cloned humans will mean that they aren’t actually human? They are not unique life, which seems to be a precondition for you. Does that mean they would have no rights? That you could physically harm them as full grown adults with no consequences to yourself?

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:42 pm
Illinois GOP: proceed with this nonsense at your peril.

Signed, the 18 Republicans (out of 80 members total) in the California state assembly.

Comment by Not a Superstar Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:47 pm
===eventual existence of cloned humans===

LOL Might wanna put down the tin foil hat there.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:50 pm
@Cubs in 16

Not following along with current news in the field? Primates were first cloned last year. Many of them.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 4:56 pm
“I will believe they are serious about the sanctity of all life, no exceptions”

Might want to add a prohibition on the disposal of fertilized eggs that are frozen at IVF clinics. Not one word about that topic.

If life begins at conception, the frozen embryos are “human beings” that are disposed of or used for medical testing when the family no longer needs them.

Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 5:02 pm
Downstate Illinois, Central bloc -
Review the court filings of the Catholic diocese in Griswold. Condensed to 1 sentence, their position was if something violated Natural Law (they said all birth control violated Natural Law) AND Natural Law coincided with Catholic teachings, they had the right to push for laws that would require non-Catholics to abide by Natural Law / Catholic teaching, no matter what. Rick Santorum is still working to implement that position.

Comment by Anyone Remember Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 5:04 pm
File this under political nuisances, amateur hour, and pandering to their minority base. This is what the GOP does best. Fortunately there is the matter of political realities.

Comment by southern Illinois resident Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 5:15 pm
Anyone Remember: Thank you very much for that great history lesson. I’ll file it under “you learn something new everyday.” Also related is that not a single anti-abortion organization in the country supports access to birth control, despite the fact that its availability reduces the rate of abortion by 40% as was the recent case in Colorado. The reason why wingers don’t support access to birth control is that they label the pill and IUD as “abortifacients,” and the destruction of a human life. Thus their drive to make nearly all forms of birth control illegal, opposing stem cell research and the growing anti-vaccination movement.

Comment by Cosgrove Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 5:29 pm
-InvisibleMan-

I’m aware of the science. But I don’t believe medical ethics will allow for it to be applied in the way you’re suggesting. Maybe I’m naive but that would jump an ethical shark that I don’t like to think about.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 5:56 pm
Gribbon was right.

Comment by Not a Billionaire Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 7:31 pm
Birth control makes abortion less common. Take away birth control and abortion increases. The countries that have few birth control options and ban abortion have high abortion rates. Countries that don’t ban abortion but have birth control have low abortion rates. Abortion rates are the lowest in countries with universal health care.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/21/health/abortion-restriction-laws/index.html

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 7:38 pm
@Cubs

Lets not get bogged down with details of the how. This is a thought experiment to see if you believe the things you believe. You have used the umbrella of science to rationalize your position. As science advances, at some point in our future, near or distant, there will be cloned human beings.

Are those clones not human being by your definition, because they do not contain unique DNA? Would you have them with rights equal to a human with unique DNA? If not, why. If yes, why?

Science shows you that life doesn’t start. It is a continuation of previous life. There is no demarcation line such as you are trying to impose for the start of life.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 7:42 pm
==eventual existence of cloned humans
LOL Might wanna put down the tin foil hat there.==

Identical twins are naturally occurring clones of each other. No tin foil hat necessary.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 7:42 pm
Cosgrove -
Thank you. As all 4 of my grandparent’s family came to these shores (3, this was the second place emigrated) to get away from people like this, I pay close attention to such matters.

Comment by Anyone Remember Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 7:45 pm
-InvisibleMan-

It wasn’t my position. You’re confusing me with Arock.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Wednesday, Jul 10, 19 @ 9:19 pm
==Those things are the responsibility of the parents, end of story. ==

No, that’s not the end of the story. This is all too frequently the attitude of those against abortion. And it’s the absolute wrong attitude.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Jul 11, 19 @ 7:40 am
==Public funding of birth control perhaps, but not birth control per se.==

Are you against public funding of birth control? If you are that’s another strike against you and is more indication of an extreme viewpoint

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Jul 11, 19 @ 7:42 am
===Those things are the responsibility of the parents, end of story. ==
If you want to make abortion go away then its the responsibility of the society that wants abortion to go away. If you want to live in a society with high abortion rates than it’s the end of the story.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, Jul 11, 19 @ 10:36 am