Legislators from Illinois continue their push to end parental notification on abortion, allowing minors to have abortions without letting their parents know.
Live Action News announced in Twitter on Tuesday that pro-abortion legislators from Illinois are not stopping until parental notification for abortion has been removed.
"Pro-abortion legislators in Illinois are slated to renew a push to end the state's parental notification law for minors who want an abortion," Live Action News said.
Live Action News, the media arm of renowned pro-life advocate Lila Rose's organization, explained that the Democrat Senators tried to repeal the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act early this year through House Bill 1797 and Senate Bill 2091. But the legislative session ended in May without the senators having had the chance to vote on the repeal since it was delayed due to committee reviews.
Accordingly, the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act was enacted into law in 1995 to require minors to notify their parents of an abortion at least 48 hours prior to aborting the unborn. The law exempts victims of abuse or "neglect" committed by an adult member of the family, as well as, those who were able to get a "judicial bypass" to prove their maturity to have an abortion on their own decision.
Another exemption of the law is when the minor has the abortion with a family member, whether this be one of the parents, a legal guardian, stepparent, or grandparent. This does not apply of course if the abuser is a family member.
Now back in session, the lawmakers finally got to vote on the repeal at 32-22 tally. The Herald Sun said the proposed repeal will then be reviewed by the House of Representatives.
"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," the outlet said.
The legislators' push for the repeal comes despite citizens opposition. A poll conducted by Parents For The Protection Of Girls in March, a coalition advocating for sexually abused girls, showed that a majority of Illinois voters support the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act. The poll was conducted on 600 voters after the Parents For The Protection Of Girls was commissioned by the Illinois Family Institute and other pro-life organizations.
The poll asked a series of questions including the need for parents to be notified by minors seeking abortion prior to the procedure. The result showed that 72% of respondents agreed to the notification regardless of being a Democrat or a Republican and regardless of them being "pro-choice" or "pro-life."
The pro-life groups contest that the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act actually protects the vulnerable, particularly the minors. "My Half of the Sky" Cafe Owner Renee Pollino, one of the law's supporters, pointed out that minors need such protection especially from abuse such as human trafficking. Pollino told Live Action in May that repealing the law would only make it easy for abusers to prey on minors.
"The facts are, minors need to be protected. It is a surgery, it is a procedure, and it's really important that they get the medical attention that they need after [abortion] as well so that they can recover and be cared for," Pollino said.
"Human trafficking is a serious issue, and traffickers should never get a clear path to further exploit girls. We shouldn't make it easy for them. We shouldn't make laws to make them have a walk in the park," she underscored.
