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New “Bullying” Bill Passes Illinois House

How did they vote?

IFI strongly opposes the bill proposed by lesbian activist State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago).  Sixty votes were needed to pass this bill in the Illinois House, and it passed by a vote of 61-49-2. It will now be considered in the Illinois Senate. Look at the official roll call below to see how your state representative voted on HB 5290, or click HERE to download it.

Lest anyone be deceived about the central goal of Illinois’ anti-bullying laws, remember that homosexual activists created the original anti-bullying law, served on the task force charged with making recommendations for implementing the anti-bullying law, and sponsored the anti-bullying bill that just passed in the House. 

Here are a few of the problems with the bill: 

1. In order to prevent the kind of ideological indoctrination to which homosexual activists want to expose students, we requested that this language be added to the bill:

This course shall not include any instruction, resources, or activities that implicitly or explicitly contradict or undermine students’ or parents’ beliefs, including religious, moral, political, and philosophical beliefs, or that might be construed as criticisms or indictments of students’ or parents’ beliefs.”

Our request was ignored.

Some may argue that the following language in the existing anti-bullying law is sufficient protection against indoctrination:

Nothing in this Section or in the prevention course is intended to infringe upon any right to exercise free expression or the free exercise of religion or religiously based views protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or under Section 3 or 4 of Article 1 of the Illinois Constitution. 

This is not sufficient. We know from experience with the civil union bill that proclaimed “intentions” are meaningless in the face of committed homosexual activists.

It’s interesting to note how much stronger the language in Sections 3 and 4 of Article 1 of the Illinois Constitution is than that in the anti-bullying law:

The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination, shall forever be guaranteed, and no person shall be denied any civil or political right, privilege or capacity, on account of his religious opinions….

All persons may speak, write and publish freely….

Moreover, even a course that teaches wildly liberal views of homosexuality and gender confusion could be construed as not infringing on right to exercise free expression and as not infringing on the right to freely “exercise one’s religion or religiously based views.” Even if students are forced to listen to Leftist propaganda in a “youth programming” context, schools could argue that listening to such ideas does not infringe upon students’ rights to exercise free expression or freely exercise their religion or religiously based views. IFI is trying to prevent the government from forcing kids to be exposed to ideas that contradict their personal or religious beliefs.

This bill should say something stronger like “no student will be required to participate in any course, program, or activity that infringes upon free expression or contradicts personal beliefs or religious beliefs.”

2. This bill calls for a range of “restorative measures” to be implemented by schools in order to reduce the incidence of suspensions and expulsions, but one of the recommended restorative measures is the use of “peer juries, peer circles, and peer mediation.” IFI asked that language be included to ensure that participation in potentially emotionally manipulative peer juries, circles, and mediation be voluntary only. Our request was ignored.

3. We are deeply troubled by both the enumerated protected groups in existing law as well as the addition of yet more enumerated protected groups in Cassidy’s bill. Since it is impermissible to bully any student for any reason, enumerated categories are unnecessary.

Retaining and expanding enumerated categories opens the door to other special interest groups demanding the inclusion of yet more categories in this ever-expanding enumerated list. In addition, it will increase resentment among those groups who are bullied for reasons not enumerated.

In addition, since “sexual orientation,” and “gender identity” (conditions enumerated in existing law) are conditions constituted by behaviors that many consider immoral, their inclusion raises the possibility that those who affirm other conditions constituted by volitional acts that many consider immoral (e.g., polyamory) will demand inclusion of their conditions.

Cassidy “promised” that the categories she added to the bill would be deleted from the Senate bill, but as Representative Jerry Mitchell (R-Sterling) pointed out, this is a promise that Cassidy can’t guarantee will be kept.

Even if her promise is kept, however, all the enumerated protected groups from the original law will remain. What is the rationale for eliminating the newest protected groups while retaining the ones included in the disastrous original 2010 law?

Before the Senate version is passed, all enumerated protected groups should be eliminated.

4. We’re also troubled by the following squishy, ambiguous language regarding restorative measures, which opens the door to all sorts of problematic and mandatory ideological training:

Restorative measures means a continuum of school-based alternatives that contribute to maintaining school safety; protect the integrity of a positive and productive learning climate; teach students the personal and interpersonal skills they will need to be successful in school and society; [and] serve to build and restore relationships among students, families, schools, and communities.

Who will determine the nature of the “personal and interpersonal skills” needed for “success in school and society”? Who will decide what constitutes “the integrity of a positive and productive learning climate?” Homosexual activists believe that expressing conservative beliefs about homosexuality or having students study resources that express conservative moral beliefs creates a negative learning environment and will undermine chances for social success.

Who will decide how “safety” is defined? Homosexual activists have redefined the term “safety.” For them, it means absence of the expression of any ideas that dissent from theirs on the nature and morality of homosexuality. Homosexual activists believe that if students who identify as homosexual hear the idea that homosexual acts are immoral or that children deserve a mother and a father, they feel bad; and if they feel bad, they’re “unsafe.” That’s precisely how liberals defend censorship in public schools.

5. The existing Illinois anti-bullying law states that “‘Bullying’” means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct.” It is critical to change the language from “severe or pervasive” to “severe and pervasive.” The Supreme Court decision in Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education, which was a case dealing with sexual harassment in schools, illuminates the potential problems with the language “severe or pervasive”:

Courts…must bear in mind that schools are unlike the adult workplace and that children may regularly interact in a manner that would be unacceptable among adults. See, e.g., Brief for National School Boards Association et al. as Amici Curiae  (describing “dizzying array of immature . . . behaviors by students”). Indeed, at least early on, students are still learning how to interact appropriately with their peers. It is thus understandable that, in the school setting, students often engage in insults, banter, teasing, shoving, pushing, and gender-specific conduct that is upsetting to the students subjected to it. Damages are not available for simple acts of teasing and name-calling among school children….Rather, in the context of student-on-student harassment, damages are available only where the behavior is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it denies its victims the equal access to education

The Davis decision was clear that if the language of the law is “severe or pervasive,” it opens the door to onerous litigation for school districts:

Although [i]n theory, a single instance of sufficiently severe one-on-one peer harassment could be said to [deny victims the equal access to education], we think it unlikely that Congress would have thought such behavior sufficient to rise to this level in light of the inevitability of student misconduct and the amount of litigation that would be invited by entertaining claims of official indifference to a single instance of one-on-one peer harassment.

 While this bill is being debated in the Illinois Senate, an amendment should be proposed that changes “severe or pervasive” to “severe and pervasive” in order to protect schools from potentially costly lawsuits.

Time permitting, we will shortly expose some of the embarrassingly weak reasoning–if it can even be considered “reasoning”–offered by Cassidy during floor debates just prior to the vote.

Please contact your senators and urge them to vote “No” on this bill unless the reasonable changes discussed above are implemented.

Take ACTION:  Click HERE to contact your senator and urge him/her to oppose HB 5290.


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Illinois Senate Approves Massive Gambling Expansion

How did they vote?

SB 744 — the bill to expand gambling with casinos in Chicago, Rockford, Danville, Park City and South Suburbs as well as video slot machines at racetracks and in Chicago Airports — now moves to the governor’s desk.

This afternoon, the Illinois Senate passed SB 744 by a vote of 30 to 27 (with two voting present) to pass SB 744. Look at the official voting record of how your state senator voted: click HERE to download it. (Click HERE to see how your state represenative voted on this pro-casino gambling bill.)

This predatory gambling expansion bill was sponsored in the Illinois Senate by State Senators Terry Link (D-Lincolnshire), Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) and Donne Trotter (D-Chicago).

State Senator Tim Bivins (R-Dixon) was the only lawmaker from either chamber to speak out against SB 744 in defense of families and common sense. Too many “conservative” lawmakers chose instead to be concerned about the gambling interests within their districts rather the serving the best interests of the families of Illinois.

It is disturbing to note that 6 Republican state senators and 21 Republican state representatives voted in favor of this massive anti-family gambling bill despite the fact that the Illinois Republican Platform identifies gambling as being harmful to “Illinois’ families and our state’s business climate.”

Take ACTION: Contact Governor Patrick Quinn today to ask them to VETO SB 744.

You can also call the Governor’s office toll free at (800) 642-3112.




Illinois House Approves Massive Predatory Gambling Proposal

How did they vote?

SB 744 — the massive gambling bill that adds 5 new casinos and creates 6 new racinos — now moves to the Illinois Senate. Please take a moment to tell your state senator to oppose this bill.

This afternoon, the Illinois House passed SB 744 by a vote of 65 to 50 (with two voting present) to pass SB 744. Look at the official voting record of how your state representative voted:  click HERE to download it.

This anti-family and predatory gambling expansion bill was sponsored in the Illinois House by State Representatives Lou Lang (D-Skokie), Roger L. Eddy (R-Hutsonville), Anthony DeLuca (D-Chicago Heights),Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan), Jim Sacia (R-Freeport), Raymond Poe (R-Raymond Poe), Chad Hays (R-Danville) and Luis Arroyo (D-Chicago).

Not one Illinois state lawmaker spoke out to defend the interests of families in Illinois. This bill now moves to the Illinois Senate for consideration.

Take ACTION:  Contact your state senator and to Governor Patrick Quinn today to ask them to oppose the passage of SB 744.

We need a flood of calls, emails and faxes today and tomorrow if we hope to stop this bill from passing in the Illinois Senate. Call the Capitol switchboard at (217) 782-2000 and ask to be transferred to your state senator to urge him/her to vote against SB 744.




Illinois Senate Passes Sex Ed Bill

How did they vote?

HB 3027 — the “comprehensive” sex education bill now moves to the Illinois House. Please take a moment to tell your state representative to oppose this bill.
This afternoon, the Illinois Senate voted 30 to 28 (with one voting present) to pass HB 3027.  See the official voting record of how your state senator voted by  clicking HERE to download it.

HB 3027 is completely unnecessary and an intrusion into local control. Public schools in Illinois already have the ability to teach “comprehensive” sex education if they wish. Local public school administrators do not need a mandate from Springfield telling them they must teach comprehensive sex education when the preponderance of evidence suggests that authentic abstinence education is successful.

Take ACTION: Send an email or a fax to your state representative today to ask him/her to vote NO to HB 3027.

We need a flood of calls, emails and faxes today and tomorrow if we hope to stop this bill from passing in the Illinois House. Call the Capitol switchboard at (217) 782-2000 and ask to be transferred to your state representative to urge him/her to vote against HB 3027.

Please take a few minutes NOW to contact your state representative: Message: Oppose HB 3027 to ensure that students in our taxpayer funded schools are not needlessly subjected to “comprehensive” or “Abstinence Plus” sex education that emphasize and encourage contraception use, rather than abstinence.

Contraception-centered sex-education curricula encourage children and youth into early sexual experimentation. They mislead youth and create a false hope that condoms will provide sufficient protection from the physical, emotional and social consequences of early sexual activity. Authentic abstinence education programs provide youth with life and character skills, not condom skills. Sexual activity among youth is far too costly for adolescents, families, society and taxpayers.

Passing HB 3027 would mandate the teaching of curricula that most parents and taxpayers would find objectionable. Please take a moment to contact your state senator to urge him/her to stand in opposition to this bill.




Illinois House Rejects “Medical” Marijuana Bill — Again

How did they vote?

For the second time this year — and the first time during this new legislative session — the Illinois House of Representatives rejected a bill to legalize “medical” marijuana, this time by a vote of 53 YES and 61 NO with 4 voting “present.”

Representatives Patti Bellock (R-Westmont), Jim Sacia (R-Freeport) and Rich Morthland (R-Moline) did a fantastic job speaking out against this bill on the House floor during debate. Click HERE to watch Rep. Morthland’s floor comments against HB 30.

Representatives Lou Lang (D-Skokie), Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) and Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Plainfield) spoke in favor of HB 30. This bill is also co-sponsored by Representatives Angelo Saviano (R-Elmwood Park), Ann Williams (D-Chicago), Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), and Kenneth Dunkin (D-Chicago).

YOU did it! Thanks in part to your calls, emails and faxes, this bill has been defeated! It also must be noted that the Illinois law enforcement community strongly opposed HB 30. Former Chicago Police Superintendent Phil Cline, along with the president of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the president of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association and other key law enforcement officials pleaded with legislators to vote against this anti-family bill.

The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) asked that HB 30 be put on “postponed consideration,” which means that he can attempt another vote on it in the next few days or weeks — so please stay tuned. More importantly, if you haven’t yet communicated with your state representative regarding this anti-family policy, please call them today in Springfield via the switchboard at (217) 782-2000.

Click HERE to look at the roll call of the unofficial record of how your state representative voted. Please consider calling the offices of the seven who voted “present” and those who voted “yea” to encourage them to oppose HB 30. They are listed below. Ask them to support the law enforcement community by opposing this legislation.




HB 3156

How did they vote?

As I reported in my email update yesterday, HB 3156, sponsored by State Representative Darlene Senger (R-Naperville) fell just 3 votes short of passage on Wednesday, but may get another vote today or Friday. The bill received 57 “yea” votes, 51 “nay” votes with 7 voting “present.”

This bill would amend the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act to require abortion clinics that perform more than 50 abortions a year to meet basic safety regulations similar to other outpatient treatment centers. (See the original IFI E-Alert HERE.)

Look at the picture below to see the unofficial record of how your state representative voted. Please consider calling the offices of the seven who voted “present” and those who voted “nay” to encourage them to support HB 3156. They are listed below. Ask them to ensure abortion clinics are held to the highest health standard. This is about safety protections for women.

Rep. Kelly Burke (D-Evergreen Park)
(217) 782-0515

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora)
(217) 558-1002

Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukeegan)
(217) 558-1012

Rep. Michael J. Zalewsk (D-Summit)
(217) 782-5280

Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago)
(217) 782-8077

Rep. Andre M. Thapedi (D-Chicago)
(217) 782-1702

Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago)
(217) 782-5350

Take ACTION: We need a flood of calls, emails and faxes today and tomorrow — especially in the districts identified above if we hope to secure the 60 votes needed to pass this bill onto the Illinois Senate. Call the Capitol switchboard at (217) 782-2000 and ask to be transferred to your state representative to urge him/her to vote in favor of HB 3156. Or you can click HERE to send an email or a fax to your state representative.

This bill would amend the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act to require abortion clinics that perform more than 50 abortions a year to meet basic safety regulations similar to other outpatient treatment centers.

Please take a few minutes NOW to contact your State Representative: Message: Support HB-3156 to ensure abortion clinics are held to the highest safety standards. Are women considered less worthy of safety protections?

 




Illinois Senate Confirms Cosgrove

How did they vote?
 
The Illinois Senate moved quickly this afternoon to confirm Governor Patrick Quinn’s appointment of homosexual, anti-life activist Terry Cosgrove. By a vote of 30-25 with two voting present and two not voting, Cosgrove received the bare minimum number of votes to be confirmed to the Human Rights Commission.

To learn more, please make sure you read IFI’s Laurie Higgins’ article on this unbelievable controversy: Quinn Nominates Morally Bankrupt Activist to the Human Rights Commission

Take ACTION: Send an email or a fax to Governor Quinn to tell him how deeply offensive it is to know that he would appoint a pro-abortion, pro-homosexual campaign contributor to the Human Rights Commission.




SB 1619 Passes Senate Committee — Contact Your State Senator

How did they vote?

Yesterday, the Illinois Senate Public Health committee passed SB 1619 by a party line vote of 6 to 4. It now moves to the full senate. Look at the list below to see how the members of this committee voted.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to contact your state senator today and ask him or her to vote against SB 1619, the so-called “Personal Responsibility Education Program Act,” which more appropriately could be called the “Condom Training Sex Ed Bill.” SB 1619 is backed by Illinois Planned Parenthood Council, Illinois ACLU and a host of other liberal groups, which are engaged in a massive lobbying push for this bill.

You can also call the switchboard in Springfield at (217) 782-2000 and ask for your state senator. If you don’t know who your state senator is, click HERE to look up your elected officials. Or call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328 and we will help you get that information.

SB 1619 Senate Public Health Committee Vote
Yea — Senator William Delgado (D-Chicago)

Yea — Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago)

Yea — Senator Susan Garrett (D-Highwood)

Yea — Senator Michael Noland (D-Elgin)

Yea — Senator Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge) substituting for Sen. Schoenberg

Yea — Senator Heather A. Steans (D-Chicago)

No — Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford)

No — Senator. Shane Cultra (R-Onarga)

No — Senator Christine J. Johnson (R-Sycamore)

No — Senator Carole Pankau (R-Bloomingdale)

Background

Parents do not want their children being taught the “how to’s” of sexual activity, especially when that activity puts their children’s lives and health in jeopardy. Most parents are fully aware that Planned Parenthood and its liberal allies are actually encouraging sexual activity with SB 1619.

In 2005, the ACLU of Illinois mailed a letter to more than thirteen hundred school superintendents across Illinois complaining that some schools in Illinois are providing their students with “dangerous, inaccurate sex education information.”

What “inaccurate sex education information,” you may ask? Well, according to the ACLU of Illinois, schools that teach abstinence-only-until-marriage “deny students crucial information they need to prevent pregnancy and protect them from sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs).”

Yes, you read that right. The ACLU of Illinois holds the opinion that by promoting no sex until marriage, somehow schools increase student health risks. Of course this makes no sense. Abstinence, when adhered to, will never result in pregnancy and will never spread STDs.

Moreover, studies have shown that “A greater number of students in abstinence programs correctly identified STDs than did students in control groups,” and “a greater number of students in abstinence programs reported correctly that birth control pills do not prevent STDs than did students in control groups.” (For more information, please read Laurie Higgins’ article, Abstinence Education Works.)

The ACLU and Planned Parenthood, which also happens to be the nation’s biggest abortion provider, would rather use your tax dollars and public school resources to promote and encourage young people to experiment with all types of risky sexual behavior, including oral sex and homosexuality. (In 2010, Illinois received $2.23 million from the new federal Personal Responsibility Education Program for “comprehensive” sex education programs.)

According to organizations like Planned Parenthood, it’s necessary and appropriate to indoctrinate young impressionable students with ideas about dangerous behaviors, but abstention from discussing dangerous sexual behavior is misleading.

In contrast, just look at the recently released data by the Centers for Disease Control that strongly suggests that abstinence education works. According to the 2006-2008 survey results released earlier this month, the majority of teens have never had any kind of sexual relations with any partner.

The failures of “safe sex” are abundantly clear: unwanted pregnancies, abortion, disease, and devastating emotional ramifications. Abstinence until marriage is the only dependable safe-sex message Illinois policy-makers should be promoting in our public schools. There are no teenage pregnancy epidemics or STD outbreaks when abstinence is practiced. So, why not promote it?




State Democrats Pass Massive Income Tax Increase

How did they vote?

Illinois lawmakers approved a 66 percent increase in the state’s income tax in the final hours of a lame duck session.

Despite tens of thousands of calls, emails, faxes and letters in opposition to increased taxes, our state legislators decided to raise the state’s personal income tax from the current 3 percent flat rate, to 5 percent and the corporate income tax rate from 4.8 percent to 7 percent.

The bill number is SB 2505.

In the Illinois House, our state representatives voted 60-57 in favor of this measure late Tuesday night. (The House needed 60 votes to pass it.) The Illinois Senate voted 30-29 in favor of this tax hike in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. (The Senate needed 30 votes to pass it.)

These votes were ushered through by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) and Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) without a single Republican vote in favor. According to the Chicago Tribune, Governor Pat Quinn (D) is “happy” about the passage of these tax increases and is expected to sign the bill into law in the near future.

This lame duck session of the Illinois General Assembly ends today at noon.

We have one last chance to communicate to Governor Quinn about this anti-family proposal which will take much needed resources away from our family budgets to feed the ever increasing and insatiable demands of our growing state government.

Click HERE to urge Governor Quinn to VETO SB 2505. Tell him we do not have a tax problem — we have a spending problem!

Look at the chart below to see how your state representative voted, or you can download it by clicking HERE. To see how your state senator voted, click HERE.

**Please note: All state legislative seats will be up for election in 2012.




Illinois House Rejects “Medical” Marijuana Bill

How did they vote?

For a second time in the past few weeks, lawmakers in the Illinois House of Representatives reject a bill to legalize “medical” marijuana, this time by a vote of 56 YES and 60 NO.

Thanks in part to your calls, emails and faxes, this bill has been defeated! It also must be noted that Illinois’ law enforcement community strongly opposed SB 1381. Former Chicago Police Superintendent Phil Cline along with the president of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the president of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association and other key law enforcement officials pleaded with legislators to vote against this anti-family bill.

See how your State Representative voted byclicking HERE. (To see how your State Senator voted, click HERE.)




“Civil Unions” (SB 1716) Passes in the House

How did they vote?

Sixty-one state lawmakers in the Illinois House cave into pressure from Gov. Patrick Quinn and Speaker Michael Madigan.

Despite an outpouring of calls, emails and faxes against redefining marriage and family, legislators in the Illinois House passed SB 1716 on Tuesday evening by a vote of 61 to 52.

Only two pro-family lawmakers, Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Highland) and Rep. David Reis (R-Olney) — both from downstate — had the courage to challenge this anti-family legislation on the House floor during debate while nine pro-homosexual lawmakers (2 Republicans and 7 Democrats) made emotional manipulative appeals for the bill’s passage.

This bill now moves over to the Illinois Senate where it is expected to pass.

See how your state representative voted by clicking HERE.




Lawmakers Vote Down School Choice Bill

Illinois’ General Assembly failed to help failing students in the state’s worst schools on Wednesday afternoon.

Landmark school choice legislation was rejected by lawmakers from both parties Wednesday. This common sense bill would have allowed approximately 22,000 children from Chicago’s worst-performing and most-overcrowded elementary schools to transfer to private or parochial schools. Each student would have received approximately $3,700 in state money to specifically cover tuition costs at those schools. (Chicago public schools currently spend more than $11,000 per student.)

IFI’s Laurie Higgins says the vote came up short in the House despite a bipartisan effort. “It fell just 12 votes short of passing [and] we needed 60 votes. The vote was 48 in favor — 26 of whom were Republicans, 22 of whom were Democrats — and my understanding is that it was just vigorous pressure by the teachers unions that led to the defeat of this bill.”

But this does not mark the end of the road for this bill. State Rep. Kevin Joyce (D-Chicago), the House sponsor of SB 2494, requested that the bill be put on postponed consideration, which means that the bill can still come up for another vote in the House during this session — possibly after the November election. This would require some work on our part to sway 12 House members to support the bill allowing Chicago public school students in the lowest 10 percent failing schools to opt out to nearby private schools.

As expected, the Illinois General Assembly adjourned May 7 without passing a meaningful budget for the state for the upcoming fiscal year. It is likely that our sate lawmakers will return to Springfield to complete that task before a May 31 constitutional deadline.

Because SB 2494 was put on postponed consideration, no official House roll call is available. However, an “unofficial” tally was recorded by CapitolFax.com as the vote was taken on the House floor:




Illinois FOCA Moves Out of Committee

Pro-Life and Pro-Family citizens must contact their State Representatives to oppose HB 6205.

Early Wednesday morning on March 10th, the Illinois House of Representatives’ Human Services Committee passed HB 6205 (Illinois FOCA) by a vote of 5-2. This was fully expected, as this committee is dominated by pro-abortion lawmakers. State Representatives Naomi Jakobsson (D-Champaign), Constance Howard (D-Chicago), Annazette Collins (D-Chicago), Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) and Elizabeth Coulson (R-Glenview) voted in favor of HB 6205. The only two NO votes came from State Representatives Patricia Bellock (R-Westmont) and Timothy Schmitz (R-Geneva).

Clarke Forsythe Senior Counsel for Americans United for Life (AUL) testified before the committee, pointing out that HB 6205 would elevate abortion to a “fundamental right,” and prohibit any “interference” with or “discrimination” against abortion and that it would unilaterally trump Illinois’ long-standing policy that “solemnly declare[s] and find[s] . . . that the unborn child is a human being from the time of conception and is, therefore, a legal person for purposes of the unborn child’s right to life and is entitled to the right to life from conception under the laws and Constitution of this State.

The bill now moves to the House floor for consideration by all State Representatives. It may be called as early as next week.

TAKE ACTION: Please CLICK HERE to contact your State Representative to ask him/her to vote AGAINST this pro-abortion bill.

You can also contact your State Representative by calling the Capitol switchboard at 217-782-2000.