I know we shouldn’t be surprised. We know intuitively and intellectually that the nature of Big Government is tyranny. Yet I was stunned to watch Illinois Democratic State Lawmakers intentionally and aggressively pursue an agenda to diminish the civil rights of its people. Not only did they attack health care conscience rights protections, but they also repealed Illinois’ last major abortion regulation which ensured the rights of parents/guardians to be notified when their minor daughter seeks to have an abortion.

Thankfully, not one Republican state lawmaker voted for these tyrannical proposals.

The second half of the 2021 Veto Session started on Tuesday where the Illinois Senate Executive Committee heard testimony on HB 370, the legislation to repeal the Parental Notice of Abortion Act. A few hours later, it was sent to the Illinois Senate floor, debated and then passed by a vote of 32-22, with 5 senators not voting.

The bill was sent to the Illinois House Executive Committee on Wednesday, where it was debated and sent to the Illinois House floor. The bill was taken up for debate Wednesday evening where it was debated and then passed by a vote a 64-52 with 2 voting present. You can watch and/or listen to the debate here below:

Myles Holmes, IFI Board member and pastor of Revive Church in Collinsville emphatically points out that

“government is not God and has no right to usurp the place of parents in the instruction and direction of their children’s lives. The passage of this onerous bill demonstrates the Marxist control that Democrats want over our families. The first response of Christian families must be to remove their children from government control in the public schools, and the second  is to work hard to remove these politicians in the next election.”

Governor JB Pritzker is expected to sign it into law. According to an article in the Chicago Sun-Times, Pritzker “vowed” to sign the bill saying, “At a time when reproductive rights are under attack across the country, Illinois is protecting those critical reproductive rights.” The article does not explain that reproductive “rights” is literally license to kill pre-born human beings.

Conscience Rights

Immediately preceding their vote to usurp parental rights, the Illinois House of Representative decided to quash conscience rights when they took up and debated SB 1169. This bill diminishes the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act — specifically for COVID-19 remediation. In other words, the sponsors of this amendment intends to curtail the safeguard that existed in state law that allowed citizens to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The bill passed the Illinois House by a vote a 64-52 with 2 voting present. UPDATE: Late Thursday night (10/28/2021), the Illinois Senate concurred with the Illinois House and passed this bill by a vote of 31-24.

The chief sponsor of this legislator, State Representatives Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), repeatedly argued that the original intent of the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act was about abortion, birth control and sterilization and was crafted to protect healthcare professionals. In other words, it was not intended to protect people who want to avoid experimental and/or dubious medical treatments and/or the unmerciful despotism of vaccine mandates.

But the fact is, many who oppose being forced to take the COVID vaccine against their will firmly believe, as do we, that the Health Care Right of Conscience Act protects all citizens. You can read it for yourself.

(745 ILCS 70/5) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5305)
Sec. 5. Discrimination. It shall be unlawful for any person, public or private institution, or public official to discriminate against any person in any manner, including but not limited to, licensing, hiring, promotion, transfer, staff appointment, hospital, managed care entity, or any other privileges, because of such person’s conscientious refusal to receive, obtain, accept, perform, assist, counsel, suggest, recommend, refer or participate in any way in any particular form of health care services contrary to his or her conscience.
(Source: P.A. 90-246, eff. 1-1-98.)

You can watch and/or listen to the debate here below:

Calvin Lindstrom, IFA board member and pastor of Church of Christian Liberty in Arlington Heights, is disgusted with Illinois politics, saying:

I hate to say this, but Illinois is a failed state in terms of political government. We have been dealing with a governor who for over 18 months passes executive orders with very little challenge from other elected officials. On these important matters the legislative branch is useless. And then unfortunately when the legislative branch does decide to pass legislation it follows an agenda rather than listening to the citizens of this state. There was no grass roots movement among citizens of Illinois to remove parental notification when a minor seeks to obtain an abortion. And in the face of massive opposition to changing the law over rights of conscience with respect to health care, our lawmakers again follow an agenda with no real concern for the voices of citizens.

I can speak personally to this when I met my own state representative, Mark Walker, in the state capitol building on Tuesday. I tried to engage him in conversation on Parental Notification for Abortion. I asked him his position and he said something like, “It’s an obvious choice.” I asked, what does that mean. He responded by saying, he was voting for repeal for the safety of women. He then walked off in a very rude manner. Perhaps he had somewhere to go, but his dismissive manner was not appreciated.

This is not a time for weakness or capitulation even though we are sorrowful, frustrated, and righteously angry. The psalm our church is using for this week, Psalm 68, is a good prayer for God’s people to follow. “Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.” (Psalm 68:1).

Both of these bills will soon be sent to the Governor’s office for his consideration. While he has publicly declared his support for these feckless bills, you may want to call his office to let him know that many Illinois residents oppose the eradication of the parental notice statute and the amendment to our conscience rights protection law. His phone number in Springfield is (217) 782-6830. His phone number in Chicago is (312) 814-2121.

State Representatives Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), Bob Morgan (D-Highwood) and State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) are sponsoring legislation (SB 1169) to diminish the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act, specifically for COVID-19 remediation. In other words, these state lawmakers are heading up the effort to strike down existing legislation that protects citizens’ rights to excuse themselves from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The proposal is narrowly designed for this current pandemic in order to get enough votes to pass in the veto session, but it sets a dangerous precedent for future public health “emergencies” by cherry picking out the current pathogen of the moment. The new proposal simply states:

Sec. 13.5. 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.

This is a top priority for Governor JB Pritzker and other Illinois Democrats. They are frustrated with the fact that their tyrannical vaccine mandate has a strong legal defense in the Health Care Right of Conscience Act. In order to fire people from their jobs (private or public) for failing to comply with this “medical” dictate, this conscience protection must be eliminated.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to fill out a witness slip in OPPOSITION to SB 1169, House Floor Amendment 2.

Witness Slip Instructions:

Section I. Enter your name, address, city and zip code. You can leave Firm/Business and Title blank. If it won’t allow you to leave them black, enter self.

Section II. Leave it blank if you are not representing a group, or enter self.

Section III. Check that you are an Opponent to this feckless proposal.

Section IV. Unless you are filing a written statement, select Record of Appearance Only.

Lastly, check that you agree to the terms of agreement.

Click Create (Slip).

If passed, SB 1169 would take effect immediately. It needs 71 votes to pass in the Illinois House and 36 votes in the Illinois Senate, however. Even with super majorities of Democrats in both chambers, securing those votes will not be an easy accomplishment. Please pray that our state lawmakers understand what is at stake here!

Thank you for taking action!

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Governor J.B. Pritzker recently issued Executive Order 2021-20 Covid-19 Executive Order No 87, a mandate to mask while indoors. This mandate went into effect on August 30, 2021. Not stopping at masking, he also ordered that all school personnel for K-12 be vaccinated or tested weekly. In section 6 subsection b, the governor states that either the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) or Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) may require testing more often than is currently designated by the executive order for both staff and students. The state intends to use the ISBE to enforce its mandates on schools.

As if this forced masking and aggressive testing is not enough, State Representative Edgar Gonzalez, Jr. (D-Chicago) has introduced a bill that goes further toward controlling private education. If passed, HB 4135 will allow the ISBE to revoke state recognition of any school, public or private that does not follow orders from the Public Health Department or emergency health orders issued by the governor.

This bill will also prevent school boards from passing resolutions that go against the IDPH or executive orders and will require schools to investigate all complaints of non-compliance.

Finally, it will give the Illinois State Superintendent of Education the authority to require a non-compliant school to go to remote learning.    

The leftist ISBE is attempting to interfere with private schools already. They are threatening the accreditation of private schools even though a legislative committee has not yet reviewed the proposed HB 4135. Recently, the ISBE contacted Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights regarding the mask mandate. The school — which has experienced explosive growth since last year — had determined each family should decide whether or not to have their child wear a mask. Policies developed resulted in success in mitigating the risk in the previous school year while allowing parents and students the freedom of choice. Regardless of the school’s previous success, the ISBE is penalizing the school over the mask policy.

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala wrote that the ISBE was immediately rescinding Christian Liberty Academy’s state recognition as a nonpublic school due to not complying with mask mandates. The revocation of their state recognition means the school can no longer participate in Illinois High School Association (IHSA) or Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) regulated sports. They and their families will also no longer be able to participate in Invest in Kids Tax Act scholarship program, a tax incentive that allows individuals and businesses to receive a 75 percent tax income credit for donations of scholarships to students in need. It seems that the ISBE is the militant arm of the state to control private education.

Take ACTION: There must be a two-fold response to this injustice. First, the schools currently accredited by the state must unite to legally fight the cancelation of accreditation. Voters can assist this fight by demanding that our legislature votes no on HB 4135. Click HERE to send a message to your state representative to ask him/her to vote against HB 4135.

The second response is to “come out from them and be separate,” as directed in 2 Corinthians 6:17. Conservative Christians eventually will not be able to depend on government oversight of education. We must find ways towards certification without the ISBE’s control. Various independent accrediting associations can provide a school with the necessary accreditation without the state’s interference.

Parents and churches should strive to fund alternative private education, as well as encourage their private schools to reject government accreditation. Private schools can come out from under the oppressive shadow of the ISBE, but we, the community, must be ready to support their efforts in every way. If you are concerned about HB 4135 and the unfair interference of the ISBE, please get in touch with your state legislators.

Parents across the nation have said bittersweet good-byes to their college-bound children in the last couple of weeks. They send them off with the hope that they flourish in their education and find the path for their future. Their hopes and dreams, however, often come with a high price tag. Parents and students alike are concerned about how they will pay for college. The state of Illinois General Assembly and Governor J.B. Pritzker have decided the best way to deal with educational funding is to establish grants based on identity politics rather than merit.

The General Assembly and the governor signed the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity (RISE) Act in 2020. The act authorizes state grants to students that had previously not qualified for federal or state funding. The three main groups the grants now cover:

1) “undocumented” students

2) students that had attempted 75 hours funded by the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant but had not yet achieved junior status

3) transgender students that do not qualify for other aid due to not registering with selective service.

College students yearly fill out the lengthy Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) hoping they meet the eligibility standards to receive government assistance for their education. Prior to the RISE Act, students filled out FAFSA, which determined their eligibility for the Illinois MAP grant. However, due to the new standards, illegal aliens and transgender students will no longer complete FAFSA. These students now complete the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid at the direction of their college administration. The alternative application allows the state to bypass federal laws requiring male students to register with selective service and be a citizen of the United States. The establishment of the RISE Act means that Illinois will be rewarding lawbreakers.

According to the Illinois State Budget Fiscal Year Report for 2022, approximately 65 percent of community college students received MAP grants in 2021. Expectations are that the number of students receiving state grants will rise significantly. Governor Pritzker increased the budget for MAP by $28 million to bring the total budget for the grant to $479 million. The amount of funding allocated specifically to those filing for aid using the Alternative Application is unclear. It is also unclear how many illegal aliens and transgender students have opted to file under the Alternative Application for the 2021-2022 school year. Nevertheless, it is clear Illinois taxpayers are forced into funding education purely based on identity rather than need or merit.

The state of Illinois should reject identity politics and fund education on two factors: financial need and academic achievement. Society once rewarded achievement with the desire to help the best and the brightest. Now, Illinois reward illegal aliens and students that identify as one of the new 112 “genders.” Evidently, there is no need to have an accurate understanding of biology as long as you fit the definition of a so-called maligned sexual identity.

The decline of higher education continues down the slippery slope as we consistently reward students because they choose to defy laws and reject traditional moral standards. It is time for everyone with conservative values to stop supporting schools that are nothing more than indoctrination centers. Parents and students should stand up to the public universities and colleges by refusing to attend any school that accepts law-defying illegal immigrants and transgender students. It is time Christian colleges enforce our values, even if that means losing federal and state funding. Most importantly, voters must stop electing lawmakers who waste our tax dollars on policies driven by controversial leftist beliefs. We must vote for the traditional values that once made this a great and high-achieving nation.

Before Labor Day, you can double the impact of your tax deductible donations to IFI!

Please take advantage of this dollar-for-dollar matching challenge
to help us raise $80,000 for “Rescuing the Children” initiative here in Illinois!

While patriots around the country spent the weekend paying tribute to soldiers who died to preserve our God-given liberties, Illinois Democrats took advantage of the holiday to ruin Illinois further by paying tribute to “trans”-cultists. Democrat lawmakers hoped Illinoisans would be too busy honoring our servicemen and women to notice the repugnant legislation they were passing.

“Tampons for Boys” bill

On May 20, 2021, the Illinois House passed an amendment to the school code, and then on May 31 when few Illinoisans were paying attention, the Illinois Senate passed it as well. This amendment (HB 156) expands the availability of free (taxpayer-funded) feminine hygiene products from all girls’ bathrooms in public schools to all boys’ bathrooms. It replaces all occurrences in existing school code of the word “feminine,” as in “feminine hygiene products” with the word “menstrual.” Now the bill goes to Governor J.B. Pritzker who can be counted on to sign every piece of garbage legislation that morally corrupt Democrat lawmakers send his way.

The “Tampons for Boys” bill requires every restroom in public schools that serve grades 4-12 to make available feminine hygiene products for free in all boys’ bathrooms. Remember, grades 4 and 5 are in elementary schools, so boys in grades K-3 will also be exposed to tampons and sanitary pads in their bathrooms. Such exposure will reinforce the leftist gender theory (i.e., “trans”-cultism) that Democrats just passed a bill requiring to be taught in elementary schools.

In a couple of hilarious exchanges between the science-denying chief senate sponsor of the “Tampons for Boys” bill, State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), and Republicans who asked why boys’ bathrooms need to be equipped with free tampons, Villa robotically replied multiple times “for emergencies.”

These tenacious Republicans persevered and finally with an assist from State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Summit), the two of them came up with one implausible emergency scenario that—they believe—justifies spending thousands and thousands of dollars to make feminine hygiene products available in every boys’ bathroom in every public elementary, middle, and high school in Illinois.

Here’s what the two pudd’nheads came up with: One day, there may be a female athlete who is participating in a competition held at another school at which the visiting girls’ team has to use a boys’ locker room. This girl may suddenly begin menstruating and, therefore, would need tampons available in the boys’ locker room.

Yep, they actually said that on the Senate floor.

No one bothered to ask whether it’s likely that no teammates would have any tampons or why a girl in this predicament couldn’t dash momentarily into the girls’ locker room or into a nearby girls’ restroom to obtain the necessary feminine hygiene product.

But, of course, everyone knew what this bill is really about, and it’s not about unlikely menstrual crises in boys’ locker rooms during athletic competitions. It’s really about expensive genuflecting to the “trans” cult, and finally the truth came out. Villa fessed up:

According to the American Journal of Medicine, 41% of folks who are transgender, have thought or attempted suicide. I don’t want to keep speaking around the subjects that you all are wanting me to talk about, because it wouldn’t be fair. It wouldn’t be fair to the kids that I’m standing here to help normalize life for. … they should be able to go in the bathroom, and get the product. That’s it.”

Illinois Democrats are forcing all Illinoisans to pay to retrofit every boys’ bathroom in every public school in order for menstruating, cross-dressing girls who don’t belong in boys’ bathrooms to be fortified in their delusion. And Villa is forcing this public expenditure in order to “normalize” disordered thinking and unethical practices.

It was not just women who made foolish statements, though. State Senator Christopher Belt (D-East St. Louis) made one of the most head-scratching comments:

[I]t doesn’t emasculate a man to know … a sanitary napkin dispenser is in a bathroom. … God forbid, we go to Walmart or Target and push down an aisle of sanitary napkins with our five-year-old son and expose them to all of the things that we’re dying about and having a fit about on this floor.

Say, whaaat? Who said anything about tampons in boys’ bathrooms emasculating men? And who opposes boys seeing feminine hygiene products in stores? The problems are that boys don’t need tampons, and schools shouldn’t be affirming anti-science, socially constructed, “trans”-cultic beliefs through expensive, taxpayer-funded practices imposed by leftist lawmakers.

It’s not just curricula that teach. Policies and practices teach as well. Leftists know that. Get your kids out of government mal-education camps yesterday.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to Gov. Pritzker’s administrative staff to urge him to VETO the foolish, science-denying HB 156. Our public schools shouldn’t be affirming socially constructed beliefs through expensive, taxpayer-funded practices imposed by leftist lawmakers.

Listen to this article read by Laurie:

https://staging.illinoisfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tampons-for-Boys.mp3

In June 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker issued an executive order that should have been the proverbial straw that broke the backs of already oppressed conservative families with children remaining in our broken school indoctrination centers. The order had two parts.

The first part mandated the establishment of a “trans” task force whose members “have experience or expertise related to supporting transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming students in schools,” and who would concoct the many and diverse ways that government schools must participate in the “trans”-cultic fiction.

The second part mandated that the Illinois State Board of Education “develop and make publicly available a model policy or procedures” that does the same thing as the “trans” task force was charged with doing.

Take note of the unstated assumptions embedded in the words “related to supporting” sexually confused minors in the executive order. In the Upside Down, where Pritzker and his collaborators live, “supporting” does not mean helping minors accept their immutable biological sex and scientific reality. Oh no, “supporting” means affirming their sexual confusion and their rejection of objective reality.

The recommendations were posted in Jan. 2020 and are as destructive as all “trans”-cultic beliefs are.

They include the following:

• Schools are to add the terms “gender identity” and “gender expression” as protected bases for extracurricular opportunities. In other words, schools must allow biological males—also known as boys—to participate in girls’ sports.

• Schools are to allow students who pretend to be the sex they are not to use opposite-sex restrooms and locker rooms.

• Schools are to “provide ongoing training to all staff members.” In other words, taxpayer-subsidized schools are expected to indoctrinate all staff and faculty with leftist beliefs about gender dysphoria.

• All school employees are to use the incorrect or goofy invented “pronouns” that sexually confused and tyrannical teens want them to use, and schools are to discipline “promptly” any district employee who refuses to use such pronouns.

• Schools are to hire “Gender Support Coordinators” to provide “gender-affirming support for transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming students.” Yes, Illinois taxpayers will be paying the salaries of school employees to harm children.

• And straight from the task force recommendations: “When a transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming student does not have a supportive home environment, regardless of their age, the Gender Support Coordinator can work with the student to identify what course of action will prioritize their safety.” Can you discern the meaning in the thicket of weedy rhetoric? In plain English, the task force is saying that if parents oppose their children’s participation in a sexual masquerade, viewing it rightly as false and destructive, then school employees led by the Gender Support Coordinator will help these students deceive their parents.

The task force recommendations also include this remarkable statement about student privacy:

Under state and federal law, the discomfort or privacy concerns of students, teachers, or parents are not valid reasons to deny or limit the equal use of facilities by transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming students. Rather, the interest of any student seeking more privacy should be addressed by providing that student a more private option upon their request. “The prejudices of others are part of what the [Human Rights Act] was meant to prevent.” …  “[T]here is no right that insulates a student from coming in contact with others who are different than them or a Bathroom Privacy Act, unless the behavior violates a school policy or is criminal.” … The presence of a transgender student in a locker room simply does not “implicate the constitutional privacy rights of others with whom such facilities are shared.”

Note the obfuscation: Boys in girls’ locker rooms are described as merely “different.” By not specifically identifying the nature of this difference, the “trans” task force avoids discussion of whether sex differences have any meaning relative to undressing.

Now girls who do not want to undress in the presence of a biological boy in the girls’ locker rooms have to request a “more private option.” In other words, girls’ locker rooms are no longer private spaces for girls.

Just curious, why is student opposition to using private spaces with persons whose sex they don’t share a “prejudice,” but student opposition to using private spaces with persons whose “gender identity” they presumably don’t share is not a prejudice?

Moreover, since gender identity is a subjective internal experience, how do boys who pretend to be girls know the gender identities of the boys in boys’ locker rooms or girls in girls’ locker rooms?

Who—you may be wondering—concocted these God-forsaken policies? Serving on this ideologically non-diverse task force of 27 people were 3 recent high school graduates and 2 then-current high school students. So, five leftist students were involved in setting policy for all Illinoisans but not one conservative adult was involved.

One of the propagandists was A. J. Jennings an early childhood education teacher at the University of Chicago Lab Schools, who wrote about her goal of using her classroom to indoctrinate other people’s children with her sexuality ideology:

As an educator (and a person), I value conversation as a way to build understanding and transform perspectives. It is an incredible curricular tool for addressing issues of identity (e.g., race, class, size, gender, sexuality, ability, religion). It can be especially meaningful when our students initiate the conversations. So I work to create a classroom environment where differing points of view can be addressed and explored. My goal is for the children to feel confident about articulating their point of view and safe enough to consider other perspectives. As teachers. … we can model nonjudgmental behavior and challenge binary thinking.

This is especially significant in early childhood education. As young children develop their understanding of the world, they tend to rely heavily on binaries. If we understand the binaries a child is working within, we can encourage that child to think of counterexamples or introduce counterexamples ourselves into the conversation. These provide useful stumbling blocks that encourage them to expand their thinking.

Does “transforming perspectives,” “challenging binary thinking,” and introducing “stumbling blocks” to children’s binary thinking constitute non-judgmentalism, or is it tendentious leading?

Jennings also provided an illustration from her own class of 4-year-olds on exactly how she leads little ones, baby step-by-baby step, into her dark world of ignorance while they are yet too young to understand sexuality issues in their moral, ontological, and epistemic complexity:

One day, Rory approached me during playtime, visibly shaken. “Those kids are telling me that girls can’t marry girls and they can!”

“Well, let’s go and talk with them about it,” I responded. When we reached the two girls, I told them that Rory was worried about the conversation they were having and asked what they were talking about. I learned that, just as Rory reported, the two girls had been discussing marriage and how girls couldn’t marry girls. Rory had been insisting they could. He was certain of it. His mom had told him. The other two were skeptical. They all looked to me to clarify this point of contention. …

I was delighted to be a part of the conversation. …  I generally feel that when talking about marriage, most children mean adults loving one another, so I went that route.

“Two girls can be in love with each other,” I responded.

“Yeah!” agreed Rory, vindicated by his teacher’s affirmation of this point.

I continued: “And girls can love boys. And boys can love boys.” The three children mulled this over.

“Like my mom and dad love each other,” one of them answered.

“Right,” I said. The kids continued their conversation of marriage and were no longer looking for my input. I listened for a few more minutes as they tossed around the idea that love might not be constrained to a mom loving a dad. Rory mentioned that he had a friend who had two moms who were married. The other two children were willing to accept this and incorporate the new information into their understanding of the boundaries of love and marriage.

There you have it. Binaries successfully challenged. Perspectives changed. Love is love, man. And no need to introduce the confounding ideas of different types of love. This “teacher” is one of the people setting policy for all Illinois public schools.

Here are a few more members of Pritzker’s Posse Propagandus:

Jax Wokas is a girl who pretends to be a boy and is committed to “intersectional activism.”

Jordon Eason is a girl who pretends to be a boy. She testified on behalf of a male student who pretends to be female—“Nova” Maday—in Maday’s  lawsuit against District 211 and conservative community group Students and Parents for Privacy. Maday was suing for the legal “right” to have unrestricted access to girls’ private spaces.

Benton Goff is a girl from Marion, Illinois who pretends to be a boy and is also a “trans”-activist.

Tre Graham is a cross-dressing boy from Marion, Illinois who identifies as “genderqueer.” Here’s a Dec. 2020 tweet from Graham:

i just want you to know that you insulting my gender expression will not get you head!!! You dumbass faggot!!! BTW it is 2020! Come out!!! We don’t care that you [want] men to suck your d***!!!!

Yes, this is the kind of young person Pritzker thinks should set policy for all Illinois schools.

Graham and Benton Hoff have been friends for years, so, the “trans” Posse Propagandus is not even finding a diverse cross-section of current students/recent grads. Of the five students on the Posse, all are activists and two are from the same social group.

Myles Brady Davis is a Chicago woman who pretends to be a man who is married to a man who pretends to be a woman. So, they are a heterosexual couple deeply involved in cosplay. Davis like many cross-sex narcissists manages to get herself in the press—a lot—most recently for the perfectly natural thing for women to do. She gave birth. The Chicago press refers to Davis and her husband as a “trans” power couple.

Jamie Gliksberg is a senior attorney with Lambda Legal, a law firm that self-identifies as a “civil rights” organization and is dedicated to the proposition that all sexually deviant men and women are more equal than the rest of society.

Channyn Lynne Parker is a man who pretends to be a woman and identifies as a “human rights advocate” even as he works like the devil to deny women and men the right to be free of opposite-sex persons in private spaces. He also works for the “LGBT”-affirming Howard Brown “Health” Center.

Jordee Yanez is a young woman and former CPS student who pretends to be a man.

Nat Duran is a young woman who pretends to be a man and works for the pro-“trans/pro-homosexuality propaganda machine deceptively named the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance

Veronica Noland: Her name should be familiar to regular IFI readers. She’s the Illinois School District U-46 board member who referred to parents who oppose co-ed locker rooms as “narrow-minded fear mongers.”

Mika Yamamoto is the mother of a 10-year-old boy who pretends to be a girl. His parents, mother Yamamoto and father Brian Freireich, have renamed their son. His new name is “Admiral Ocean Freireich.” The family moved from Chicago to Oak Park, which jumped aboard the “trans” train long ago.

We cannot expect culture to improve if we keep placing our children under the tutelage of activists who teach children that body- and soul-destroying sexual deviance is good. Remember, these “trans” recommendations are in addition to the Illinois law requiring that all children in grades K-12  be taught positively about homosexuality and “trans”-cultism.

Parents, the fix is in. Get out now.

Listen to this article read by Laurie:

https://staging.illinoisfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Transing-Gov-Schools.mp3

Please support the work and ministry of IFI.  

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We are displeased to report that this week our state lawmakers passed a 700+ page police “reform” bill. This piece of legislation was passed in the final hours of the lame duck session of the 101st General Assembly. The proposal was approved by the Illinois Senate just before 5:00 a.m. Tuesday with a vote of 32-23, and approved by the Illinois House with a 60-50  vote the next day, just an hour before the inauguration of the new 102nd General Assembly.

According to an article in The Daily Journal, state lawmakers failed to work with law enforcement officials to create this “reform” legislation. Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said,

I’m not disappointed that the bill passed. … I am disappointed that no one brought law enforcement to the table when creating this bill. Working together is important. It helps you succeed in improving things.

James R. Black, President of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police issued a statement saying,

[W]e are extremely disappointed by the process, the lack of discussion and collaboration with members of law enforcement by our law makers, and the ultimate voting outcome in the Illinois General Assembly. … Earlier language in this bill would have destroyed our profession. While some of that language was stricken, there are still some provisions in this bill that will make our communities less safe.

Some of those provisions in this bill, which now goes to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, include the following:

• Anonymous complaints against police officers would be permitted. Accusers will no longer be required to sign a sworn affidavit. (Will this provision be challenged as violating a police officer’s 6th Amendment civil right to confront his or her accusers?)

• Body cameras would be required for all police officers by 2025.  This would  be an unfunded mandate by Springfield.

• Cash bail bonds would be replaced by 2023 with a pretrial release system developed by Illinois courts. This would allow many criminal suspects back on the streets immediately.

• A task force on “Constitutional Rights and Remedies” would be created to address qualified immunity.

• Detainees would be allowed to make three phone calls within three hours of being taken into police custody.

The Chicago Sun-Times also points out that the “bill requires police officers to be licensed by the state, an idea that was championed by state Attorney General Kwame Raoul.” This is part of the provision that requires ongoing education and training requirements, with no money to pay for the costs–that is, another unfunded mandate–and no assurances the courses will be offered.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to Governor J.B. Pritzker to ask him to veto the Criminal Justice Omnibus bill, HB 3653.

You can also call the governor’s office at (217) 782-6831 to voice your opinion. This legislation would negatively affect our families, our communities, and especially the heroes who work tirelessly in law enforcement.

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On July 29th, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced new COVID-19 restrictions on youth sports statewide for the upcoming school year. Starting August 15, only “low-risk” sports like tennis, baseball, cross country, swimming and golf will be allowed, but “medium” and “high” risk sports, including football, wrestling, soccer and competitive cheering will not be allowed. The governor’s office released a list of sports ranked in terms of their risk for COVID-19 transmittal.

During his coronavirus update last Wednesday, Gov. Pritzker explained,

This isn’t news that anyone wants to hear. But this virus remains dangerous to kids and parents and grandparents, teachers and coaches and for right now. This is the best thing that we can do for the health and safety of our families under the current circumstances, based upon their inherent risk level and based upon minimal contact between athletes and their proximity during play.

This announcement comes two weeks after the CDC’s Dr. Robert Redfield pointed out an alarming trend: suicides and drug overdoses have surpassed the death rate for COVID-19 among high school students. Regarding the never ending COVID-19 lock-down, he said,

[T]here has been another cost that we’ve seen, particularly in high schools. We’re seeing, sadly, far greater suicides now than we are deaths from COVID. We’re seeing far greater deaths from drug overdose … than we are seeing the deaths from COVID. So … for the overall social being of individuals … let’s all work together and find out how we can find common ground to get these schools open in a way that people are comfortable and they’re safe.

Dr. Redfield is right to be concerned about the overall social well-being of students, many of whom need a healthy outlet for both their physical and mental health. Shutting down certain youth recreational sports is an overreaction, especially when all the experts say that young people are less likely to contract the virus, are less likely to spread it to others, and are less likely to have severe symptoms if they do contract COVID-19.

These restrictions include school-based sports, private leagues and clubs, recreational leagues, and park district sports programs. Interestingly, this guidance does not pertain to professional sports leagues or collegiate sports, even though the data indicates that individuals over 20 years of age are twice as likely to be susceptible to a COVID-19 infection. Once again, Gov. Pritzker’s excessive restrictions are inconsistently applied.

In June, the BBC reported that a large group of child psychologists and specialists in the United Kingdom published an open letter to their education secretary urging him to reconsider the situation “and to release children and young people from lockdown.” Their appeal continued:

Allow them to play together and continue their education by returning to preschool, school, college and university, and enjoy extra-curricular activities including sport and music as normally, and as soon, as possible.

Evidently, they understand that the political “cure” may prove to be worse than the COVID-19 curse–disproportionally affecting our state’s youth.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to Gov. Pritzker to encourage him to consider the mental health aspects of his COVID-19 restrictions. Urge him to let youth sports go forward and to let parents/coaches decide what protective measures they should take.

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As always, your gift to IFI is tax-deductible and greatly appreciated!

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Written by Austin Scott Davies

Late last week, Illinois Circuit Court Judge Michael McHaney of Clay County ruled in a lawsuit that “all citizens of Illinois” are free from Governor J.B. Pritzker‘s tyrannical orders. This comes after arguably unethical tactics by the Illinois Attorney General to delay the case by trying to remove it to federal court, and the United States Department of Justice filing a Statement of Interest in the case in support of the lawsuit.

State Representative Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) prevailed in his Motion for Summary Judgment on Counts II and III of his lawsuit against Governor Pritzker on April 23, 2020. The judge granted the declaratory relief requested in those counts and ordered a final judgment on the merits against Pritzker.

The judge ruled that by law Gov. Pritzker’s emergency powers lapsed 30 days after he declared COVID-19 a disaster and that all of his orders after April 8, 2020 that relate to the COVID-19 “disaster” are void ab initio. That’s Latin for void when they were created. Pritzker had no authority to issue orders after April 8, and legally, all orders issued after that date never existed. The Emergency Management Agency Act, which Gov. Pritzker claimed gave him authority to issue perpetual decrees shuttering businesses and churches and authority to suspend countless civil liberties, states clearly that a governor only has certain emergency powers that can be exercised for no more than 30 days following the declaration of a disaster.

The court went on to rule that there is no authority in the Constitution for Pritzker to have ever ordered the restriction of people’s movement or to have ever ordered the forcible closure of any business.

The judge made clear that in Illinois only the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and local health departments have the authority to restrict movement or close a business. To restrict movement or close a business, IDPH and local health departments must act within the constraints of existing law to take each individual person or business to court and overcome an incredibly high burden of proof. If the department is merely trying to prevent the spread of a virus or isolate a person that’s not already sick, that burden of proof is nearly insurmountable.

Specifically, Section 2 of the IDPH Act (20 ILCS 2305) allows the IDPH and local health authorities to order quarantine and isolation and to close places to prevent the probable spread of a dangerous or infectious disease. However, these agencies cannot make such orders without a prior court order, or consent by the person or persons effected.

The only exception to this is if, in the “reasonable judgment of the agency” issuing the order, “immediate action is required to protect the public from a dangerously contagious or infectious disease.” In that event, they can make such orders on a temporary basis, lasting no longer than 48 hours.

If a department of health issues such an order, they are still required to either obtain your consent or a court order within 48 hours of doing so, unless the courts are unavailable or circumstances make it impossible to obtain a court order. Then, the orders can only stay in place until the agency can obtain the court order through reasonable means.

The courts, however, are not closed, and some county courts have even made new local rules making it clear that they are open for these types of cases. To obtain an order to quarantine, isolate, or close a place or business, the health department must prove to a court “by clear and convincing evidence . . . that the public’s health and welfare are significantly endangered by a person or group of persons that has, that is suspected of having, that has been exposed to, or that is reasonably believed to have been exposed to a dangerously contagious or infectious disease including non-compliant tuberculosis patients or by a place where there is a significant amount of activity likely to spread a dangerously contagious or infectious disease. The Department must also prove that all other reasonable means of correcting the problem have been exhausted and no less restrictive alternative exists.”

At such hearing, you have a right to be represented by an attorney of your choosing, or if you are “indigent,” the court will appoint counsel to represent you. The burden is on the government to prove why you should close, isolate, or be quarantined. You do not have to prove why you should keep your business open or move about without restrictions.

At the behest of Gov. Pritzker and prior to this ruling, the IDPH has come out with “guidelines” that are phrased as orders that require certain measures of quarantine, partial business closure, and isolation such as “social” physical distancing. None of these “guidelines” or orders are enforceable unless you consent to them, or a health department complies with the due process protections described above and obtains a court order.

Shortly after this ruling, Gov. Pritzker and mainstream “news” media led a disinformation campaign to deceive Illinoisans by suggesting that “Phase 4” is still in full effect because Gov. Pritzker prevailed in other lawsuits regarding these onerous orders. While it is true that some courts have ruled against other plaintiffs that have filed lawsuits against Gov. Pritzker that are related to his orders, none have made any ruling inconsistent with the ruling in State Rep. Darren Bailey’s lawsuit. The other lawsuits referenced by Pritzker and his cohorts made different legal claims against Pritzker, were not representative actions, and in no way limit or constrain Judge McHaney’s ruling that all citizens of Illinois are free from Pritzker’s unlawful orders. This ruling applies to the entire state of Illinois and not just Clay County in the Circuit Court where it was made.

What is really telling is that only Pritzker and his cohorts are engaging in the campaign of disinformation, continuing to try to compel compliance to his void orders by intimidation. The Illinois Attorney General’s Office will not comment or respond to questions regarding the ruling.

Since the relief granted was declaratory relief, or relief which declares the parties rights under law—the parties here being Gov. Pritzker and all citizens of Illinois—the remedy of contempt of court is not available to punish Gov. Pritzker for disregarding this ruling. Unlike an injunction, a declaratory judgment does not order a party to do something or refrain from doing something. The judgment in this case is, however, valuable, in that not only does it invalidate Gov. Pritzker’s orders, but it can also be used by any citizen of Illinois to sue Pritzker and other public officials that have unlawfully deprived them of their civil rights, and any that would continue to unlawfully deprive them of their civil rights in clear violation of this judgment and under color of law.

Pritzker has even reportedly claimed that the ruling was not a final judgment on the merits, yet the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, which represents Gov. Pritzker, stated their intent to file an appeal seeking to overturn the judgment. If the ruling was not a final judgment on the merits, it could not be appealed. Unless this judgment is appealed and overturned by an appellate court, any order made by Pritzker that purported to restrict people’s movement, forcibly close any business, and any order related to COVID-19 that he made after April 8, has indeed been declared void and no longer exists anywhere in the State of Illinois.

More:

Click HERE to listen to a 10 minute interview of attorney Thomas DeVore by WMAY radio host Greg Bishop for a clarification on what the Judge Michael McHaney means.

Austin Scott Davies is an attorney and founder of Midwest Legal Care , former prosecutor, and an active member of the Winnebago County Republican Party. He is also a board member for Concerned Citizens for America, a local chapter of Illinois Family Institute.

The information contained in this article is not legal advice and is for general information purposes only. Do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of this information. Readers should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any legal matter.

A bold voice for pro-family values in Illinois! 

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Cites Illinois Governor Executive Order as Constitutionally Unenforceable

A suit to enjoin the Grundy County State’s Attorney and Sheriff from enforcing Governor JB Pritzker’s worship restrictions has been filed by a local church. The continuing worship restrictions are contained in Pritzker’s Executive Order 2020-32.  The new “guidance” issued May 28 by the Illinois Department of Public Health provided “direction” for safely conducting services. The guidance however did not overturn the limitations contained in the executive order of April 30, 2020.  While EO 2020-32 remains in place, all houses of worship remain in legal jeopardy.

Pastor Richard Gionvennatti, of Standing in the Word Ministries, is seeking court protection to ensure that all citizens’ constitutional rights are affirmed without question and that religious liberties are not ever again infringed by egregious government overreach.

The seven-count lawsuit filed on Thursday, May 28, indicates Illinois Governor Pritzker was acting without legal authority in issuing any Corona Virus Executive Orders beyond 30 days without legislative approval and defied the U.S. Constitution, the Illinois State Constitution, and state statutes.

The pastor and congregation are represented by Attorney David Shestokas. He stated, “The Bill of Rights has no emergency exceptions. Although the governor has issued orders, the constitutionally independent Sheriffs and State’s Attorneys are tasked with enforcement. Court injunctions against enforcing Pritzker’s illegal orders are an appropriate remedy in protecting our freedoms.”

Pastor Giovennatti’s lawsuit seeks to permanently prohibit the sheriff and state’s attorney from enforcing the unlawful Executive Orders and any subsequent order issued with substantively the same restrictions upon the constitutional rights of Free Exercise of religious worship, Free Speech, and Freedom to Assemble.

As a board member of the Illinois Family Institute (IFI) and a pastor, Gionvennatti is passionate representing living within the Constitution. “The church is the source of holding the nation accountable. Churches need to assemble. As our nation’s heart and soul, we must and will be diligent and vigilantly stay the course until freedoms are restored and the unconstitutional edict is eradicated,” he said.

The statewide IFI and its Executive Director David E. Smith, vigorously support the efforts and strategy of the lawsuit. “We would like to secure a judicial ruling striking down this tyrannical precedent so that the state of Illinois may never have to experience this again. It doesn’t take much foresight to realize how similar future orders could be mandated (and extended) in the name of safety,” Mr. Smith said.

For full text of Complaint:

Standing in the Word v. State’s Attorney and Sheriff  2020CH23

Churches Can Open Their Doors Again!

Just hours after sending out an email to the IFI Prayer Team, we received word that Gov. J.B. Pritzker had lifted all restrictions on churches in the state. (We have amazing prayer warriors!!) Peoria area attorney Brian Heller put the development more succinctly:

We won, or more accurately, the Gov. retreated from the field of battle facing likely humiliation.

Rockford area attorney Austin Scott Davies reports that this announcement came “shortly before the 8:00 PM deadline given to Pritzker by the U.S. Supreme Court to respond to Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and Logos Baptist Ministries emergency temporary restraining orders, filed on their behalf by Liberty Counsel.”

“Suddenly,” Mr. Davies pointed out, “the Governor’s threats and intimidation have turned into ‘recommendations,’ that churches are not obligated to follow.”

Written by Roger German

Governor J. B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) are not above the Illinois Constitution because of a declared emergency.

The Illinois Constitution grants neither the governor nor the IDPH the authority to suspend the Bill of Rights in the Illinois Constitution. The Illinois Constitution grants neither the governor nor the IDPH emergency powers to deny citizens their constitutionally protected rights. The governor has no lawful authority aside from what is granted by the Illinois State Constitution. Also, the IDPH does not wield more power than what the governor is granted constitutionally. The powers delegated by the Illinois Constitution to the Illinois governor are defined and limited. Nowhere in the Illinois Constitution did “we the people” grant the governor an emergency power that allows him to suspend the Illinois Constitution’s Bill of Rights.

The Illinois General Assembly cannot by way of a state statute lawfully grant the governor additional through an emergency powers act. To do so violates the Illinois State Constitution, and enacting law that runs contrary to the Illinois Constitution makes that law null and void.

If the Illinois General Assembly could grant additional powers to the governor willy-nilly, then what would be the point of a separation of powers, and of checks and balances? If a state legislature could grant power not constitutionally granted to the governor, then what would stop a state legislature from making the governor a monarch?

The governor seems to believe that because he was elected, he has an intrinsic right to do what he wants regardless of what power the Illinois Constitution delegates to him. Only citizens possess intrinsic rights, and those rights are constitutionally protected from government abuse. Governments only have constitutionally granted power and authority, not unalienable rights. There exists no constitutional authority for the governor to unilaterally mandate stay-at-home mandates and closures of so-called non-essential businesses–including churches–because of an alleged emergency.

Some may wonder what the governor’s executive orders permit him to do. The governor may not, by means of executive orders, exercise powers not granted to him by the Illinois State Constitution or by lawful acts of the Illinois General Assembly. The granting of executive order power to the governor is not a blank check giving him power to do whatever he wants. Article V, Section 8 of the Illinois State Constitution states, in part, that the governor shall be responsible for the faithful execution of the laws. By way of an executive order the governor has the obligation to implement the lawful acts of the Illinois General Assembly. The governor may make executive orders to carry out his constitutionally granted powers and duties, and he may address administrative issues within the executive branch by way of executive orders.

In summary:

• The governor has not been granted emergency powers by the supreme state law, the Illinois Constitution.

• The governor and the IDPH have no lawful authority to suspend the Illinois Constitution’s Bill of Rights.

• The Illinois General Assembly has no constitutional authority to grant the governor more power.

• The granting of the executive power by the Illinois Constitution to the governor is not a blank check giving him power to do whatever he wants.

• The governor may not criminalize the use of the people’s constitutionally protected rights listed in the Illinois Constitution’s Bill of Rights.

Let’s hope law enforcement remembers that they swore an oath to uphold the constitution–not to be a personal army for the governor.

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Written by Jim Davids, Esq.

On March 16, 2020, Governor JB Pritzker signed Executive Order 2020-07 that states in part,

Beginning March 18, 2020, all public and private gatherings in the State of Illinois of 50 people or more are prohibited for the duration of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation. A public or private gathering includes community, civic, public leisure, faith-based events, sporting events with spectators, concerts, conventions, and any similar event or activity that brings together 50 or more people in a single room or a single space at the same time. This includes venues such as fitness centers/health clubs, bowling alleys, private clubs, and theatres. This does not include venues that provide essential goods or services such as grocery stores, hospitals, pharmacies, gas stations, banks/credit unions, and shelters.

Since many, if not most, of the churches in our State have more than 50 people in the worship center, we have pursued alternatives, such as moving worship online. This actually has brought the Gospel to a much broader audience, with many pastors reporting that more people are watching their services online than at their average Sunday service. But, not every church member has a computer or internet access, and there is no equal to personal warmth and caring when done in person.

As U.S. Attorney General William Barr observed recently, this pandemic does not nullify the Bill of Rights, including America’s first freedom to exercise religious faith. All government officials – federal, state and local – must respect and protect the constitutionally protected freedom of Americans to worship according to their own beliefs.  Gov. Pritzker’s Executive Order 2020-07 obviously hinders Illinois residents in their exercise of religion, as well as in their right to peacefully assemble.

This deprivation of religious rights is effectuated by the Governor’s decision not to recognize religious services as “essential.” People congregating in some stores is okay, according to the Governor, but not in church.  This has undoubtedly resulted in many churches seeing a reduction in tithes and offerings.  The Governor is not treating all secular gatherings and religious gatherings the same, based on his opinion of what is “essential.”

The Bible is clear that we should respect and obey government leaders (Rom. 13; 1 Peter 2:13-17; Titus 3:1). At the same time, Paul and other Christians availed themselves of their rights as citizens and used the judicial systems of their day to appeal unjust rulings (e.g., Acts 25).  In our system of government, Gov. Pritzker’s Executive Orders are subject to review by judges who may find them unconstitutional or otherwise contrary to law.

If the Governor’s Order prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people in a room, or his subsequent “stay at home” order, has resulted in

• Members of your church being unable to worship;
• Typical events like funerals, marriages, baptisms being unable to proceed; or
• Substantial financial losses due to decline in donations‍

and if you sincerely believe that restarting in-person church meetings is essential to your church’s ministry, we would like to talk to you about filing a law suit on your behalf. The phone call would be free, and, if our lawyers decide to take your case, you will not be charged for their services on your behalf. Please contact us to talk about your situation:

Justice & Freedom Law Center (JFLC)
(630) 333-9595
contactus@jflc.us

Finally, let us end this with a little encouragement. During times of crisis, like the present one, people realize their weakness, their vulnerable health, and their need for a Savior. Remain vigilant in declaring the truth of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection.

Use also this opportunity to show the love of Christ in tangible ways. Consider delivering food to the elderly in your churches, or expanding your food pantry. You can also consider using your church as a temporary day care for healthcare workers or first responders.

Be of good cheer. Remember that God is in control, and perhaps this pandemic is His means of creating a revival in our State and country.

Jim Davids is a native Chicagoan who, after graduating from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI and Duke University School of Law in Durham, NC, returned to Chicago to begin practicing law. At church on a Sunday night in 1977 he met Sue, and after a two-year courtship they married. They raised four children in Chicago, and now have 12 grandchildren. (Read more here…)

It’s truly hard to believe that “some” state lawmakers want what’s best for Illinois. Tragically, “some,” refers to the majority in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly.

You know the saying that is often meant for children, “Give ‘em an inch and they’ll take a mile.” Well, it also applies to liberal ‘big government’ activists and power-hungry lawmakers.

We have seen it many times. But let me refresh your memory and give you one prime example.

In the 80’s, homosexual activists wanted to be left alone and not discriminated against. Sounded fair enough. So they got lawmakers to amend the Illinois Human Rights Act. And that opened Pandora’s Box.

In the 90’s, homosexual activists claimed that all they needed was a domestic partnership registry so that they could visit their partners in hospitals. They got what they asked for and before the ink was dry, they suddenly needed an upgrade to same-sex “civil unions” so their joint possessions would be treated like a married couple’s possessions. They got what they asked for and before the ink was dry, they were fighting to redefine the institution of marriage.

While that tragic day will go down in history, it still wasn’t enough.

In the years that followed, the homosexual agenda morphed into the LGBTQIA+ agenda in which they vigorously pursued legislation for hate crime laws, bans on counselors from treating minors who struggle with same-sex attraction and gender confusion, mandates for schools to teach impressionable students in K-12 about the “roles and contributions” of homosexuals and opposite-sex impersonators.

Furthermore, they joined forces with feminists in an effort to pass the federal Equal Rights Amendment, which, if ratified, will remove all gender distinctions in over 800 federal laws, irreparably hurting women. They now demand the Equality Act, which will force employers and workers to conform to new sexual norms or lose their businesses and jobs. Check out our Springfield Bill Tracker for even more.

You get the point and now I’ll get to mine.

Lawmakers have no qualms that they’ve legalized a very addictive drug, high potency marijuana, with no medical value. But that was only the beginning. Here’s what they hope to pass into law for 2020.

HB 4706 (Rep. Sonya Harper D-Chicago) Bring Your Own cannabis – allows county boards to license and regulate businesses for on-site marijuana use.

HB 4889 (Rep. Michael Zalewski D-Riverside) allows for advertising and marketing marijuana products in newspapers.

HB 4339 (Rep. David Welter R-Morris) allows electronic advertising and marketing of marijuana. David Welter was one of 3 Republicans who voted with the House Democrats to legalize recreational marijuana.

HB 5274 (Rep. Sonya Harper D-Chicago) allows for marijuana to be delivered to residences and other locations.

HB 5352 (Rep. Marcus Evans D-Chicago) allows expungement of criminal records for ANY AMOUNT of marijuana.

HB 5472 (Rep. Theresa Mah D-Chicago) allows licenses to sell marijuana at temporary events.

Though many churches and businesses have been forced to close, Governor JB Pritzker has classified liquor and marijuana retail stores as “essential,” and as a result, sales are at a record high. But so is domestic abuse and suicide. Domestic abuse in Chicago is up 18%  and suicide hotline calls have increased 800 percent. One Illinois suicide hotline does not have enough staff to field all the calls.

Does it strike you that they are not acting in the best interest of Illinois families? Can you imagine what this will do to our state if they continue to have their way?

Thankfully, the “stay in place” order prevents lawmakers from being in session, which is extremely good for Illinois families. But that won’t stop them from pushing a broad progressive agenda that will incrementally destroy our state, if we don’t speak out.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to your state leaders. Or better yet, Click HERE to get their district office phone number and give them a call. Urge them to stop pushing for Schedule 1 drugs to flow freely in Illinois. Lawmakers need to hear from everyone. Please email/call today!

If you appreciate the work and ministry of IFI, please consider a tax-deductible donation to sustain our endeavors.  It does make a difference.

On March 9, Governor J.B. Pritzker issued his first “stay-at-home” emergency Executive Order (EO). That was followed by another EO extending his stay-at-home order through April 30th. Then last week, Gov. Pritzker extended his stay-at-home order for another 30 days, through the end of May. If not extended again, that would constitute a total of 11 weeks of a lock-down for Illinois residents and businesses.

Since Illinois law only grants the governor emergency authority for a period of 30 days, the extensions of Gov. Pritzker’s “stay-at-home” order, which closes businesses and forbids church services and assemblies in excess of ten citizens, constitutes an overreach of executive authority. Thankfully, State Representative Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) took Gov. Pritzker to court over this very issue and won an important decision that may lead to a definitive strike-down of the governor’s dangerous precedent. In fact, Clay County Circuit Court Judge Michael McHaney was reported as saying that Gov. Pritzker’s “subsequent executive orders ‘shredded the Constitution.’” The governor has promised to appeal this decision, so it may not be resolved anytime soon.

Gov. Pritzker and state lawmakers need to hear from their constituents about the abuse of power and the infringement of our civil liberties.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to Gov. Pritzker and your state lawmakers asking them to end the lock-down and restore our civil liberties. Consider pointing out that our First Amendment rights to freely exercise our religion and to assemble in our churches are essential.

Background

In fairness to Gov. Prizker, the state’s initial response was part of his administrative effort to slow the spread of the disease and “flatten the curve” of COVID-19 hospitalizations. Yet over the past 6 weeks we have learned a lot about the COVID-19 pandemic. For one thing, the initial government predictions of hospitalizations and deaths were wrong. Thank God that these projections have been repeatedly revised downward but, unfortunately, not before contributing to the incitement of great fear and anxiety.

In Illinois, we have not come close to exceeding hospitalization and healthcare capacity. An excellent article by Wirepoints provides evidence of the adequacy of ICU bed capacity and ventilator availability.

Three weeks ago, Governor Pritzker stood before the media complaining about the Trump administration and our great need for ventilators, ICU beds, and other medical equipment. He was wrong. Illinois didn’t use half of the available ventilators and only two-thirds of available hospital beds.

The facts that have emerged over the past few weeks do not warrant Gov. Pritzker’s extended “stay-at-home” order. So, it is not surprising that his announced plans to extend the Illinois lock-down through the end of May is provoking a growing “enough is enough” response.

This past Friday, Illinois State Representative Allen Skillicorn (R-McHenry) issued a press release publicly asking,

Has the Governor lost his mind! How in the world could he possibly think of continuing a statewide lockdown when Cook County and Chicago are 70% of the positive cases, while 84 counties have less than 100 positives of which 75 have less than 50 positives. Just what will it take to convince Pharaoh Pritzker to let people in most of Illinois go!

Additionally, an Illinois Appellate Prosecutors Office’s staff memo sent by David J. Robinson, Chief Deputy Director of the 102 State’s Attorneys across Illinois are forewarned of possible litigation:

A cursory review of the EO (and extension) reveal clear – although potentially justified – infringements on the constitutional rights of Illinois citizens. See Article I, §2 (the State due process clause); Article I, §3 (religious freedom, including “mode of worship” protection); Article I, §5 (right to assemble and petition); Article I, §15 (right of eminent domain); and Article I, §24 (rights retained).

Article I, §23 also specifically accounts for citizen’s being responsible for their actions to preserve liberty, as follows: “A frequent recurrence to the fundamental principles of civil government is necessary to preserve the blessings of liberty. These blessings cannot endure unless the people recognize their corresponding individual obligations and responsibilities.” Implicit in §23 is idea that emergencies may require adherence to individual responsibility rather than suspension of Constitutional rights.

…

From a strict enforcement standpoint, although well-intentioned on an emergency basis, the EO is very broad and does not appear to meet strict scrutiny – this is not to mention the EO appears to be beyond the framework of the specific Act it cites as support.

Illinoisans must awaken to the truth: the governor’s edicts infringe on our God-given, unalienable rights as set forth in our federal and state constitutions.

Speak Out

Calls and email messages to state lawmakers are vital. Too many politicians are keeping their heads down and have not challenged the abuse of power by the Pritzker administration. They are simply afraid of the media and the negative coverage they may receive as a result of being outspoken. Calls to these lawmakers are needed to get them off the sideline and into the fray. They need to be emboldened.

Our grand experiment in liberty, built firmly on Judeo/Christian (Biblical) truths and values, calls for servant leaders whose fallen human natures were reined in by a system of checks and balances. Let’s return to that vision and fight for the liberty our forefathers bled and died for.

Now is not the time for silence but for mighty prayers and grassroots action.

If you appreciate the work and ministry of IFI, please consider a tax-deductible donation to sustain our endeavors.  It does make a difference.