The 2020 session of the Illinois General Assembly is now underway in Springfield. Our state lawmakers are introducing new proposals, adding to the 6,000+ bills that were introduced in the first half of the session (2019). IFI’s top concern is stopping the effort to repeal the Parental Notice of Abortion Act. In a recent email, the anti-life Personal PAC told their supporters that their

key goals in 2020 will be repealing dangerous anti-choice legislation and safeguarding reproductive rights for future generations. With that in mind, in the next few months, Personal PAC will be focused on:

• Repealing the Parental Notice Act of Abortion (PNA) and
• Expanding the Illinois General Assembly’s pro-choice majority

Opposing this horrific agenda must be a prayer priority for all pro-life Christians in the state. It must also become a tier one call-to-action for us all. Our local state representatives, state senators and Governor J.B. Pritzker must hear from us loud and clear. They must come to understand that we will not remain silent as they work to usurp our God-given parental rights so they can pursue an agenda of death.

In addition to that, ethics reform is once again making headlines in the wake of multiple FBI corruption investigations and numerous indictments. Chicago’s ABC7 I-Team recently aired a report identifying Illinois “as the most corrupt state in America.” Political pundits speculate that there will be more indictments coming in the weeks and months ahead. As if that weren’t enough, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is at the center of a rape cover-up scandal that may have far reaching consequences.

We also have critically important primary campaigns going on now through election day, March 17th.

To say we have much to pray about is an understatement. Our state government is immersed in chaos and corruption. This is a reflection of the character of the men and women serving in Springfield over the past several decades. We are to pray for  all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness, (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Please Pray:

• That God will open the eyes of policy-makers and candidates for office to the sanctity of life. Pray that they will become defenders of innocent human life and not enablers of sexual immorality and death.

• That state lawmakers will uphold parental rights and reject attempts to repeal the basic protection young women have in the Parental Notice of Abortion Act.

• That federal and state investigators will root out all corruption at the Capitol and among our legislators and that self-serving lawmakers will be replaced by honest and wise public servants.

• That in the 2020 election season, pro-life candidates will have the time, energy and funding needed to saturate their districts with their campaign messages and materials.

• That God will give wisdom and discernment to the honest public servants in Springfield who must work in the swamp of corruption and that they have courage to serve the Lord with fear and trembling and not shrink back from calling out every form of wickedness. (Psalms 2:10-11)

• That many godly counselors and advisers will surround our elected officials and that local pastors and Christian leaders will intentionally seek opportunities to visit and minister to these men and women. (Proverbs 11:14)

• That God will work in the hearts and minds of our state lawmakers and governor and that He will draw them to Him and His truth. (Proverbs 21:1-8)

• That God will work in the hearts of key federal officials, including President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

• That efforts to indoctrinate children in government schools–especially the new law that mandates teaching about homosexuality and the “trans” ideology positively in government schools–will fail and that local school boards will reject this agenda for their students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

• That God will use the upcoming IFI Worldview Conference and April 25th Education Forum to help equip and challenge parents, grandparents and pastors.

Personal Prayer Request:

Last week, my wife and I were blessed with the birth of our son, Owen. He was born with Down Syndrome and has significant medical challenges. We learned that Owen had an imperforate anus and an AV canal defect in his heart. Owen had surgery on his second day of life and spent the next six days in the PICU. He is facing three additional surgeries in the next several months.

Owen has also been diagnosed with transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM). We were told that twenty percent of Downs Syndrome kids develop Leukemia but 80 percent outgrow it. Further blood tests will indicate more.

We would greatly appreciate if you would keep baby Owen in your prayers over the next several months. We praise God for the technology and science and the amazing medical team that has worked to save Owen’s life and help him overcome these health hurdles.

God is stretching the Smith family in new and exciting ways. We are walking in faith, trusting in God’s plan for Owen while trying not to rely not on our own (finite) understanding. I can honestly say that we cannot wait to see how God is going to use this boy in our family and beyond.

Subscribe to the IFI YouTube channel
and never miss a video report or special program!

Illinois State lawmakers are entering into the last month of the 2019 Spring Session. They have much on their legislative agenda, including approving a budget for the next fiscal year, which begins on July 1st. The Illinois State Constitution requires that the regular legislative session end on May 31^st.

As you know, Illinois needs strong, honest and wise leadership now more than ever. Christians in the state of Illinois must commit to praying for our state leaders, their staff, and their family as they wrestle with the tough issues of the day. So, that is our call to you today.

Illinois is not only facing a $3.2 billion budget deficit but also a staggering $134 billion pension liability. To solve these problems, many of our political leaders are looking for additional streams of revenue instead of working to cut the incredible waste, bloat and unnecessary (or immoral) government programs like the millions of dollars going to pay for Medicaid abortions, expanded and approved by the previous governor and General Assembly.

To make matters worse, our state lawmakers are considering a number of proposals that would only exacerbate the anti-family environment in our state. Please pray through the following proposals, asking God to change the hearts and minds of our state lawmakers. We do this because we are fully convinced that “with God, all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26, Mark 10:27) Please pray that all these bills fail:

• Abortion Expansion: the two extreme abortion bills that we alerted you to back in February have stalled. Praise God! However, Planned Parenthood and their allies are working overtime to jump start them.

• Legalized Marijuana: During his campaign, Gov. JB Pritzker promised to legalize recreational pot. Political pundits claim that Illinois’ FY 2020 budget desperately needs the millions of dollars in tax revenue from marijuana. However, reports from Colorado indicate that the costs far outweigh the new revenue source.

• LGBT History Mandate: HB 246 has already passed the Illinois House and is pending a vote in the Illinois Senate. This legislation will require that all students in K-12 public schools be taught about the “roles and contributions” of homosexuals and opposite-sex impersonators and that textbooks purchased include discussions of the roles and contributions of homosexuals and opposite-sex impersonators.

• Mandatory Kindergarten: SB 2075 has already passed the Illinois Senate and is pending in the Illinois House. This bill would lower the compulsory school age from 6 to 5 years of age, usurping parental rights on when to start formal education for their young children.

• Gambling Expansion: State lawmakers are betting on $200 million in revenue from licensing fees from legalized sports betting licenses. There is also a move to create more casinos in Illinois (e.g., Chicago and Rockford), to expand gambling to the Internet and on smart phones. Too many lawmakers think that this is a harmless way to supplement revenues. They don’t seem to understand how addictive gambling can be or that it has costs that could be as high as $3 to $7 for every $1 of revenue.

• More Taxes: According to the Chicago Tribune, Springfield lawmakers may consider other tax schemes to increase revenue to the state coffers: “The governor’s office wants at least $19 million from a statewide tax on plastic shopping bags, $55 million from an increase in the cigarette tax, $10 million from a new tax on e-cigarettes and $89 million from a higher tax on successful video gambling terminals.” They are also considering an increase in gasoline taxes by 19 to 25 cents per gallon. These taxes create an additional burden on working families.

• Please Pray for Springfield Leaders: Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago), Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) and House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Burr Ridge).

Pray that the Lord would grant them wisdom and knowledge about the issues they must vote on this month. Pray that they would be bold to do what is right according to the Word of God. Pray that the good Lord would direct their hearts to do His will on earth, as it is in heaven.

By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
~Proverbs 8:15~

As we begin 2019–with new federal lawmakers being sworn in to office last week in Washington D.C. and new state lawmakers being sworn into office this week–it is vital that we are intentional about praying for those in authority. Although we may disagree with the political philosophy of many of our elected officials, we must not neglect God’s instruction to pray for them (1 Timothy 2:1-3) or ignore the power of prayer to change hearts and minds (Proverbs 21:1; James 5:16).

It is important to regularly appeal to God for the well-being of our state and nation. It is essential to ask Him to work in the hearts and minds of each one of our local, state and national our leaders. Let’s ask the Lord to help our officials understand what is good and true. Ask Him to give them wisdom and to open their eyes to those who are trying to mislead or deceive them. Let’s pray that God would bring into their lives a Daniel or a Paul to be trusted godly influences who will not shrink back from telling them about God’s standards of right and wrong.

Additionally, here are some other ways to pray this week and throughout the year:

• Thank God for this new year in which we can serve Him. Thank God for what He has done in our lives during the last year, and what He will be doing this year in not only our lives but also in the lives of our family members and in His church worldwide. Throughout history we can see how His hand has been upon the nations.

• Thank God that He is making all things new (Isaiah 43:18–19; Revelation 21:5; Isaiah 65:17).

• Pray that He would prompt us to stay in His Word, reading it daily so that we are fully equipped for what He is calling us to do.

• Pray that He would train us in righteousness and give us wisdom to know how to respond to the growing immorality and unfaithfulness in our culture.

• Pray for a successful and peaceful March for Life Chicago next Sunday. Pray that our culture would come to understand the preeminence of the sanctity of life.

• Pray for key federal officials–including President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

• Pray that federal officials would be serious about military readiness, national security, border protection and the importance of defunding Planned Parenthood.

• Pray for key state officials–including Governor-elect JB Pritzker, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, Illinois Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, and Illinois House Minority Leader Jim Durkin.

• Pray that the effort to legalize recreational marijuana fails. Pray that state lawmakers would understand the alarming consequences and high costs of approving this legislation and not be swayed by the potential of a new tax revenue source.

• Pray against efforts to indoctrinate children in government schools–especially the legislation to mandate the teaching about homosexuality and the “trans” ideology positively in government schools (SB 3249) from kindergarten through 12th grade.

• Pray that God would increase our reverence and love for Him and His Word and that we would be effective servants.

Download the IFI App!

We now have an IFI mobile app that enables us to deliver great content based on the “Tracks” you choose, including timely legislative alerts, cultural commentaries, upcoming event notifications, links to our podcasts, video reports, and even daily Bible verses to encourage you. This great app is available for Android and iPhones.

Key Features:

• It’s FREE!
• Specific content for serious Christians
• Performs a spiritual assessment
• Sends you daily Scriptures to encourage and equip you
• You determine when and how much content you get

Last Thursday afternoon, the Illinois House debated and passed HB 1785 – a highly controversial proposal that would make it significantly easier for gender-dysphoric persons to obtain fraudulent birth certificates. This bill passed by a vote of 63-32. See the full roll-call vote below.

Six Republican lawmakers voted with fifty-seven Democrats to approve deceptive birth certificates: Steve Andersson (Geneva), “Leader” Jim Durkin (Burr Ridge), Sara Jimenez (Springfield), David Olsen (Downers Grove), Bob Pritchard (Sycamore), & Grant Wehrli (Naperville).  If one of these lawmakers represent you and your family, you may want to ask him/her why he/she voted in favor of this kind of deception.

I guess truth doesn’t matter for legal documents in Illinois.

This bill now moves to the Illinois Senate for consideration.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send an email message to your state senator to ask him/her to reject HB 1785 and to uphold birth certificates as legal documents.

Simply put, the state of Illinois has no duty or right to make it easier for men and women who wish they were the opposite sex to falsify their birth certificates. Vote NO to HB 1785!

Background

IFI’s Laurie Higgins wrote an article earlier this year about HB 1785. Here is a quick summary of Laurie’s take:

The absurdity and unscientific nature of the content of [H.B.—–] reveals the absurdity of the law it seeks to amend. This bill proposes to change a reference in the law from “sex change” to “change of sex designation.”

First, this change implicitly acknowledges the true fact that no one’s sex can change. Second, it demonstrates that birth certificates are being rendered meaningless. Birth certificates were intended as legal documents identifying objective birth facts. Gender-dysphoric men who were male at birth remain male. Gender-dysphoric women who were female at birth remain in perpetuity female.

“This is what our elected representatives waste their time and our taxes on,” Higgins writes, “making it ever easier for gender-dysphoric persons to pretend they are the opposite sex.”

There are many more issues related to this effort, and you can read more from Laurie Higgins here and here, and a fact-sheet titled “The Face of Gender Radicalism” here.

Again, legislators can be swamped with information — especially at this time of the year when more bills come to the floor for a vote. But your voice and action may be absolutely vital in persuading him/her to vote NO on Birth Certificate Fraud!

How did they vote?

IFI Text Alerts!

For up-to-the minute news, action alerts, coming events and more you can now sign up for IFI Text Alerts!

Stay in the loop with IFI by texting “IFI” to 555888 to be enrolled right away.

Click HERE to donate

How did they vote?

Yesterday afternoon in an appalling disregard for children’s mental health, parental rights and religious liberty, the Illinois House voted 68 to 43 to pass HB 217, a bill to ban reparative therapy for children who suffer from unwanted same-sex attraction disorder.  This bill was introduced by LBGTQ activist and State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago). The bill received eight more votes than the sixty needed to pass!

Click HERE to see how your state representative voted on this legislation, or look at the graphic below. (Look up your state representative HERE.)

This is an unmitigated disaster for children and families! It is a shame that not one conservative lawmaker challenged this proposal during floor debate.  Not one lawmaker defended children and free speech from the tyranny of Leftists who demand we act, speak and think according to the dictates of their beliefs. Not one lawmaker reminded their colleagues that by diminishing the right to live out our faith, they are establishing the religion of secularism which the First Amendment decisively prohibits.

While a number of representatives were excused from session that afternoon, it is disappointing to report that seven Republicans sided with this pro-homosexual, anti-parental rights, anti-religious liberty legislation, including:  State Representatives Dan Brady (Normal), Tim Butler (Springfield), Michael McAuliffe (Chicago), Bob Pritchard (Sycamore), Deputy “Leader” David Leitch (Peoria), and Assistant Republican “Leader” Ed Sullivan (Mundelein), who also voted to pass same-sex “marriage” in November 2013. Even Republican Minority “Leader” Jim Durkin (Burr Ridge) voted to further the devastation of families who have members struggling with the issue of unwanted same-sex attraction.

However, a number of Democrats did not support this radical agenda, including State Representatives Kate Cloonen (Kankakee), Jerry Costello (Red Bud), Anthony DeLuca (Chicago Heights), Brandon Phelps (Harrisburg), Larry Walsh Jr. (Joliet) and even Assistant Majority Leader John Bradley (Marion).

IFI is grateful for the moral clarity displayed by these and other members of the Illinois House of Representatives who opposed HB 217.

The bill now moves to the Illinois Senate, the more liberal chamber. Unless an outpouring of prayers, along with many visits and calls are made to senators’ local district offices, this bill will likely become law.

We are seeing an unprecedented attack on Illinois families, parental rights and religious liberty by the people who are repeatedly elected back into their positions of authority. Are you registered to vote? Do you vote?

If people of faith do not step out of their comfort zone and speak loudly and publicly; at the very least with their vote, we are assuredly leaving a legacy of tyranny and evil for our children and grandchildren.

Will you please spread the word to everyone that you know in Illinois to pray, visit, and make calls to their state senator? You can look up their address and phone number HERE.  Also,send them an email. Simply click on the link below to send your email. Note: you must be registered with your name and address to send an email to your specific senator.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send an email or a fax to your state senator. Urge him/her to vote against HB 217.  (If you have already sent an email to your state representative, please now send an email to your state senator.)

Click HERE TO SUPPORT Illinois Family Institute.