(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- Last Wednesday, in a 62 to 51 vote, the Illinois House gave final approval to repeal the 1995 law requiring a parent or guardian to be notified when a girl under the age of 18 seeks to have an abortion. The measure had already passed the Illinois Senate, so all it needs is Democrat Governor JB Pritzker’s signature and it’s a done deal.
And since Governor Pritzker vowed on Thursday to sign it, there’s no stopping it now.
Democrats both in Illinois and throughout the country are hailing this repeal as “historic.” Some Democrats hope that Illinois’ move will set an example for other states to loosen abortion laws. The ACLU also celebrated the move as it has been pushing for years to get the Illinois law repealed.
In praising the repeal, ACLU director of communications Edwin Yohnka said that under the 1995 law “a pregnant young person” (AKA “a girl”) who can make every other health decision for herself was not allowed to do the same when it came to abortion.
Naturally, Planned Parenthood is thrilled. They see the repeal of this law as an important step to combat the “attack” on “reproductive rights” across the country. They hailed the vote saying now, all Illinois citizens, regardless of age, have “full legal autonomy” to decide what is “best for their bodies.”
Since the bill failed to garner a 3/5 majority – or 71 votes – the repeal of the 1995 law will not go into effect until June 1, 2022.
Senator Elgie Sims, the Chicago Democrat who sponsored the bill, amended the legislation to create a task force of resources for families. He said if a “young person” or the parents have a “challenge” or “need counseling services” the state should provide resources to help them.
Not everybody is pleased. In a statement on Wednesday, the Catholic Conference of Illinois expressed disappointment over the repeal, saying that Wednesday’s vote is a tragedy for families, young girls, “and so many unborn children.”
State Representative Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) said that the Democrats in the House acted “shamefully and recklessly” against both parents and underage girls.
Earlier in the week, the Illinois Senate passed the repeal 32 to 22. However, Democrats hold a 41 to 18 advantage in the Senate, so clearly even some Democrats Senators opposed the measure.
