Illinois House Democrats have introduced two measures that would expand abortion access in the state, including a repeal of parental notification requirements in cases involving minors.
The proposed legislation filed Wednesday follows Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s pledge last month to make Illinois “the most progressive state in the nation when it comes to standing up for women’s reproductive rights.”
One bill, dubbed the Reproductive Health Act, would repeal the state’s so-called partial-birth abortion ban, which placed restrictions on the procedure later in pregnancy. In addition, the act would require private insurance plans in Illinois to cover abortions the same as contraception, fertility and maternity care, as well as allow advanced-practice nurses to perform abortions.
The bill also would abolish abortion legislation adopted in 1975, though most of those provisions already have been blocked by the courts, including criminal penalties for physicians who perform abortions.
“As a woman, a mother and someone who has been a longtime supporter of full access to reproductive care, from contraception, abortion, pregnancy and postpartum care, it is time to modernize and update these laws to reflect the equality of women in Illinois,” the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, said in a news release.
Yet Illinois Right to Life Executive Director Mary Kate Knorr called Cassidy’s bill and the other bill that would repeal parental notification “very extreme.”
“I think it’s a desperate move on their part to create a safety net in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned,” she said, alluding to President Donald Trump’s campaign statements that the landmark court decision would be rolled back “automatically” if he nominates conservative justices to the court.
The second bill, which would repeal the state’s parental notice law, was sponsored by Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside. Parental notification requirements were passed in 1995 but blocked by the courts until about five years ago.
Illinois law currently mandates that minors notify a parent, grandparent, a stepparent who lives in the home or a legal guardian before having an abortion. A minor has the legal right to request a waiver of parental notice, a process called judicial bypass, which is granted if a judge deems the minor mature and well-informed, or finds that notification wouldn’t be in her best interest.
Abortion rights supporters say that places an unfair burden on minors with difficult family situations and could prove dangerous if a parent is abusive.
To Knorr, rescinding that requirement would be “irresponsible.”
“This parental notification law is absolutely necessary,” she said. “There are women who are in abuse situations and are being trafficked that this law protects. This parental notification law is a checkpoint for abuse and human trafficking situations.”
She added that states all across the country have similar laws and that many are more restrictive, requiring parental consent rather than notification.
In late 2017, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner expanded abortion access when he signed HB 40, controversial legislation that allowed Medicaid and state health insurance coverage to be used to terminate a pregnancy.
On the measures filed this week, a spokesman for Pritzker’s office said the newly inaugurated Democratic governor is a “lifelong advocate for women’s rights” and “looks forward to reviewing the legislation and working with lawmakers and advocates to protect women’s rights.”
Colleen K. Connell, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, called protection of abortion rights critical for residents of Illinois, as well as those in surrounding states with greater barriers to abortion, including waiting periods, fewer clinics and stricter gestational limits.
In 2017, more than 5,500 women traveled from out of state to terminate a pregnancy in Illinois, which already had some of the least-restrictive abortion laws in the Midwest.
“What the new law would do is say we will treat women’s health care — whether it’s for abortion, birth control or maternity care — we’re going to treat that as health care, not as a crime, the way the old enjoined laws did,” Connell said.
Twitter @angie_leventis
01-All No Sub,02-Pol,15-Health,19-Legal,26-Delivered,24-ILGA,HL,HL New,RKPRS HL
Feeds,News,Region: Chicago,City: Chicago,Opinion
via Home – Chicago Tribune http://bit.ly/1LjWzdx
February 14, 2019 at 07:06PM
Illinois Delivered 