Illinois parental notification law goes into effect today
Posted by Eric Scheidler on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
It's been fourteen years in coming, but today the Illinois Parental Notification Act of 1995 finally goes into effect. As reported in the Aurora Beacon News, minor girls will now be required by law to inform a parent before getting an abortion.
Planned Parenthood and the ACLU fought hard to keep this day from ever happening, getting the Act enjoined by a federal judge immediately after it was signed into law in 1995. But the State—with help from the likes of public interest law firm, the Thomas More Society—finally convinced the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago to allow the law to go into effect.
Parental notification controversy in Aurora
We had our own battle over parental notification here in Aurora in 2007, a spin-off from the controversy surrounding the opening of Planned Parenthood's mega-center here. Alderman Rick Lawrence was dismayed to learn that his minor daughters could walk into Planned Parenthood and get medical services, including abortion, without him or his wife knowing anything about it.
Rick launched a campaign to enact parental notification in the City of Aurora, which culminated in a City Council resolution on November 27, 2007 urging the state to take every necessary measure to get the 1995 Act enacted. The vote was 11-0 (Alderman Linda Elmore left the meeting before the vote).
One small but important step
As I commented in today's story in the Beacon, we will be keeping vigilant watch over both Planned Parenthood and the General Assembly to ensure that this law is being enforced.
We'll also be watching closely to ensure there is no new effort to undermine our families and endanger our children, like the "Illinois FOCA" bill defeated this spring.
Meanwhile, we must continue to fight to protect the lives of all unborn babies and their mothers from abortion. Let us be encouraged in that long-term fight by measures like this which are proven to put the brakes on abortion and save lives.
Thank god this finally went into place. How could a company (planned parenthood) create such nightmares for kids all these years
August 4th, 2009 at 11:54 am
The winds of change are coming - and more lives will be saved day by day! God bless everyone who worked to make this law pass!
August 4th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Praise the Lord! How wicked and unjust that a judge can trump the will of the people in the enactment of righteous legislation for over 14 years. What a wonderful triumph in the midst of these adverse, and often discouraging times for the pro-life movement.
August 4th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
"Thank God" A long road,one fight at a time
little by little
August 4th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Thank you for your tireless efforts!
I was just reading about how Girl Scouts is pushing their membership in the ultra-liberal direction: http://www.lifeissues.org/connector/pdfs/oct05.pdf; page 6.
We have a helluva fight on our hands. It's perseverence like yours that will/is make(ing) the difference!
August 4th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
I want to say thank you to The Thomas More Society, Prolife Action League, Families Against Planned Parenthood, even the City Council of Aurora who wrote a letter of unanimous support for parential notification along with any others who fought to get this done. It took much to long but I am happy to see this day come. I will continue to pray for the end of the slaughter of innocent unborn babies.
August 5th, 2009 at 7:21 am
Thank God for small victories like these. In this Culture of Death, every bit helps..like a breath of fresh air…
Thank you Thomas More Society for being there!
August 5th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Thanks to everyone involved! Praise God, one battle at a time.
August 6th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
God Bless you and all your helpers. Our little prayers daily are with you always.
God is so patient.
August 7th, 2009 at 3:07 pm