Archive for the ‘Legal and Political’ Category

A coalition of pro-life groups from across Illinois have united in an effort to stop HB2354, the Illinois version of the so-called "Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA).

This pernicious piece of legislation would:

• Nullify the state’s parental notice law.
• Require taxpayers to pay for thousands of abortions.
• Mandate comprehensive sex-ed for our children.

…And more.

Check out the coalition's website: StopIllinoisFOCA.com where you can:

• Learn more about HB2354
• Contact your State Rep about HB2354
• Sign a petition opposing HB2354

We need to act NOW to make sure this vile bill doesn't get one step further.

Related Links

• StopIllinoisFOCA.com
• Stop Illinois FOCA Facebook Group
• Full Text of the Bill

Stalwart pro-lifer Randy Means was arrested at Planned Parenthood Aurora Saturday Morning. Randy was standing on a public sidewalk, talking to the Planned Parenthood employees as they entered the building.

Randy stayed on public property, did nothing intimidating and made no threats to the staff. He merely reminded the employees that they would have to account before God for their involvement in the death of His precious unborn children, and that no one knows when that day will be. As Our Lord said, no one knows the day or the hour of judgment, it could this very day.

Nevertheless, Planned Parenthood employees called Aurora Police and claimed to have been "disturbed" by Randy and the sign depicting an aborted baby, which Randy has been faithfully holding outside the clinic for nearly two years. For this and nothing else, Randy was hauled off to jail on a charge of disorderly conduct. [Continue reading . . . »]

Planned Parenthood is holding a so-called "Community Forum on Reproductive Justice" at the Eola Community Center (Map) in Aurora on Wednesday, February 11.

The meeting is one of a series taking place around the state as part of an effort to drum up support for Illinois House Bill 5615, now being called the Reproductive Justice and Access Act (RJAA), and Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood will be there to protest.

Join us at 5:30 p.m. to let Planned Parenthood know that this community does not support them or their political agenda. [Continue reading . . . »]

Two recent articles in the Aurora Beacon News have spotlighted resistance to the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) by Fox Valley Catholics. While FOCA is a grave concern for all pro-life Americans, the threat posed by this bill to the Catholic health care system makes the issue particularly troubling for Catholics.

[Continue reading . . . »]

In today's Aurora Beacon, Andre Sales wrote an article entitled Something is missing at council meetings. In this article, on the front page, Andre shares his admiration for pro-lifer John Thorne.

The article points out that John Thorne has consistently appeared before the city council since FVFAPP learned about Planned Parenthood and began addressing the council.

Thank you John Thorne for your perseverance and dedication to the cause of life. May all of us show the same perseverance in our prayers and efforts to bring life back to Aurora.

God Bless,
Roger

UPDATE: Eric Scheidler's response to Ms. Sherman's column was published in today's Beacon.

In this morning's Beacon News, columnist Deena Sherman offered some thoughts in the "Common Sense" column about putting aside disrespect and hate in the abortion debate.

Sherman is right to call for civility, but her article  makes no advances towards any such thing. In a column ostensibly about Eric Scheidler's libel case against Planned Parenthood, Ms. Sherman addresses everything from Nazism to Mahatma Gandhi.

Everything, that is, except whether whether Steve Trombley lied about Eric and Aurora's pro-life community. "That's not the question I'm asking.", Ms. Sherman said. But she never even answers the question she claims to be asking! [Continue reading . . . »]

This morning on the radio I heard that Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner is undergoing surgery today at Northwestern Memorial Hospital to remove a cancerous tumor from his colon. As the Beacon reports, the mayor was found to be cancer-free earlier this year, after a successful bout with colon cancer last year.

Mayor Weisner has been no friend to us in our battle against Planned Parenthood, but perhaps for that reason he is all the more deserving of our prayers today for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.

No word yet on what impact this recent diagnosis might have on the mayor's plans to run for reelection next year.

Update: The Beacon reports today (9-11-08) that the mayor's prognosis is good after the surgery.

The zoning case against Planned Parenthood is moving forward in state court. Just yesterday Judge Kenneth Popejoy was assigned to the case in DuPage County court, which has reasserted its jurisdiction over the case after a brief haitus in federal court. And tonight we continue the municipal side of the case with an appearance before the Aurora Building Code Board of Appeals.

This hearing gives city officials their third and final chance to seriously address the substance of the case against Planned Parenthood—as they've refused to do in our two appeals to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Corporation Counsel Alayne Weingartz has filed a Motion to Dismiss—even though she was the one who insisted our case had to be brought to this Board in the first place.

Come out to the Fifth Floor Conference Room at City Hall (map) at 5 p.m. for the hearing, or check back here for live reports.

[Continue reading . . . »]

If all you read was the Beacon News headline this morning, you may have gotten the wrong idea about what happened in the hearing in the Scheidler v. Trombley libel case yesterday. Their headline read "Libel suit against Planned Parenthood is dismissed".

What actually happened was that Judge Judith Brawka allowed Planned Parenthood's Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) motion against us, thus dismissing the charges in our previous complaint.

However, she allowed us to file four new charges based on evidence our attorneys uncovered in the discovery process.

For all the back story on this case, Eric Scheidler's blog post from before the last hearing will get you up to speed. [Continue reading . . . »]

Tonight we return to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to object to the issuance of a Permanent Occupancy Permit to Planned Parenthood—an action taken despite the zoning case we have pending in state court.

On July 1, city officials quietly issued the permit, but we were watching, and immediately took action to appeal the issuance of the permit and hold the city accountable.

Come for the hearing tonight at 7 p.m. at Aurora City Hall (map), or tune in here for live reports.

[Continue reading . . . »]