Archive for the ‘Legal and Political’ Category

I posted a couple of new videos from last month's protest of Planned Parenthood Aurora. The first mixes Eric’s closing prayer with various pics and video clips from the day. If you know someone who is considering attending this Saturday, it gives a nice overview of how these monthly rallies look and feel: peaceful, prayerful, organized and effective.

The second captures yet another First Amendment violation against pro-lifers in Aurora. Roger Earl was not permitted the freedom to pray quietly while walking his daughter in a stroller. Pro-lifers are denied access to certain sidewalk areas during our monthly protests (which is unconstitutional in itself), but Roger was not even [Continue reading . . . »]

If you've ever watched an episode of Law and Order or Perry Mason you might have gotten the impression that legal hearings are fast-paced, action packed events filled with snappy zingers and shocking evidence. If you came last night you probably left with a more realistic picture. Legal hearings are filled with details that must be hammered out and quibbling over small, but very important, points of procedure.

That's most of what went on at the hearing at the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) hearing at City Hall. Our attorneys spent most of the hour long hearing fighting for some additions to the record for the case that could be crucial in the coming months.

Last night's meeting was also a great showing of pro-life support here in Aurora. Over 100 pro-lifers came out and sported red carnations as a sign of solidarity. You can read about the meeting as reported in the Daily Herald and in the Beacon. [Continue reading . . . »]

Tonight: Live blogging from the Zoning Board of Appeals hearing on alleged Planned Parenthood zoning and permitting violations.

6:45 p.m. The public are beginning to arrive, forty or fifty pro-lifers so far, all wearing red carnations on their lapels in sign of pro-life solidarity. The members of the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) are taking their seats too on the dias.

Attorney Chris Wilson, representing Planned Parentood, is seated at the "Applicant" table just in front of my seat at the right end of the first row.

6:50 p.m. Our attorneys, Peter Breen and Tom Brejcha, have just sat down at the Appelant table. Between them is a table for the City's attorneys, as yet unoccupied. Now Alayne Weingartz takes her seat at the City table.

[Continue reading . . . »]

Tonight for the first time the City Council will vote on an agenda item of concern to the pro-life community: a non-binding resolution proposed by Alderman Chris Beykirch which calls upon the State of Illinois to do what it takes to enforce the 1995 Parental Notice Act.

As of 3:30 p.m., over 70 people are signed up to speak on this agenda item. I will begin live-blogging the City Council meeting at 6:00 p.m., with help from my assistant Matt.

6:00 p.m. The aldermen are filing in and taking their seats. Corporation Counsel Alayne Weingartz is in position, ready to interrupt every community speaker at the two-minute-and-thirty-second mark.

[Continue reading . . . »]

Eric has asked everyone to attend Tuesday’s City Council meeting to support Parental Notification. The City Council will vote on a non-binding resolution to be sent to Springfield calling on the state government to finally enforce the 1995 Parental Notice Act. This is the first time we actually have an item on the agenda, and it is important to have as much pro-life support as possible.

The meeting will be held in the City Council Chambers at 44 E. Downer Pl. at 6 p.m., November 27. Please sign up to speak by calling the City Clerk at 630-844-3615, and saying that you want to talk about the parental notice resolution that's on the agenda [PDF].

I’ve posted videos below of pro-lifers speaking on this topic – let’s build upon these and have a strong turnout tomorrow in support of life and parental notification! [Continue reading . . . »]

I'm blogging from the Committee of the Whole meeting, at which the parental notice resolution (not to be confused with the ordinance) will be presented for movement on to next week's City Council meeting for a vote.

5:45 p.m. All twelve aldermen are present. Mayor Weisner is absent—I hear he's on vacation at his luxury home in Florida. The C.O.W. are currently discussing items from the Finance Committee. They have already discussed the Planning and Development Committee items. Government Operations is up next, and the parental notice resolution is the second of their items.

This might be a good point to clarify the difference between the parental notice resolution and the parental notice ordinance.

[Continue reading . . . »]

As Eric captured in his Tuesday blog, the last City Council meeting addressed concerns over the growing restrictions on Pro-Lifers’ basic rights. With each new event, Aurora officials further erode our freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution – the right to free speech, the right to assemble peaceably – and this issue is now at the forefront of the Planned Parenthood controversy.

[Continue reading . . . »]

4:30 I'm coming to you live from the meeting room of the City of Aurora, Illinois Aldermen's Office, where the Government Operations Committee will be discussing the parental notification ordinance and resolution, both of which were punted to the legal department three weeks ago.

Corporation Counsel Alayne Weingartz entered the room a few minutes ago; she sits just in front of me and one seat to the left. Chief of Staff Bill Wiet—who has admitted having had contact with Planned Parenthood as far back as February—is here too. The Aldermen Hart-Burns, Kifowit and Garza have just arrived; Hart-Burns has begun the meeting.

[Continue reading . . . »]

On top of the ongoing pro-life presence at Planned Parenthood—which needs your help—the upcoming week presents no less than sixfive opportunities for pro-lifers to take action against Planned Parenthood:

1. Protest at Waubonsee College at 10 a.m. Tuesday—CANCELLED
2. G.O. Commitee discussion of Parental Notice at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
3. City Council Meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday
4. Monthly Planned Parenthood protest at 9 a.m. Saturday
5. Clinic witness training seminar at 11:30 a.m. Saturday
6. Benefit screening of Bella at 2:50 p.m. Saturday

[Continue reading . . . »]

Pictured here are the memorial crosses sponsored by participants at the "We're Here for Life" Rally on Saturday, October 27—all piled up in my garage.

As Matt reported, they were found dug up and left in the parkway on Monday, October 29 and reinstalled that afternoon, then confiscated by police on Thursday, November 1 and recovered by pro-lifers the next day—fittingly on All Souls Day in the Roman Catholic Church. Our information is that the city legal department authorized the removal of the crosses.

The legal department answers to the mayor, which both illustrates the importance of even a mere mayoral election to the pro-life cause (not to mention the cause of freedom), and suggests a possible topic for this Wednesday's discussion thread: pro-life and politics.

[Continue reading . . . »]