In Illinois, a female minor must get a parent’s permission to have a tooth pulled. She must get her parent’s OK to get plastic surgery. She will need her parent’s permission to get a tonsillectomy, should that become necessary.
But, starting June 1, 2022, a minor female in Illinois will no longer need her parent’s permission to get an abortion.
Abortion advocates are cheering this new law, claiming it “expands health care options” for kids. If it’s only a “health care option,” though, why leave parents out of the loop?
“Today’s bill signing by the governor strips parents of their basic right to know what is happening in their minor daughter’s life,” state Rep. Avery Bourne, a Morrisonville Republican, said in a statement. “Even more concerning, removing this common sense protection will increase the likelihood of sexual abuse, exploitation and allow the trafficking of minor girls to continue unchecked.”
But those who supported the repeal of parental notification argued this provides access to medical care to the most vulnerable minors.
“Access to sexual and reproductive health care starting at a young age is crucial,” state Sen. Melinda Bush, a Grayslake Democrat, said in a statement. “By providing resources and education, we are giving young girls vital information and bodily autonomy.”
Everyone knows there’s a lot more at stake here than simple “reproductive health care.” Since a young girl is destroying another human being rather than reproducing when she gets an abortion, calling it “reproductive health care” is absurdly off base.
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But the rhetoric used by abortion advocates is very important. It’s meant to assuage the conscience of people who might be troubled by killing a baby. Calling abortion an expansion of reproductive health care sure sounds great, but it bears no relationship to the reality of what’s actually happening.
Governor J.B. Pritzker touted Illinois’ progressiveness in empowering children to kill their babies without telling mom and dad.
“With reproductive rights under attack across the nation, Illinois is once again establishing itself as a leader in ensuring access to healthcare services,” said Pritzker. “This repeal was essential, because it was the most vulnerable pregnant minors who were punished by this law: victims of rape and physical abuse in unsafe homes. I thank Representative Anna Moeller, Senator Elgie Sims and the lawmakers and advocates who have fiercely fought to repeal this law and keep vulnerable young people safe. I’m proud that Illinois continues to be a national leader in protecting reproductive rights.”
Pritzker didn’t mention all the exceptions that were already in the 1995 law, allowing a young girl to receive an abortion without parental notification.
A 1995 law required doctors to notify a pregnant minor’s parent within 48 hours before an abortion procedure, but it did not take effect until 2013 due to litigation. An exception could be made if the minor were a victim of abuse or neglect by an adult family member, if the minor were emancipated or married, if a medical provider determined there was a medical emergency, or if an adult family member waived the notice in writing. A judge could also waive the requirement.
Is there any judge in the United States who wouldn’t waive the parental notification requirement if a father was responsible for his daughter’s pregnancy? But why not tell the parents who are loving, responsible, and non-abusive that their daughter is to undergo an invasive medical procedure? Why should they be kept in the dark?
These laws are anti-family and anti-woman. They are not about protecting little girls from their abusers or rapists. They are about abortion. And if Pritzker were honest, he would have said so.
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