The Illinois Senate voted 34-20 on May 31 to pass SB 25, or the Reproductive Health Act—a bill even more extreme than the New York abortion bill passed earlier this year. The Illinois House voted 65-40 in favor of the bill earlier in the week.
The bill now heads to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who campaigned on the promise to make Illinois the most progressive state in the country for “reproductive rights.” He has vowed to sign the Reproductive Health Act into law.
The bill declares that women have a “fundamental right” to abortion and that a “fetus does not have independent rights” apart from his or her mother.
According to the Thomas More Society, if the Reproductive Health Act is signed into law, it would:
- Allow abortions for any reason throughout all nine months of pregnancy
- Allow non-physicians, including nurses and physician assistants, to perform abortions, both surgical and medical
- Undermine and threaten institutional and individual rights of conscience
- Require private health insurance policies to include coverage for all abortions, with no exemptions, even for churches and other religious organizations
The law would also repeal the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975, thus eliminating spousal consent, waiting periods, criminal penalties for abortion providers and restrictions on abortion facilities. Additionally, parents would be required to pay for an underage daughter’s abortion even if they object.
“It’s a real battle that is being fought in state houses across the country—and millions of lives are at stake,” Franklin Graham said in a Facebook post on June 3. “While some states have passed ‘heartbeat’ bills protecting the unborn, Illinois is on the edge of passing a sweeping ‘abortion rights’ bill—the state Senate has approved it and it is going to Governor JB Pritzker for signature. This dangerous bill establishes a woman’s ‘fundamental right’ to an abortion. How can the ending of another life be anyone’s fundamental right? …
“If you are in Illinois, I encourage you to contact the governor’s office immediately and let your voice be heard. This battle affects us all, and I urge you, wherever you live, to pray that this bill would be stopped.”
Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel founder and chairman, said in a press release: “These are horrific days when Illinois lawmakers celebrate eliminating all protections for unborn children, allowing infanticide, removing conscience protection laws for health care workers and allowing minors to freely obtain abortions without parental notification. This has nothing to do with health care. This is a crime against humanity.”
If signed, the law will go into effect immediately.
Photo: Newscom