Members of Catholic Citizens of Illinois are encouraged to contact your Illinois State Senator about HB 2486, a Planned Parenthood sponsored bill seeking to criminalize vigils and counseling outside a 4/21/2003 2:27:00 AM
By Karl Maurer, CCI Web Editor
-www.illinoisrighttolife.org
On Saturday morning after Mass on April 12, 2003, Francis Cardinal gave his blessing to a processional crowd estimated at over a thousand Catholics that proceeded to a downtown Chicago Planned Parenthood clinic. The peaceful assembly followed the recent Supreme Court decision acknowledging that public prayer gatherings were protected as Constitutional and God given rights. In spite of the Federal ruling, the Illinois based supporters of Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, are attempting to apply state regulatory muscle where federal gag orders failed. Abortion rights supporters have introduced Illinois Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (HB 2486) in Springfield, which seeks to criminalize prayer vigils outside abortion clinics A Planned Parenthood press release dated April 12, 2003 describes the scope of HB 2486. It states, "With Cardinal Francis George conducting a protest outside of the Planned Parenthood health center in the background, it underscores the need for the General Assembly to pass the Illinois Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (HB 2486) which prohibits conduct that is threatening, obstructionist, or violent towards persons seeking reproductive health services. "No woman should feel intimidated when going into a clinic to obtain health services -- whether it is for an exam, counseling, family planning or an abortion," said Reverend Randall King, chairman of Planned Parenthood in Chicago. Clearly, it is Planned Parenthood's position that HB 2486 would outlaw prayer vigils at abortion clinics as "intimidating" to women. Planned Parenthood's reason for banning sidewalk vigils is that they are effective. During the April 12 prayer vigil, sidewalk counselors talked to women before they entered Planned Parenthood. These counselors gave women information that empowered them to make an informed choice. At least two women chose not to have their scheduled abortions. On April 16th, Illinois Senate leadership sent HB 2486 to the Senate Health & Human Services Committee for consideration. It is expected that this committee will send HB 2486 to the full Senate for a vote. It is entirely possible that in light of the recent Scheidler vs. NOW decision in favor of public prayer vigils and sidewalk counseling, the Senate Committee will reject this bill. However, as most Catholics are aware, there is a Democratic majority in both the Illinois House and the Illinois Senate. Members of Catholic Citizens of Illinois are encouraged to contact your Illinois State Senator about HB 2486. Letters, phone calls, and emails are suggested. The Illinois General Assembly is not in session next week so calls should be made to the senators' local offices next week. Calls should go to Springfield the week of April 28th. If you need to determine who is your Illinois State Senator, go to: http://www.illinoisrighttolife.org/ActionNeeded.htm Two other bills are also listed there, HB 211 and HB 3589. You may want to express your position on those bills to your Illinois State Senator as well. Cardinal George has underscored his committement to the pro-life cause by appointing Mary-Louise Kurey as the Director of the Archdiocesan Respect Life office. Ms. Kurey has for years been traveling the US as a motivational speaker defending abstinence from sexual activity as the smart choice for kids, in spite of what they hear on TV and in the movies. Ms. Kurey has stated that her goal is the turn the 2.5 million Chicago Catholics into pro-life Catholics, a tall order, but a challenge that Ms. Kurey, known for her persistance and optimism, may just accomplish if given enough time and resources!
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