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‘Terrifying’: Illinois abortion bills said to be more extreme than New York’s
Pro-abortion lawmakers in Illinois introduced legislation that would remove all protections for the preborn, allow infanticide following an attempted abortion, and potentially remove all conscience protections for pro-life healthcare workers, among other proposals in this sweeping set of pro-abortion bills.
House Bill 2495 states “Every individual who becomes pregnant has a fundamental right to continue the pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion, and to make autonomous decisions about how to exercise that right.” It also states “A fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent rights under the laws of this State.” The bill also includes multiple means of encouraging abortion for minors, undermining the parental notification law (which companion bill HB 2467 would repeal) and allowing the Department of Children and Family Services to use public funds to pay for abortions.
Illinois Right to Life has shared a link for state residents to fill out two “witness slips” to send a message to lawmakers. “It is very important that we have THOUSANDS of witness slips from our people, all over the state, in opposition to these dangerous bills,” IL RTL writes. “This will send a strong message that pro-lifers are ready to fight hard against this kind of legislation.” This page contains instructions and links to fill out the witness slips.
The bill, along with its companion HB 2467, is, in the words of Elizabeth Bauer writing for the Federalist, “terrifying in its scope.” The bills would repeal in entirety the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975, the Partial-birth Abortion Ban Act, and the Abortion Performance Refusal Act.
Thus, the bills would sanction post-viability abortions, remove limits on all methods of abortion committed at any stage of pregnancy, remove any requirement to provide medical care to a baby who survives an attempted abortion, and undermine if not wholly eliminate conscience protections for healthcare workers.
Additionally, the legislation states that any qualified “health care professional” may commit abortions. The bill as drafted clarifies that this is “including, but not limited to, a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant,” which means that a wide range of people with limited medical training could legally commit abortions in Illinois.
The bill is so broadly written that it sanctions self-abortions, as the Thomas More Society explains. Self-abortions, sometimes called self-managed abortions, are a dangerous practice being pushed by some factions of the pro-choice lobby.
Currently HB 2495 has 42 co-sponsors and is assigned to the House Human Services Committee for a hearing on the morning of March 6.
For a thorough analysis of the legislation, read the Thomas More Society’s memorandum here.
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