POLITICO is reporting that Illinois abortion advocates are hoping to repeal the state’s parental notification law in 2020. The law, which requires an abortion facility to notify parents before a minor gets an abortion, will likely be the target of a new measure introduced in the coming year. The law’s repeal is apparently one of the top goals for Personal PAC, a political action committee that supports pro-abortion candidates. Terry Cosgrove, president of Personal PAC, told POLITICO, “It’s our biggest priority.”
The Illinois Parental Notification of Abortion Act was passed in 1995, but due to lengthy litigation, it did not go into effect until 2013. The law — which simply requires parental notification, but not consent — is one of the few protections for women and children left in the state with regard to abortion. Illinois is widely considered to have one of the most extreme positions on abortion in the country. Illinois Right to Life reports that since the law went into effect, minor abortions have dropped 55 percent.
“This is a direct attack on the rights of parents – not just across the state, but across the Midwest. Repealing this law does not protect girls in crisis; on the contrary, it protects their abusers and traffickers by opening the door for coercion and forced abortions,” Mary Kate Knorr, executive director of Illinois Right to Life, of said in a statement.
Abortion is a dangerous procedure that comes with a risk of serious side effects, including hemorrhaging, damage to internal organs, a perforated uterus, and more. No minor should undergo this risky procedure without a parent’s knowledge. Parental notification laws also play an important role in stopping child abusers and traffickers who wish to cover up their crimes by bringing their victims for abortions without the parents finding out. Live Action’s Aiding Abusers investigation showed clearly how abortion organizations like Planned Parenthood look the other way, making parental notification and consent laws even more necessary.
READ: Utah parental consent law prevents rapist from getting victim an abortion at Planned Parenthood
Knorr, who also serves as a board member of March for Life Chicago, issued a call to action for the state’s pro-life advocates. “As Personal PAC zeros in on this piece of legislation for the coming year, it is essential that we, as pro-lifers, do whatever we can to combat their tactics,” she said. “We cannot let abortion promoters in Illinois get away with this. We expect this obscene move to supercharge life advocates throughout the Midwest, to make their voices heard at the January 11 March For Life Chicago and beyond.”
Editor’s Note, 12/26: An earlier version of this article stated that Mary Kate Knorr was a board member of Chicago Right to Life. This has been corrected to read March for Life Chicago.
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