Illinois Federation for Right to Life

Political Action Committee

2008 General Election

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Illinois Legislation Spring Session 2007

 

This session of the Illinois General Assembly was incredibly busy.  Despite enormous odds against those of us who lobbied for the Pro-Life cause we were successful in many of our efforts. We were able to stop many legislative advances by the other side.  The following represents an overview of the Spring Session which lasted into the fall of 2007 because of overtime and special sessions called by the Governor.

 

1. House Bill 317 Adolescent Healthcare Safety Act

House Bill 317 The Adolescent Healthcare Safety Act was introduced by Rep. John Fritchey on January 18, 2007.  This bill initially gutted the Parental Notification Act of 1995.  However, the legislation went further in that it also repealed the 1995 Parental Notification Act.  The 1995 Act was passed and is currently making its way through the judicial process.  In 1995, a permanent injunction was placed upon that legislation because the Illinois Supreme Court refused to promulgate the necessary rules for the implementation of the appeals process for the judicial bypass.  The legislation remained under permanent injunction until recently when the Illinois Supreme Court issued the rules. 

 

Thereafter, the Federal Court was petitioned by the Attorney General’s office to lift the injunction.  That did not occur because of the rather convoluted nature of the petition filed by the Attorney General’s office.  At this time there continue to be motions filed and movement to remove the permanent injunction of the 1995 bill.  Once that injunction is removed the bill may proceed to be heard on its merits in the Illinois Supreme Court when Planned Parenthood, Personal PAC or the ACLU files action to test the whether the law is constitutional. 

 

House Bill 317 was an attempt to stop parental notification in the State of Illinois.  Rep. Fritchey realized that he could not pass his bill the repeal of the 1995 Parental Notification Act as part of his bill.  Therefore, Rep. Fritchey introduced a new amendment, that became the bill.  The new amendment did not repeal the law, but gutted it.  It allowed for a social worker, physician or counselor to be given notice in lieu of parents.  It was not parental notification, period. 

 

The bill was heard in the House on April 26, 2007 and lost.  The vote was 55 “yes” and 62 “no’s”.  

 

On April 27, 2007, Rep. Malero who had cast a pro-life “No” vote filed a Motion to Reconsider.  A Motion to Reconsider a vote may be filed by an individual who voted with the prevailing side. 

 

On May 1, 2007, a Motion to Table the Reconsideration

 

Motion was filed Rep. David Reis.  The Motion to Reconsider filed by Rep. Malero could not be considered until Rep. Reis’ Motion to Table the Motion to Reconsideration motion was heard. 

 

Neither Motion was heard prior to the adjournment date of May 31, 2007.  

 

We know that there will be continued efforts to stop parental notification in the State of Illinois and we must remain diligent in blocking the opposition’s attacks.

 

2. House Bill 1077 Pharmacy Practice Act-Emergency Contraception

House Bill 1077 amends the Pharmacy Practice Act of 1987.  This bill would allow pharmacists to initiate emergency contraception drug therapy without a prescription.  This bill was initiated to allow over-the-counter prescriptions for Plan B to minors.  The FDA at the federal level approved non-prescription Plan B for sale over-the-counter for those over the age of 18.  This was an attempt to broaden that in the State of Illinois to allow minors to obtain that drug.  The bill was defeated. The sponsor, Sara Feigenholtz realized she simply did not have the votes to pass her bill.

 

3. SB 144 The Insurance-CHIPS-Increase Act

SB 144 The Insurance-CHIPS-Increase Act amended the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan Act.  It increased the lifetime benefit limitation from 1.5 million to 2 million.  It was effective immediately and introduced initially by Sen. Deanna Demuzio.  However, an amendment was place on the bill which contained funding for family planning which could include Plan B and abortion referrals.  Sen. Demuzio withdrew her support of the bill and took herself off as sponsor of the bill when she realized she could no longer support it with the amendment on it.  The bill was picked up Sen. Garrett.  It passed in the Senate on March 8, 2007.  On May 15, 2007, it arrived in the House and was picked up by Rep. Lou Lange.  When the bill came for a vote in the House on May 31, 2007, it also passed but returned to the Senate for concurrence.  Motion 3, which placed the family planning on the bill, failed.  It was placed on ordered non-concurrence for House amendments on June 7, 2007.  The House voted to recede from the Amendment.  The legislation passed both Houses on June 27, 2007 and the Governor approved the bill on August 29, 2007. 

 

4. SB 715 The DHS – School Health Centers

SB 715 created a School Health Center Act.  This bill creates twenty new school based clinics beginning July 1, 2007.  The bill was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Trotter and picked up in the House by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz.  Although we did not have enough votes to stop this bill in the Senate or in the House, we were able to force an amendment onto the bill which provided a consent form for parents to decide to opt into the program or read an itemized list of the services being offered at the school based clinic and opt out if they did not want their child to receive family planning services such as Plan B or abortion referral. 

 

5. SB 19 The DPH – Cord stem cell banks

SB 19 amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Laws and provided for the creation of cord stem cell banks.  This legislation was introduced in the Senate by Emil Jones. However, it was sponsored by Senator Haine who is Pro-life.  This is a pro-life piece of legislation that passed in the Senate with 57 “yes” votes and no “no” votes and in the House with 112 “yes” and no “no’s” and 2 presents.  This is a positive step in creating cord stem cell banks for the use of treating many of the diseases that benefit from adult stem cells and cord stem cells.  The House sponsor of SB 19 was Rep. Dan Reitz.

 

6. SB 04 Stem Cell Initiative – Technical

SB 04 is the stem cell initiative that creates the Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning Prohibition Act.  However, as we are well aware, the bill does not prohibit human cloning but sanctions human cloning through somatic cell nuclear transfer.  This legislation codifies the executive orders of Gov. Blagojevich for the last two years.  It was introduced by Emil Jones and the chief sponsor was Mattie Hunter.  It passed in the Senate on February 23, 2007 with 35 “yes” and 23 “no”.  It was picked up by Rep. Tom Cross in the House, and passed in the House on May 31, 2007.  It received 70 “yes” and 44 “no’s” and 2 “present” votes.

 

7. House Bill 138 – Stem Cell Research Act

HB 138 the Stem Cell Research Act created the Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning Prohibition Act.  This was the act that corresponded with Senate Bill 04 in the Senate.  House Bill 138 was sponsored by Rep. Tom Cross.  This mirrored Senate Bill 04 in that it provided for somatic cell nuclear transfer which is indeed human cloning.  It sanctioned the use of embryos for stem cell research.  The bill passed in the House on March 1, 2007.  The vote was 67 “yes” and 46 “no” and 1 “present”.  However, the bill was not called in the Senate.

 

8. House Bill 139 – The DPH Stem Cell Research Bill

This bill was introduced by Rep. Tom Cross in the House on December 14, 2006.  This provided for 25 million dollars from the tobacco settlement fund for stem cell research including embryonic stem cell research established by House Bill 138.  The bill was referred to the Appropriations Human Services committee on January 31, 2007.  No action was taken on this bill during the scheduled legislative session.

 

9.  HJRCA2-Ratifies Equal Rights Amendment

HJRCA2 is the Equal Rights Amendment; it was introduced by Rep. Lange on December 5, 2006.  It was referred to the rules committee in the House on January 19, 2007.  No action was taken on this legislation during the spring session. 

 

We continued through the summer to lobby and monitor the situation at the Capitol.   

 

The Illinois General Assembly at this time is overwhelmingly pro-abortion and the success experienced in the General Assembly at this time is a testimony to the tenacity and the strength of the pro-life movement in the State of Illinois.  To those of you who assisted with telephone calls, visits to the Capitol or letters and e-mails, thank you for working with us to protect innocent life in the State of Illinois.

 

 

 

 

 

2008 State Voting Records / Legislation

 

Spring Session 2008 proved to be a success story for those who fight to for the pro-life cause.  We were successful in stopping all the anti-life bills introduced during the session.  Truly it can be said that if we are diligent in doing good our efforts will be blessed.

 

Unfortunately, we were unable to stop the governor from using his power to destroy innocent life.   The following is a synopsis of the legislative battle fought in the Illinois General Assembly this year.

 

HB 4623 THE ADOPTION-CONFID INTERMEDIARY BILL

SPONSOR: SARA FEIGENHOLT (D) HD12

 

This bill would have amended the Adoption Act to allow original birth certificates to be obtains by adoptees in many cases without the consent

of the birth parents. It also allows all adoptees (born prior to January 1, 1946) to have UNRESTRICTED access to their original birth certificates regardless of any objection of the birth parents starting  April 1, 2009.

 

This bill does not stop here, it also allows not only the adoptee to obtain the original birth certificate, but is also allows the adoptees surviving spouse and adult children (if the adoptee is deceased) to obtain this information.

 

So why was this bill bad? This bill, in the end, would scare pregnant women out of adopting out their children making abortion look like a better option. The bill paved the way for their children, or their children’s spouses or even their children¡¯s children to find who were their original birth parents and question them why they were given up for adoption now placing quite a bit of guilt on the birth parent.

 

HB4623 has been returned to the Rules Committee. It was your calls that stopped this bill. Thank you for your help.

 

HB 5615 THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE AND ACCESS ACT

SPONSOR: BARBARA FLYNN CURRIE (D) HD 25

 

Section 15 of HB 5615 PROHIBITS the state from any regulation of contraceptives or abortion at any stage of pregnancy, including:

 

- Prohibiting partial birth abortion

 

- Prohibiting Parental notification for an abortion or to obtain emergency contraceptives (Plan B).

 

Section 20 of HB 5615 MANDATES public funding of abortion through Medicaid and could require health insurance for state employees to cover abortion!

 

Section 25 of HB 5615 specifically repudiates any possibility of regulating abortion procedures including a ban on partial birth abortion.

 

Clearly, the enactment of HB 5615 would codify all abortion procedures at any stage of pregnancy, but again it was your calls that stopped this bill, without your help, Illinois’ could have had a terrible, terrible law.

 

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT

SPONSOR: LOU LANG (D) 16

 

The Equal Rights Amendment would have further en-trenched abortion in our society and legally mandate tax-payer funding for elective abortions. The New Mexico Supreme Court recently ruled under their state ERA that since only women undergo abortions, the denial of taxpayer funding is sex discrimination (N.M. Right to Choose/NARAL v. Johnson, 975 P.2d 841, 1998).

 

Clearly the ERA will harm women, families, society, and the structure of our government. Thankfully, the Equal Rights Amendment was never called for a vote, again, all thanks to those who called their Representatives and stopped this amendment.

 

HB2285 COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH INSURANCE-COVERAGE

SPONSOR: KAREN MAY (D) HD 58

 

This bill amends the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan Act and adds a provision that the Plan provide coverage for contraceptives as required under certain Sections of the Illinois Insurance Code. It also deletes a provision excluding any expense or charge for oral contraceptives used for birth control or any other temporary birth control measures from coverage under the Plan.

 

This forces insurance companies in Illinois to cover contraceptives (including Plan B abortifacients) under the Illinois Insurance Code.

 

This bill was held in committee and did not get to the House floor.

 

STEM CELL FUNDING/GOVERNOR BLAGOJEVICH

 

Unfortunately, something did get through the Illinois Legislature. That is funding for embryonic stem cell research. This was passed through as a line in the Illinois budget. 2.5 million dollars was written to fund the research in which human embryos are killed. The Illinois budget has been embroiled in conflict and dispute this year.  Hopefully the money will not be forthcoming.  

 

* There were no roll call votes this session since no life issue legislation passed out of any committees.  See below for the 2007 voting records for more information.

 

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2008 Federal Candidate Voting Records (U.S. Senate)

 

1. Regulation of so-called "grassroots lobbying" groups (01/18/2007, Roll Call No. 17)

This roll call occurred on an amendment offered by pro-life Senator Robert Bennett (R-Utah) to S. 1, an "ethics reform" bill.  The bill contained a provision, Section 220, to require registration and reporting by certain activists and groups who spend money to encourage members of the general public to communicate with members of Congress or other federal officials about legislative and policy matters, which Section 220 called "grassroots lobbying."  Violations to these proposed new requirements would have been punishable by fines of up to $200,000 and prison terms of up to 10 years in certain circumstances.  The Bennett Amendment, which struck the entire Section 220 from S. 1, was strongly supported by Pro-Lifers and by many other issue-oriented groups, which warned that Section 220 infringed on rights protected by the First Amendment, and would inhibit groups from providing timely motivating information to members of the public about matters under consideration in Congress.  The Bennett Amendment was adopted, 55 to 43.  The amendment was supported by 48 Republicans and seven Democrats; it was opposed by 43 Democrats.  Roll call no. 17, January 18, 2007.

 

2. "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007" (S. 5): passage (04/11/2007, Roll Call No. 127)

The "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act" (S. 5), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.), would mandate federal funding of the type of stem cell research that requires the killing of human embryos.  This bill would overturn President Bush's policy that prohibits such funding.  Pro-Lifers strongly opposed S. 5.  On this roll call, the Senate approved S. 5 by a vote of 63 to 34.  The bill was supported by 44 Democrats, two independents, and 17 Republicans.  It was opposed by two Democrats and 32 Republicans.  (Three Democratic supporters of the bill -- Senators Dodd, Johnson, and Landrieu -- were absent.)  The bill was then sent to the House for further action.

 

3. Health coverage for "unborn child" (SCHIP) (08/02/2007, Roll Call No. 302)

The State Children's Health Insurance (SCHIP) program is a federal program that provides funds to states primarily to provide health services to children of low-income families. Under a regulation issued by the Bush Administration in 2002, states have the option of covering unborn children under the program, a policy known as the "unborn child rule." However, since this is an administrative rule, it could be changed by a future administration.  Therefore, in August, 2007, during consideration of legislation to reauthorize and expand the SCHIP program, pro-life Senator Wayne Allard (R-Co.) offered an Pro-Life-backed amendment to codify the "unborn child rule."  The Allard Amendment would have written explicit language into the SCHIP statute to guarantee that a covered child “includes, at the option of a State, an unborn child.”  The amendment further defined “unborn child” as “a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb.” 

 

4. Banning funding of organizations that support coercive abortion programs (09/06/2007, Roll Call No. 318)

The Kemp-Kasten Anti-Coercion law has been in effect since 1985.  It prohibits U.S. "population assistance" funds from going to any organization that “supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.”  One effect of this law has been to bar U.S. funding of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), because of that agency’s support for and participation in the management of the population-control program of the People’s Republic of China – a program that relies heavily on government-coerced abortions.  However, in crafting the Fiscal Year 2008 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2764), the Senate Appropriations Committee removed the traditional Kemp-Kasten language and replaced it with a far weaker provision.  When the bill reached the Senate floor on September 6, 2007, pro-life Senator Sam Brownback (R-Ks.) offered an Pro-Life-backed amendment (Amendment No. 2707) to restore the traditional Kemp-Kasten anti-coercion language.  The Brownback Amendment passed, 48 to 45 (roll call no. 318).

 

5. Boxer Amendment to overturn pro-life "Mexico City Policy" (09/06/2007, Roll Call No. 319) 

Under President Bush's pro-life "Mexico City Policy," private overseas organizations that "perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning" are not eligible to receive funds under the U.S. foreign aid program for "population assistance."  During consideration of the Fiscal Year 2008 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2764), pro-abortion Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Ca.) offered an amendment to prohibit the enforcement of any such pro-life policy.  Pro-Lifers opposed the Boxer Amendment, but it was adopted, 53 to 41 (roll call no. 319).  However, President Bush has threatened to veto the bill unless all language attacking the Mexico City Policy is dropped before the final bill is sent to him.

 

6. Prohibition on abortion services in Indian health programs (Vitter Amendment) (02/26/2008, Roll Call No. 30)

The federal government funds a number of health programs for American Indians, which cover over two million persons.   During the 1970s, the federal Indian Health Service paid for abortion on demand in these programs.  The funding of abortions was stopped starting in the early 1980s, but this policy depended on annual renewal of a pro-life provision (the Hyde Amendment) to an annual appropriations bill.  On February 26, 2008, during consideration of a bill (S. 1200) to revise and reauthorize the laws governing the Indian health programs, Senator David Vitter (R-La.) offered an NRLC-backed amendment to permanently prohibit coverage of abortion within these programs (except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest).   The Vitter Amendment was adopted, 52 to 42 (Senate roll call no. 30).  The amendment was supported by 43 Republicans and nine Democrats; it was opposed by three Republicans, 37 Democrats, and two independents.  [Six senators were absent and of these, three were considered supporters of the amendment, including Sen. John McCain (R-Az.), who was one of four cosponsors of the Vitter Amendment.]   Following adoption of the Vitter Amendment, S. 1200 was sent to the House of Representatives for further legislative action.

Key:

 

   X = Voted With Us

   O = Voted Against Us

   NV = Did Not Vote

The Votes

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2008 Federal Candidate Voting Records (U.S. House)

 

1. and 2. "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act" (H.R. 3): anti-cloning amendment (01/11/2007, Roll Call No. 19 and 20)

On January 11, 2007, the House of Representatives debated H.R. 3, authored by Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Co.) and Mike Castle (R-De.), a bill that would mandate federal funding of the type of stem cell research that requires the killing of human embryos in order to harvest their stem cells. The embryos would be those "donated from in vitro fertilization clinics, [and that] were created for the purposes of fertility treatment," after authorization by the parents. The bill, which NRLC strongly opposed, is intended to overturn the pro-life policy that President Bush announced on August 9, 2001, under which federal funds do not support research that requires the killing of human embryos.  The House Democratic leadership brought the bill to the floor under a "closed rule," which allowed the pro-life side to offer only a single proposed modification to the bill.  This amendment (technically called a "motion to recommit with instructions") would have added language to the bill to prohibit any of the funds authorized by the bill from being given to labs or other entities that do research on stem cells obtained from human embryos created by cloning. It failed, 189-238, a vote shown in this scorecard as Vote No. 1.  House roll call no. 19, January 11, 2007.  (The House then passed H.R. 3 on a vote of 253-174, shown in this scorecard as Vote No. 2.)

 

3. Phony ban on human cloning (DeGette clone-and-kill bill) (06/06/2007, Roll Call No. 439)

H.R. 2560, sponsored by pro-cloning Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Co.), is deceptively titled "The Human Cloning Prohibition Act."  But in reality H.R. 2560 does not ban any human cloning at all.  H.R. 2560 would allow the creation of any number of cloned human embryos, for the specific purpose of harvesting their stem cells or using them in other research that will kill them.  H.R. 2560 actually bans only allowing a human clone to live, by implanting her or him "into a uterus or the functional equivalent of a uterus," or "to ship, mail, transport, or receive" such an embryo.  NRLC strongly opposes this "clone-and-kill bill."  On June 6, 2007, less than 24 hours after the bill was introduced, the House Democratic leadership brought it to the House floor under a fast-track procedure known as "Suspension of the Rules," under which no amendments could be considered.  Under this procedure a two-thirds vote would have been required for approval -- but the bill fell short even of a simply majority, failing on a vote of 204 to 213.  This clone-and-kill bill was supported by 190 Democrats and 14 Republicans, and was opposed by 31 Democrats and 182 Republicans.  House roll call no. 439, June 6, 2007.

 

4. "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007" (S. 5): passage (06/07/2007, Roll Call No. 443) 

The "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act" (S. 5), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.), would mandate federal funding of the type of stem cell research that requires the killing of human embryos.  This bill would overturn President Bush's policy that prohibits such funding.  Pro-Lifers strongly opposed S. 5.  On this roll call, by a vote of 247 to 176, the the House gave final approval to S. 5, clearing the bill to be sent to President Bush, who had already said he would veto it.  S. 5 was supported by 210 Democrats and 37 Republicans.  It was opposed by 16 Democrats and 160 Republicans.  Roll call no. 443, June 7, 2007.  (Note:  S. 5 is similar to H.R. 3, which the House approved on January 11, 2007, on the roll call that appears in column no. 1 in this scorecard.  However, the Senate subsequently chose to act on its own version of the bill, S. 5, rather than passing H.R. 3.)

 

5. Smith-Stupak Amendment to protect pro-life "Mexico City Policy" (06/21/2007, Roll Call No. 534)

Under President Bush's pro-life "Mexico City Policy," private overseas organizations that "perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning" are not eligible to receive funds under the U.S. foreign aid program for "population assistance."  The Fiscal Year 2008 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2764) contained language, authored by pro-abortion Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), designed to undermine the "Mexico City Policy" by requiring the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide such pro-abortion organizations with certain U.S.-funded contraceptive supplies.  Pro-life Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Bart Stupak (D-Mi.) offered an amendment, which was strongly supported by Pro-Lifers, to remove the pro-abortion language from the bill, but the amendment failed, 205 to 218.  The Smith-Stupak Amendment was supported by 180 Republicans and 25 Democrats; it was opposed by 12 Republicans and 206 Democrats.  The bill was then passed and sent to the Senate.  Roll Call No. 534, June 21, 2007.

 

6. Deny federal "family-planning" funds to Planned Parenthood (07/19/2007, Roll Call No. 684)

Title X (“Title 10") of the Public Health Service Act provides more than $300 million annually for grants to state and private entities for “family planning” programs.  Although federal law does not permit such funds to be used to pay for abortions, large amounts of Title X funds go to organizations that operate abortion clinics, including affiliates of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), the nation's largest abortion provider.  On July 19, 2007, during consideration of the Fiscal Year 2008 appropriations bill for the federal Department of Health and Human Services, pro-life Congressman Mike Pence (R-In.) offered an amendment to prohibit any Title X funds from going to any arm of Planned Parenthood.  The amendment failed, 189 to 231.  The Pence Amendment was supported by 16 Democrats and 173 Republicans; it was opposed by 210 Democrats and 21 Republicans.  Roll Call No. 684.

The Votes

Key:

   X = Voted With Us

   O = Voted Against Us

   NV = Did Not Vote

   I = Not in Office

Key:

   X = Voted With Us

   O = Voted Against Us

   NV = Did Not Vote

   E = Excused Absence

   P = Voted Present

   A = Absent

   N/A = Vote not available

Illinois Senate

Illinois House