Voting Records of Incumbents

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  However, the legislation went further in that it also repealed the 1995 Parental Notification Act.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.

 

Key

 

X =   Voted for Life                O =   Voted Against Life                        NV = Did Not Vote

 

E =    Excused Absence       P  =   Voted Present                              A =    Absent

 

N/A = Vote not available