SPRINGFIELD – Planned Parenthood lobbies state lawmakers on a consistent basis to promote their industry – not unusual. They do their best to push lawmakers to make their industry easier to access, with less regulations on their local venues as well as less qualifications for their industry staff – especially the ones that perform medical procedures on their clients.
One obstacle to the most vulnerable clients they have is parents. Parents of minor daughters that are concerned about their daughters' welfare can stifle access to Planned Parenthood's clinics. Girls younger than 16 have to get a ride to Planned Parenthood clinics to access life-changing medical procedures like abortions and that makes it more difficult to get by those Planned Parenthood obstacles – those pesky parents.
That's why a growing number are saying Planned Parenthood of Illinois is now fighting so hard to keep parents in the dark about their daughters' medical conditions. They don't want parents to be notified when their 12 year old daughters go to Planned Parenthood for abortions. Planned Parenthood simply wants their vulnerable, young clients to be honest and open only with them – the same people that are making money off of them.
In Illinois, parents are notified and must give consent when their underage daughters get tattoos, piercings, aspirins and even suntans in commercial tanning salons. That's fine – and even great – to the very same lawmakers that oppose parents knowing about their daughters' getting abortions.
When minors go to abortion clinics like Planned Parenthood, they are assumed to be residents of Illinois and poor enough to have access to Medicaid coverage. Planned Parenthood takes care of the billing details – and young, ill-informed and immature girls think they're getting rid of their unborn babies for free. No one needs to know.
Tuesday, State Senator Elgie Sims, Jr. passed a repeal of the parental notification law out of an Illinois Senate committee. Some people celebrated the identical bill being sent to a House subcommittee "to die." Others hesitated to celebrate, knowing Planned Parenthood is on a wild high, expecting to push through every conceivable abortion promotion possible with a pro-abortion Governor Pritzker and a pro-abortion super majority in each of the Illinois General Assembly chambers.
Senator Sims is likely to call SB 1594 before the Illinois Senate soon – a move that has prolife groups very concerned.
"It is truly tragic the Senate Public Health Committee today approved Senate Bill 1594, which seeks to repeal the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act. Since this law went into effect, the incidence of abortions among minors has dropped 57 percent in Illinois. Why would anybody vote for legislation that effectively removes parents and guardians of minors from a major decision that is known to have significant physical and mental after effects?" the Catholic Conference of Illinois asked after the vote.
"Current law makes it illegal for minors in Illinois to use an indoor tanning bed; buy cigarettes, alcohol or lottery tickets; or vote in an election. Are we to believe abortion is somehow less consequential than getting a tan?" they said. "We urge the full Senate to use reason, support parents and their daughters, and strongly reject this appalling legislation."
Life supporters are rallying at the Capitol Wednesday, and Planned Parenthood is urging its abortion supporters to call lawmakers to counter the "misinformation" prolifers are sharing with their state representatives and senators.
Sponsors that do not want parents to know about their minor daughters' abortions are:
Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. - Melinda Bush - Laura M. Murphy - Linda Holmes - Robert Peters, Laura Ellman, Omar Aquino, Heather A. Steans, Mattie Hunter, Ann Gillespie and Toi W. Hutchinson
Planned Parenthood tweeted Wednesday:
