By Illinois Review
Illinois State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-Naperville) has introduced legislation in Springfield that makes it a crime for parents to deny a minor child’s access to gender transition and abortion services, calling it “child abuse,” in a bill that seeks to amend the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.
In a Facebook post, Rep. Stava-Murray attempted to justify her actions by citing transgender youth suicide statistics in an attempt to garner more support for her legislation by politicizing a serious mental health issue, writing,
“It is important to know– and quite alarming, that research finds that transgender youth are at greatest risk of suicide (compared to their non-transgender peers) as a result of rejection, bullying, and other victimization.
In other words, for some transgender youth, family support can be the difference between life and death. Parents and caregivers can find resources, peer support, and professional guidance to help along the journey, and to ensure that your child cannot just survive, but thrive.”
In the legislation, which Stava-Murray introduced on February 6th, she defines an “abused child” as anyone “whose parent or immediate family member, or any person responsible for the child’s welfare, or any individual residing in the same home as the child, or a paramour of the child’s parent denies the child access to necessary medical care, including, but not limited to, primary care services, abortion services, or gender-affirming services.”
At least 18 states, including Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi and Nebraska have passed laws restricting transgender health care for minors, and an additional 14 other states are considering similar legislation.
An estimated 20 states, including Illinois, California, Colorado, New York and Pennsylvania have put measures in place that both protect and expand transgender health care services, including for minors.
Awake Illinois founder and parents rights advocate Shannon Adcock is sounding the alarms and the issue is generating national attention as a result of her advocacy efforts. In a recent interview with Illinois-based Bishop on Air, Adcock said,
“Parents are very worried and they’re already flooding Rep. Anne Stava-Murray and the Rules Committee to say ‘Our parental rights are fundamental. Government does NOT grant them to us.’”
On February 6, 2023, Stava-Murray introduced legislation requiring school board officials to provide LGBTQIA+ diversity training to educators. On February 16, 2023, Stava-Murray was a co-sponsor of the book banning legislation that prohibited public libraries from banning books, including sexual and pornographic-type books – allowing anyone, including minor children access to the controversial and perverse material. The legislation would also strip a public library of state funding and grants if they banned any type of book. On June 6, 2023, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) approved the bill and the law took effect on January 1, 2024.
And on September 17, 2023, Stava-Murray introduced legislation to allow noncitizens to receive family planning services under the Medical Assistance Program to include birth control methods and abortion services.
The penalties under “child abuse” can vary from a misdemeanor to a felony charge. Under a misdemeanor, parents could receive probation or up to one year in jail with fines up to $2,500. Felony charges include up to fifteen years in prison and fines up to $25,000.
The child abuse legislation is currently in the Rules Committee awaiting further action where Democrats maintain a 3-2 majority. The Illinois Republican Party, including chair Don Tracy, Illinois Senate Minority Leader John Curran (41st Dist.) and Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (89th Dist.) remain silent and have not commented on the proposed legislation and it’s pending implication for parents statewide.
