The purpose of H.B. 2093 is to expand the list of abortion clinic personnel who are required to report underage abortions. Under current state law, a limited number of people -- such as the abortionist -- are required to do so. But William Beckman of the Illinois Right to Life Committee tells OneNewsNow that most of the contact abortion seekers have at clinics is with staff other than the abortionist.
"[Under this bill] people in the office...would all be considered responsible 'reportees' as well so that they can't hide behind excuses of only certain people being the ones who would be mandated to report," says the pro-life activist.
Asked about the need, Beckman referred to undercover investigations by Mark Crutcher of Life Dynamics and Lila Rose of Live Action that revealed the willingness of abortion clinics to do abortions on minors and not report the statutory rape to authorities.
"The ability of abortion clinics to skirt the law or even directly and blatantly violate it is obvious," he says. "And so at least having a solid law that makes it more difficult for them to come up with excuses to get around the law...makes it important to have things like this in place."
Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union are fighting against the bill, but another prominent pro-abortion group -- NARAL Pro-Choice America -- is neutral on it. The two opponents argue that the law would place an additional administrative burden on clinic staff. Beckman, however, describes that as a "smokescreen" not based on reality.
Source: OneNewsNow
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Illinois Federation for Right to Life
