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| 43rd District Representative Anna Moeller (D) photo from Illinois General Assembly bio |
Those who are politically active will have seen this coming. Pro-abortion legislators have attempted to repeal parental notification before, and Planned Parenthood has already stated its intentions to push for parental notification's repeal in 2021.
Currently, abortion businesses are required to inform a minor's parent or guardian at least 48 hours before that minor has an abortion. She is not required to get permission from her parent or guardian after they are informed, but abortion businesses are obligated to at least make a minor's caretakers aware of the situation.
Additionally, as is often the case with many parental notification laws across the country, minors in Illinois can receive a judicial bypass from a judge. This means that if a judge approves, the minor can still have an abortion without notifying a parent or guardian. The idea is that a girl living in an abusive or violent situation can avoid the repercussions that might come with parental notification.
In practice, abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood often know which judges they can contact to get judicial bypasses for any abortion-seeking minor.
Additionally, judicial bypass introduces major problems by covering up rape, sex-trafficking, and abuse. A girl who has been raped, perhaps even by a family member, can go right back to her previous living situation after having an abortion. If the girl was raped by someone outside of her family, her parents will never learn about it. The absence of parental consent enables these crimes to go unnoticed and unpunished.
By repealing the Parental Notice of Abortion Act, pro-abortion politicians will only be enabling this type of behavior even further.
Expect to see more about HB 1797 in the coming weeks.
