This morning I did a radio interview with Paul Clayton of KFUO, 850 AM in St Louis, with many listeners over the over the Mississippi River in downstate Illinois. After I had explained how bad HB2354 is and informed listeners what they can do to fight it, Paul asked me point-blank: “Can we defeat this bill?”
My answer was that, yes, we absolutely can defeat HB2354.
As co-sponsors of HB 2354 (the Illinois FOCA) begin dropping off the bill, abortion advocates realize that a new strategy is needed. They need to pretend to be accommodating and reasonable by making amendments to the bill. But this bill will never be palatable to Illinoisians because it’s so outrageous.
One rumor is that the immunity provision for abortion practitioners who injure pregnant women in botched abortions will be removed. Another is that some semblance of conscience protection may be preserved for someone, or at least make it look like it is.
The Illinois Catholic Health Association, the Catholic Charities agencies in each of the dioceses of Illinois, and the Catholic hospitals and clinics of Illinois have sent a joint letter to the House of Representatives, condemning HB 2354. This letter is short and to the point:
March 17, 2009
To the lllinois House of Representatives:
On behalf of Catholic health care in the State of lllinois, we collectively write to urge your opposition to House Bill 2354, “The Reproductive Health and Access Act”. Although we object to this proposed legislation in total, and consider its title misleading, our specific objections concern the abortion language and provisions. [Continue reading ...]
Thank you to Bishop Thomas G. Doran of the Diocese of Rockford! He has released a letter [PDF] urging Catholics to act boldly to defeat HB 2354.
Here are some highlights from his letter:
I take this, for me, unusual manner of communicating with you this weekend because the Church in Illinois is under attack by a piece of legislation, House Bill 2354, in the State General Assembly.
Cardinal Francis George has released a video about the necessity of conscience protection – protection that is removed by section 35 of Illinois FOCA. Thank you Cardinal George!
(While the cardinal is head of the Chicago Archdiocese, he released this video in his office as national President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.)
Mary-Louise Kurey, Director of the Archdiocese of Chicago Respect Life Office, explains why HB 2354 is so dangerous for Illinois.
Thank you to Illinois State Deputy Philip J. Barone for his impassioned call to all Illinois Knights of Columbus and their families for action against HB 2354. State Deputy Barone asked Knights and families to speak to their legislators on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves – the unborn and the young who will suffer greatly because of Illinois FOCA.
Have you asked your friends and family to call their legislators and ask them to oppose Illinois FOCA?
Bishop George Lucas of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois has added his voice to the many clergy who have spoken out against HB2354. In a letter released today, the Bishop said:
… The enemies of human life and religious freedom in Illinois are well funded. Pressure on legislators is great and is increasing. I ask you to contact your Representative this week to express your dismay that the Illinois legislature, elected democratically, would debate a bill that removes freedom of conscientious decision-making for health care workers as a condition of their employment. Surely people of good will can agree that the State should not come between a health care worker and God.
Read the full text of the letter here [PDF]. God bless Bishop Lucas for speaking out against this pernicious bill.
Thank you to Bishop J. Peter Sartain of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet for his timely letter calling for the defeat of Illinois FOCA. The Diocese of Joliet includes over 650,000 Catholics in DuPage, Will, Kendall, Kankakee, Grundy, Iroquois, and Ford counties. Here are some key parts of the letter:
I am taking the extraordinary measure of communicating with you by letter this weekend because I believe we are faced with an urgent matter in the Illinois General Assembly.
Several weeks ago we learned of an extremely troubling bill, HB2354, that would create the “Reproductive Health and Access Act.” This bill has now passed the House Human Services Committee and will be debated on the floor. [Continue reading ...]
Did you know: The state of Illinois is the most anti-life state in the Midwest?
According to the report “State of Choice” put out by “Personal PAC” – Illinois’ abortion provider political action committee – the states surrounding Illinois have reasonable regulations on abortion. Illinois has almost no limits on abortion – instead, our fair state is the “Wild West” of the Midwest.
Download the two-page PDF report to see for yourself.