October Veto Session Preview

The Illinois House of Representatives is scheduled to return to Springfield for our annual Fall Veto Session on October 19-21 and October 26-28. Here is a preview of the major issues that could be voted on this month:

Congressional Redistricting

Illinois Democrats are at it again. After passing partisan-drawn state legislative maps last month in a back-room process to avoid public scrutiny, Democrats in Springfield are expected to pass a new congressional map for Illinois during the upcoming Veto Session.

After the Illinois House of Representatives Redistricting Committee concluded their first public hearing on the redistricting of Illinois’ Congressional map last week, U.S. Representatives Darin LaHood (IL-18), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Mike Bost (IL-12), Adam Kinzinger (IL-16), and Mary Miller (IL-15) made the following joint statement on the Illinois Democrats’ sham redistricting process:

In Springfield and Washington, Illinois Democrats like to talk about empowering voters, but their sham redistricting process shows they only care about protecting their own political power. Illinois citizens have been clear that they want an independent redistricting process free of political influence, but as we speak, Democrat lawmakers are picking their own voters behind closed doors. We would hope Governor Pritzker keeps his campaign promise to veto any map drawn by politicians, but our failed governor has shown twice already that he’s perfectly fine with lying to the people of Illinois if it means his party can stay in power. The Democrats’ corruption in Illinois will continue as long as Pritzker and Democrats in Springfield can pre-ordain the results of elections before voters cast a ballot.

I agree with our Illinois Republican Congressional Delegation and will vote NO on the Democrats’ partisan-drawn congressional maps when they come up in the House of Representatives this month.

Parental Notification Law in Jeopardy

In 1995, Governor Jim Edgar signed a parental notification bill into law. Under the Parental Notice of Abortion Act, a doctor providing care to a minor under age 18 seeking an abortion in Illinois must notify a designated adult family member – a parent, grandparent, step-parent living in the home, or legal guardian – at least 48 hours beforehand. The law does not require consent, just a letter or phone call from the abortion provider giving notice. It is about as low a bar as exists in elective surgery for minors.

Democrats are once again pushing for a full repeal of Illinois’ parental notification law this fall during our upcoming Veto Session. State law restricts teens and young adults from drinking beer until age 21, but Democrats believe it should be a fundamental right for a minor to undergo a major medical procedure without a parent or guardian’s knowledge. I strongly OPPOSE their reckless and dangerous effort to repeal the parental notification law.

State law should not seek to remove parents from parenting. Look at the issues we have in Chicago with low graduation rates and street violence when parents are not involved in the lives of their children. Repeal of the parental notification law would put young girls at risk and drive a wedge between parents and children at a time when they may need them the most.

Protecting the right of personal freedom in health care decisions

Governor Pritzker and Democrats in the state legislature are aiming to change state law to force compliance with the Governor’s vaccine mandates. Currently, the Healthcare Right of Conscience Act protects the right of individuals to make their own personal health care decisions and allows health care providers the right to refuse to perform any procedure or treatment that conflicts with their conscience. “Conscience” is defined by law as a set of sincerely held moral convictions/religious beliefs.

Governor Pritzker wants Democrats to pass legislation to weaken this law when we go back down to Springfield to deny Illinois citizens the right to choose if they want to be vaccinated.

Specifically, Healthcare Right of Conscience Act states:  It is the public policy of the State of Illinois to respect and protect the right of conscience of all persons who refuse to obtain, receive or accept, or who are engaged in the delivery of…health care services.

I strongly support the Healthcare Right of Conscience Act and will oppose any effort to weaken it. We are now more than 18 months into the state’s pandemic response and the state legislature must reassert itself as a co-equal branch of government to protect our freedoms and public health at the same time. One does not have to be sacrificed for the other. We must defeat the Democrats’ reckless attempt to remove conscience protections in state law with regard to personal health care decisions.