Quite the contenious issue, the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act has never been enacted due to a court order. That is, until now.

The most recent version of the law, passed in 1995, would require a young woman seeking to terminate a pregnancy to inform a parent, step-parent living in the household, grandparent, or legal guardian of her decision, or navigate the judicial system for a waiver.

The law was scheduled to go into effect today, after a federal court lifted the injunction in July, but now remains in limbo pending a lawsuit by the ACLU of Illinois and considerations by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Today, the Chicago Tribune published a flawed editorial in favor of the law. Here are a couple of their claims:

It's a sensible, temperate law aimed at ensuring that parents will not be shut out of a decision that has such grave health and moral implications.

It took a long, long time for democracy to work in this instance, but we're glad it did, particularly for a measure that represents an intelligent middle ground on a deeply divisive issue. Abortion-rights supporters think pregnant girls should have unrestricted access to abortion, while abortion-rights opponents think abortion should be illegal for adults as well as teens in most or all circumstances. Neither got their way this time.

The law recognizes that the constitutional right to privacy encompasses a woman's right to have an abortion. But it reflects an understanding that most minors lack the maturity to handle a matter like this without the counsel of the people who care most about them. To most people, we suspect, this is just a matter of common sense.

Needless to say, the Tribune’s editorial oversimplifies a very complex social issue. Sadly, the piece employs many of the same worn-out arguments supporting such laws.

At first glance, parental involvement laws – either notification or consent – for abortion do seem like common sense measures in the best interest of young women. But, with a little more consideration and analysis, we know that’s hardly the case. Parental involvement laws affect the most helpless young women who can not inform a family member or legal guardian – those, for instance, who live in abusive households, are the victims of incest, or who face possible eviction.

What’s more, the Tribune’s charge that young women “lack the maturity” to make such a decision is belittling, to say the least. We have an obligation, first and foremost, to provide young women and men with information, skills, and resources to make responsible decisions about their sexual health. Then, we need to trust them – trust that they will inform a family member or close adult and, if not, that they have a compelling reason.

The Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act is certainly not a “sensible, temperate law” that offers an “intelligent middle ground” to the abortion debate, as the Tribune claims. Putting at-risk young women in harm’s way is not a political compromise.

If you live in the Chicagoland area, join the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health for their annual fall fundraiser to help advance reproductive justice for all Illinois youth.

Thursday | November 12, 2009

6 - 8 pm

Three Peas Art Lounge
75 East 16th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60616

acoustic performance by somilia rabee | cocktails + hors d'oeuvres + silent auction

price:
$40 general admission | $20 < 30 years old

all ages welcome | 21+ to drink | wheelchair accessible

please rsvp online by Friday, November 6

via Newsweek It's been a mainstay of sex ed for more than a decade. Now, as the Obama administration cuts off federal funding, the movement scrambles for money, determined to continue its mission. Read the full article.

Here in Chicago, we're thrilled about a recent victory for health care access!

On October 7, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance establishing a buffer zone outside all medical facilities to protect health care workers, volunteers, and patients from harassment and obstruction.

A week earlier, the Chicago City Council Human Relations Committee passed the ordinance, sponsored by Aldeman Vi Daley (D-43), to create a 50-foot zone outside the entrance of health clinics and hospitals, an area in which all individuals would need permission to come within 8 feet of another person. Violations would result in a fine of up to $500. The full City Council voted 28-13 in favor of the ordinance. Here is a list of how all the Chicago aldermen voted on the measure.

People seeking medical care at health facilities that perform abortions often face protesters outside, some of whom use intimidating and threatening tactics . In fact, Planned Parenthood of Illinois reports a significant increase in the number and aggressiveness of protesters since the May 2009 assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas. The buffer zone ordinance is intended to protect patients as well as staff and volunteers from any form of harassment. Meanwhile, the zone still preserves the right to free speech by allowing people to protest peacefully from a safe distance.

Accessing health care can be a challenge for men and women of all ages. Youth, in particular, often face many hurdles to access sexual and reproductive health care -- insurance coverage, transportation, and confidentiality, to name a few. Creating a safe environment outside medical buildings -- free of physical obstruction and verbal harassment -- is crucial for adolescents.

Mayor Richard Daley has now agreed to sign the new ordinance into law. Thank you, Mayor Daley and the City Council, for protecting the rights of all people, including youth, to gain safe access to health care.

Now, I love baking and cupcakes just as much as the next person, but is this really the best way to reduce abortion rates?

Instead, why not spend all that time and labor on, you know, passing proactive educational policies to prevent unintended pregnancies in the first place? Or reducing sexual violence rates? Or, perhaps, increasing social service funding to low-income families with children?

I'm just saying.