“This is a right and responsibility that God grants, and which no government can take away. In attempting to do so, this legislation acts directly against God’s will, which is the very definition of evil…This most heinous offense against God and neighbor [abortion] is now made more easily accessible to minor children than tattoos or getting their ears pierced.”
Illinois’ parental notification law was passed in 1995 but only implemented in 2013 after a court battle. It required that abortion providers notify the parents of a minor seeking an abortion at least 48 hours before the scheduled abortion, except in certain cases where the minor could not notify a family member. A minor was allowed to seek a judge's approval to bypass the notification requirement.
“Thirty-seven states, and every other state in the Midwest, have at least parental notice of abortion laws,” the state’s Catholic conference said in October. “Yet Illinois is no longer among them. What an ignominious outcome for those who supported and voted for the bill.”
Not only does the repeal endanger children who have abortions and facilitate the murder of children in those abortions, Paprocki stated, but it also grants “a free pass to sex traffickers” who would enslave women and young girls and force them to have abortions.
“The government rightly exercises its authority by establishing laws that protect minors from making life-altering decisions that they are not equipped to make, establishing laws that prohibit children from tanning, buying lottery tickets, buying cigarettes, and purchasing alcohol and tobacco,” Paprocki pointed out.
“Minors cannot get body piercings without parental consent, nor can they undergo every other invasive medical procedure without parental consent. Removing the requirement for parental notification, our government has knowingly put our children in mortal danger and physical danger.”