Chicago, Ill., Jul 11, 2013 / 15:11 pm
A unanimous ruling from the Illinois Supreme Court means that a 1995 law requiring parental notification for a minor seeking an abortion will take effect, with implications in surrounding states as well.
"This is a huge victory for the rights of parents not only in Illinois but in all Midwestern states," said Tom Brejcha, president and chief council of the Chicago-based Thomas More Society, on July 11.
The Thomas More Society said that the delay in implementing the law allowed abortions to be performed on non-resident minors, letting them avoiding notification laws in their nearby home states. Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin require parental consent for an abortion, while Iowa and Minnesota require parental notification.
The Catholic legal group charged that many of these young girls were accompanied to the Illinois abortion clinics by the adult men who impregnated them.