Galesburg Reporter

Parents of pregnant teenagers under the age of 18 will no longer have to be informed of an abortion prior to the procedure now that a law requiring notification has been repealed by Illinois lawmakers.

Prior to the repeal being passed in both the state Senate and House of Representatives, state Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) spoke out about her objections to changing the law. 

"How can we justify doing away with parental notification of abortions? I'm not talking about authorization or consent, it is notification. It's letting the parents know their child is going to be undergoing a major medical procedure so that the parents can be aware and help provide that child with mental and physical healthcare that they desperately need in such a critical time," Tracy said during an Oct. 26 news conference.

Tracy emphasized that parental notification was meant to allow parents or guardians to intervene if they believed a teenager was being taken advantage of or pressured to make the decision to end a pregnancy.

"A pregnant 14-year-old girl does not have the emotional maturity to deal with implications of her decision alone," Tracy said. "No matter what choice she makes, her decision will have lifelong physical and mental consequences and she needs her caregivers – her parents – to be aware of this decisions so that they can provide appropriate support."

Tracy also pointed to other laws passed by the general assembly that extended both the smoking age and the age that children can remain under supervision of the Department of Children and Family Services to 21 because studies have shown that is the age most adults are capable of making responsible decisions for themselves.

"The governor's agenda in many of the bills that have been passed in the last spring session and the veto session drives wedges between parents and their children and their responsibilities and duties to nurture and take care of their children," Tracy said. "It's an attack on parental rights and it's a constant theme of this administration, and it's just one more example of the governor's overreach into the lives and the homes of Illinois families."

The bill passed the House on Oct. 27, just days after it was approved by the state Senate. 

ABC 7 reported the 62-51 vote in the House sent the law to the governor's desk for his signature, but since it fell short of 71 yes votes the repeal won't take effect for another seven months. 

Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago) cosponsored the repeal bill.