Roundup: Parental Notification in Illinois

Aug 5, 2009, 10:12am

Amy Dempsey

Parental Notification in Illinois; Parental Notification in Alaska; Oakland's "Bubble Law" Upheld

Parental Notification in Illinois
For the last 10 years, abortion has been at the center of a legal
dispute in Illinois. On Tuesday, the state began requiring under aged
girls who want an abortion to notify their parents. The law was
originally passed in 1995, but an injunction prevented it from being
enforced, according to stltoday.com.

Abortion opponents praised the law, but are afraid abortion providers
will not enforce it. Dawn Behnke of the Alton-based Illinois Federation
for Right to Life told stltoday.com,
"They (abortion providers) will have a legal obligation…If they’re
not serious about doing that, it’s going to be a problem."

The article said:

"Abortion-rights advocates, meanwhile, worry that girls from abusive
homes will be in danger if they inform their parents and will be too
scared or uninformed to ask a court to bypass the parental notification
requirement. The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which has
fought against implementation of the law for years, has set up a hot
line for girls to address that concern."

Illinois, and 24 other states, now require parental involvement. Girls
under 18 years of age must notify their parents of their decision to
have an abortion 48 hours prior to the procedure, stltoday.com said.

Parental Notification in Alaska
Abortion opponents in Alaska are launching a similar campaign that
would require parental consent for under aged girls in the state. If
the group gets 33,000 signatures, the measure will be on the August
2010 ballot, citizenlink.com reported.

A school teacher and Planned Parenthood filed suit, trying to block the initiative from being on the ballot.

Oakland’s "Bubble Law" Upheld
Rev. Walter Hoye, a Baptist minister who challenged Oakland’s "bubble
law" after being convicted of violating it last year, is "horribly
disappointed" at a federal judge’s decision to uphold the ordinance,
the Los Angeles Times reported.

The article said, the judge found the law "neutral in its content and appropriately applied by police."

One day a week, for the past few years, Hoye would stand outside Family
Planning Specialists Medical Group, an abortion clinic, with a sign
that read "God loves you and your baby. Let us help you." He would also
ask patients, "Can I talk to you about alternatives?"

Hoye’s attorneys plan on appealing the decision, according to the Los Angeles Times.

OTHER NEWS TO NOTE:

August 5: STL Today: Illinois law now requires minors seeking abortions to inform parents

August 4: CitizenLink: Planned Parenthood Challenges Alaska Pro-Life Law

August 4: Central Illinois Proud:Planned Parenthood Disagrees with New Abortion Law

August 4: LifeSiteNews:New Gallup Poll: More Americans Pro-Life than Pro-Choice Thanks to Obama

August 4: Pro Life Blogs: Operation Rescue Announces "Keep It Closed" Campaign

August 5: Reuters India:Weight gain after birth-control shot may last

August 4: Air America: GRITtv: Abortion Providers Face Uncertain Future (VIDEO)

August 4: KOAM-TV: Neb. abortion provider plans Kansas clinic

August 4: Pro Woman Pro Life: Birth control

August 4: Examiner: Is the media biased?