Illinois now allows children to have abortions without telling parents

Illinois adopted the Parental Notice of Abortion Act 28 years ago. It required that girls under 18 cannot have an abortion without consenting to it. It was held up in court until 2013 when it finally came into effect. The law was considered an endorsement of parental rights that allowed parents to have a say in the development and education of their children. But on Friday, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a law Abrogating the PNAA The measure was defeated in the legislature. Even some Democrats joined all the Republicans opposed to it. According to single-party Democratic leadership, this is the direction Illinois seems headed. (Chicago Tribune)

So let’s review how the state of Illinois views the independence and treatment of minors for a moment. Is it possible for a minor girl to get a tattoo in Illinois? No, she can not. (The tattoo artist can be taken to prison if she does. Can she buy and drink beer? Nope. In fact, she has to wait until she’s 21. She can’t go to a movie theater to see an R-rated film. Well… she can if she’s seventeen and has a valid ID. Her guardian, parent, or sibling must purchase the ticket on her behalf.

At 16, she can decide to get an abortion or become pregnant. “he” And have male hormones pumped into her without her parents knowing about it, that’s just fine and dandy. I understand that Illinois in 2023 is almost certainly a state that wouldn’t impose many – if any – restrictions on abortions in the post-Dobbs world, but this just seems like a case of liberals trying to shove it in everyone’s faces.

It shouldn’t matter what your personal position on abortion is, be it pro or con. This is a bigger question. Children need their parents’ help when making big decisions that will impact them for the rest of their lives. That’s why we have age of consent laws. Children are not considered able to give informed consent.

This repeal measure’s supporters claim that children are at risk in homes where they are exposed to abuse, incest, or both. But we’re talking about a (thankfully) tiny number of households. That argument also fails to pass logic. If they are worried about their safety at the home, minors can ask for an intervention from a Judge to waive the notification requirement. The linked report shows that 99.5% of such requests have been granted since the law’s inception. If they truly wanted to enhance such protections, they could have made waivers easier and transparenter than repealing the whole bill.

This is part of a larger and very disturbing trend we’re seeing around the country. People who claim to care for children are making it easier for them to be hurt, especially in liberal states. And this speaks to a larger culture that rejects parental rights and believes that the state knows what’s best for children rather than their parents, unless, of course, the state is run by conservatives.

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