SPRINGFIELD – State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) expressed disappointment after the Illinois House of Representatives passed two controversial changes late Wednesday night. The Illinois House first approved a change to Illinois’ Healthcare Right of Conscience Act. Severin says the change allows Governor JB Pritzker a bit more leeway in pending lawsuits against his vaccine or testing mandate.
”Governor Pritzker has been allowed to manage the pandemic on his own as the House and Senate Democrats have sat idly by, yielding to his every demand, bowing to every Executive Order,” Severin said. “I’ve been working to get our state back open, to get kids back in school, to get people back to work after the shutdowns. I have also encouraged people to get the vaccine if it makes sense for them. I have totally opposed the mandating of the COVID-19 vaccine, especially for our first responders, police, nurses, doctors, and EMTs. They were the ones helping us fight this pandemic from the very beginning. Now Governor Pritzker and Illinois Democrats are threatening them with losing their livelihoods because of a deeply held conscientious or religious belief they hold. That is wrong.”
House Democrats scraped together enough votes to pass the elimination of religious exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines and testing to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act late Wednesday night. A parliamentary hold has now been placed on the bill and its future is uncertain.
Another major item passing the House was the elimination of the requirement that parents of minor children be notified within 48 hours of the minor child having an abortion (HB 370). The change in law was hotly opposed by pro-life and parental rights groups.
”Illinois House and Senate Democrats have now added the removal of the right of a parent or guardian to know if their minor child is about to have an abortion to their growing list of leftist progressive policy advancements,” Severin said. “This is a dangerous change in law, that removes fundamental rights of parents to be made aware of serious medical decisions being made in their children’s lives.”
The repeal of the parental notification of abortion bill has now passed both the House and Senate and heads to the governor’s desk.
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