Bill Targeting Speech of Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers and Advocates Passes Illinois Senate
Thomas More Society Attorneys Promise Lawsuit if Unconstitutional Law is Enacted
(March 31, 2023 – Chicago) The Illinois Senate passed Senate Bill 1909 today, targeting the speech activities of the state’s pro-life sidewalk counselors and pregnancy resource centers.
“Senate Bill 1909 is a radical attempt to silence and chill the speech of pro-life advocates in Illinois,” stated Peter Breen, former Illinois state legislator and the Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation for the Thomas More Society. “The bill is presented as a ‘consumer protection’ measure, but its purpose is to protect abortion clinics from competition—the supporters of this bill object to pro-life organizations’ highly successful efforts to convince abortion clinic customers to choose life for their children, instead of aborting them. By exempting pro-abortion speech and applying an opaque floating standard against pro-life speech, the bill directly and illegally targets Illinois’ pro-life organizations for civil injunctions and tens of thousands of dollars in fines. This bill is flagrantly unconstitutional, and if it becomes law, we will immediately file suit to protect pro-life organizations’ right to free speech.”
Senate Bill 1909 will now advance to the Illinois House. The full text of the measure, as currently amended, can be found here [https://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=10300SB1909sam001&GA=103&SessionId=112&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=146759&DocNum=1909&GAID=17&SpecSess=&Session=].
About the Thomas More Society
The Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, religious liberty, and election integrity. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, please visit thomasmoresociety.org.
Many Tears Ago
Two people entered a Planned Parenthood door,
Devastation to the core.
One forever damaged, one forever dead,
Writing on the wall needs to be read.
On her mother a child’s hopes were pinned,
Yet mom has cast her fate to the wind.
Abortion is truly not about choice,
It is all about a tiny voice.
Protecting this eternal creation,
The only hope for a fallen nation.
Never knew there was a heart that beat,
Should have looked at tiny hands and feet.
I wonder if she knew her life was for sale,
And understood the ultimate betrayal.
I wish I could say it wasn’t so,
But that was many tears ago.