The Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995 may actually become law afterall. Just one week after Pro-Life organizations endorsed the capable efforts of Paul Linton, who filed a petition for the Chicago-based Thomas More Society to request action by the court, the Illinois Supreme Court issued the judicial bypass rule that it had refused to issue in 1995.

The Illinois Supreme Court Justices at that time (6 of 7 having since been replaced) refused to issue such a rule, despite legislators having “respectfully requested” that they do so. That inaction led to a Federal district court decision to bar enforcement of the Act. Now, however, under new Chief Justice Bob Thomas, the Court issued the necessary bypass appeal rule, “effective immediately.” The decision of the seven justices was unanimous.

Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of Thomas More Society, said, “We salute our Supreme Court for issuing this new rule for implementation of the Parental Notice of Abortion Act. The new rule negates any objections to enforcing parental notice in Illinois. Now we call on our Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, to go as promptly into Federal district court and urge that the injunction against parental notice be lifted. It’s high time that Illinois parents have an opportunity to counsel their daughters about such vital matters, fraught with lifelong consequences. Bypass procedures offer ample flexibility for those young women trapped in abusive or dysfunctional family situations. On the other hand, those cases must not set the standard for all other Illinois families, in which parents love and care for their kids.”