Washington, D.C. – Friday, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed the SB 1554 legislation that amends the state’s Health Care Right of Conscience Act to require health care providers to promote abortion even if it contradicts their religious or moral beliefs. The legislation will force pro-life doctors to refer their patients to clinics and providers that are willing to perform abortion procedures, and was passed narrowly in the Illinois House on strictly partisan lines. Jeanne Mancini, President of March for Life Education and Defense Fund, has provided the following comment on the controversial bill:

“By signing this radical bill into law, Illinois Governor Rauner is literally forcing medical experts to defy their consciences on an issue as important as being pro-life. This is blatant discrimination, and this law will have a negative impact on the quality of the medical community,” said Jeanne Mancini, President of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. “As more and more states, from California to New York and now Illinois, continue to attack the conscience rights of health care professionals and providers we call on the U.S. Senate to pass the Conscience Protection Act, which has already passed the House. Forcing health care providers to violate their consciences on the issue of life is deplorable, un-American and must be stopped.”

The March for Life in Washington, D.C., began as a small demonstration on January 22, 1974, the first anniversary of the now-infamous Supreme Court decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton and rapidly grew to be the largest pro-life event in the world. The peaceful demonstration that has followed on this somber anniversary every year since is a witness to the truth concerning the greatest human rights violation of our time, abortion.

Jeanne Mancini, President of the March for Life Education & Defense Fund is available for commentary. For more information, please contact Andrew Shirley at Ashirley@SBPublicAffairs.com or (703) 739-5920.

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