McLean County Times

State Sen. Sally Turner (R-Lincoln) is warning lawmakers pushing to have the Parental Notice of Abortion Act (PNA) of 1995 repealed to be careful about what they wish for.

“By repealing this act we're going to make it easier for sexual predators and sex traffickers to abuse our children,” Turner said at an Oct. 19 press conference on the PNA and the legislation that would repeal it. “Sex trafficking experts have already noted that traffickers seek out states with no parental involvement. They know that if their victim is a minor and they want to force them into an abortion they have to prove a parent was informed and if we vote to repeal this law we will help make the daughters of our state a target for them.”

Turner argues repealing the PNA would also constitute an unwarranted attack on the rights of parents.

“The parental notice of abortion act requires a minor to inform a parent that they intend to receive an abortion procedure,” she said. “The facility just merely has to tell the parent or the guardian that they're going to get one. Our state government has a history of telling minors and even young adults that they aren't prepared to make important decisions, yet we're trying to pass this legislation that makes it possible for a minor to make a very important health decision that could have both physical and mental consequences while parents are left in the dark.”

Turner dismisses arguments made by some supporting the repeal that it’s needed in light of legislation in Texas that bans most abortions after a cardiac activity in a fetus is detected, which typically comes at about six weeks following conception.

“Without notification, there will be children in our state that will needlessly continue to suffer because no one knows what's happening,” she said. “On behalf of parents in Illinois, I beg the majority party not to repeal the parental notice of abortion act.”