Illinois Halts Enforcement of Illegal Pro-Life Speech Restrictions
FREE Catholic Classes
Illinois has decided to suspend the enforcement of a contentious law that imposed speech and advertising restrictions on pro-life crisis pregnancy centers. The move comes after a lawsuit challenging the law's constitutionality on First Amendment and other grounds.
Photo credit: JLA
Highlights
12/12/2023 (5 months ago)
Published in Marriage & Family
Keywords: Illinois, Pro-life, First Amendment, Lawsuit, Abortion Access, Reproductive Rights
Attorney General Kwame Raoul consented to a court order on December 11, enforcing a permanent injunction against the legislation. This injunction prevents the state from enforcing the law, which had been temporarily halted by a judge pending the outcome of the legal challenge.
The law, now rendered ineffective, introduced new restrictions within the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Notably, these restrictions exclusively targeted pro-life pregnancy centers, explicitly exempting organizations that perform abortions. The regulations impacted advertisements and interactions with clients, aiming to prevent what it defined as "deceptive practices" related to surgical and chemical abortions.
Peter Breen, head of litigation for the Thomas More Society, a Catholic law firm representing the pro-life pregnancy centers, expressed satisfaction with the permanent injunction. Breen stated, "This law is just one of a number of illegal new laws enacted across the country that restrict pro-life speech â€" we hope this permanent injunction, with full attorney†s fees, serves as a warning to other states that would seek to follow Illinois and try to silence pro-life viewpoints."
The law, now defunct, failed to specify the information pro-life pregnancy centers needed to convey to potential clients and did not clearly define what constituted a "misrepresentation" related to abortion. The lawsuit argued that the vagueness of the law violated the 14th Amendment right to due process and that its selective targeting of pro-life pregnancy centers breached the equal protection clause. Additionally, the centers contended that the law infringed upon the First Amendment by attempting to stifle pro-life speech.
Provisions within the law suggested that pro-life pregnancy centers were alleged to misrepresent facts and dissuade individuals from obtaining abortions through "deceptive, fraudulent, and misleading information and practice." Violations of the law could result in fines of up to $50,000 for these centers.
We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.
Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.Help Now >
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
St. Faustina Kowalska
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Saint of the Day for Wednesday, Oct 4th, 2023
-
Popular Saints
-
St. Francis of Assisi
-
Bible
-
Female / Women Saints
-
7 Morning Prayers you need to get your day started with God
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Understanding Pentecost: A Celebration of the Holy Spirit in the Catholic Tradition
-
Did you know the Catholic Church has a birthday?
-
Catholic Bishops Call for Civil Dialogue Amid Church Polarization
-
Pope Francis Emphasizes Charity as the Pinnacle of Christian Love
-
Discovering the Heart of Love: Pope Francis Shares Wisdom on Charity
Daily Catholic
- Daily Readings for Friday, May 17, 2024
- St. Paschal Baylon: Saint of the Day for Friday, May 17, 2024
- Prayer to St. Gabriel, for Others: Prayer of the Day for Friday, May 10, 2024
- Daily Readings for Thursday, May 16, 2024
- St. Simon Stock: Saint of the Day for Thursday, May 16, 2024
- Prayer for Travelers: Prayer of the Day for Thursday, May 09, 2024
Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.