{"id":329300,"date":"2025-04-08T08:58:17","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T13:58:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=329300"},"modified":"2025-04-08T13:03:37","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T18:03:37","slug":"partial-victory-pregnancy-centers-illinois-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/partial-victory-pregnancy-centers-illinois-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"A partial victory for pregnancy centers in Illinois means their ‘fight is far from over’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A district court judge has issued a ruling<\/a> striking down part of Illinois’ Health Care Right of Conscience Act (HCRCA) as unconstitutional, while upholding an amendment to the Act that would force pro-life pregnancy centers and physicians to refer clients for abortion.<\/p>\n

On Friday, April 4, 2025, the court struck down “a key provision of the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act (HCRCA) which had sought to compel pro-life physicians and pregnancy centers to promote pro-abortion talking points with women in need,” according to a press release<\/a> from the Thomas More Society. However, in the case of Schroeder, et al. v. Treto, Jr.<\/em>, the split court decision upheld<\/em> “a separate amendment to the HCRCA,” which “gutted conscience protections for pro-life physicians and pregnancy centers and required them to refer for abortion.”<\/p>\n

District Court Judge Iain Johnson wrote that the “State can\u2019t require medical professionals to discuss with patients what the State believes are the benefits of abortions”; however, the court is allowing pregnancy centers and pro-life physicians to be forced to “effectively endorse a course of conduct they find morally abhorrent\u201d \u2014 forced to refer women to places that will kill their preborn babies, despite Plaintiffs’ objections on the basis of free exercise and free speech.<\/p>\n

While the Plaintiffs and their legal representation are glad that part of the law has been struck down, Judy Cocks, Executive Director of 1st Way Life Center, one of the Plaintiffs, noted that this is not a full victory.<\/p>\n

“I have yet to see what the so-called \u2018benefits of abortion\u2019 are \u2014 what I see regularly at our centers, instead, is the pain and regret that comes with abortion,” said Cocks. “At the same time, we are deeply troubled that the court\u2019s decision upholds Illinois\u2019 abortion referral mandate. We cannot, in good conscience, recommend or refer for abortion… Our women deserve options rooted in love, not mandates that harm our communities and the women and children we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n