This one is another one were we only had Yes/No answers. You can see the questions are much more detailed. Please read all of my other questionnaires. Thanks Andrew (Drew) Georgi.

Personal PAC 2008

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

 

Protecting the Lives and Health of Illinois Women

 

In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that the decision to have an abortion is a private one to be made by a woman, in consultation with her physician, without government interference. Since 1973, the Illinois General Assembly has either passed or attempted to pass numerous bills which seek to dangerously restrict access to abortion.

 

                1).     If the Illinois General Assembly were considering a law to criminalize all abortions, except
                      procedures necessary to prevent a woman’s death, would you OPPOSE this legislation?

            (X)Yes    ( )No

            Reason: I believe women should have the right to choose if they will bring a pregnancy
            to term especially if it may not be a life or death case but it can be a risk for other major
            medical conditions that will affect her long term health. I also believe there should be a
            choice in rape and incest cases. The woman had no choice in most of those cases and should
            not be reminded further about what someone did by having to go to term carrying a child she
            did not want in the first place. Plus there is more of chance she will suffer long term medical
            conditions the longer she has the child in her from whatever disease the attacker might have
            had at the time of the attack.

 

   2).     Would you OPPOSE changing the law or amending the Illinois Constitution to criminalize
            abortion in Illinois?

            (X)Yes    ( )No

            Reason: Same as number 1.

 

   3).     Would you SUPPORT legislation to codify and protect private reproductive decision making in
            Illinois law?

            (X)Yes    ( )No

            Reason: Same as number 1.

 

Mandatory parental notification or consent before a minor may obtain an abortion can be a very difficult personal issue at first glance for parents and legislators alike. Despite Illinois’ unconstitutional 1995 parent-involvement law, good family communication is not something that can be legislated. In the few states where mandated parental involvement has been enacted, the documented results show, not a decrease in teen pregnancy, but delays in services with serious health consequences. In some cases teenagers have died at their own hands, at an illegal abortionist, or at the hands of a parent who has committed incest. Because it is important to protect the health and lives of teenagers in crisis situations, nearly every respected medical and public health organization in the U.S. is now on record opposing parental notification and consent laws, recognizing that judicial-bypass provisions do virtually virtually nothing to help young women and result in larger court backlogs. These organizations include the American Medical Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Public Health Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychologists, Society of Adolescent Medicine and Nurses Association of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. A recent study in Texas showed that many pregnant 17 year olds are postponing their abortions for weeks or longer until their 18^th birthday to avoid the parental notice law there. Other teenagers are now going to the internet where there is no shortage of predators who will take their money and promise drugs to terminate a pregnancy, making the internet the new “back-alley” with illegal and dangerous abortion information for frightened teens to escape parental notice laws.

 

On June 29, 2007, New Hampshire repealed its “Parental Notice of Abortion” law, recognizing that such laws are completely unworkable, waste taxpayer’s money and only result in horrible consequences for teenagers who cannot consult their parents. In signing the repeal law, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch stated, “I strongly believe parents should be involved in these decisions, providing important support and guidance. Unfortunately, that is not possible in every case.”

 

4).     Would you SUPPORT legislation to repeal Illinois’ 1995 Parental Notice of Abortion law?

         (X)Yes    ( )No

         Reason: I feel that today’s children are not getting the support and guidance they should
                   because the parents have to spend more time away from home to financially support their
                   families due to the high costs of living and the low worker raises.This is leading us to a
                   breakdown of the family in this country where children don’t feel they can talk to their parents
                   about important issues like this. We do not need children have babies that they can not
                   support, making it even harder on the families, or worst yet adding the amount of children in
                   the care of the state adding to working class having to pay out more in taxes and giving the
                   American people more lower class citizens in the future to help support since most of these
                   children fall into the same cycle of their mothers since they do not get the support and
                   guidance they need to make the right choices in their lives or the financial support to finish
                   school or go on to college.

 
In 2007, HB317, “The Adolescent Health Care Safety Act,” was narrowly defeated in the Illinois House. This legislation would have given pregnant teens, especially those from violent and abusive homes, the option of seeing a caring professional or adult family member in seeking help about pregnancy. This legislation would have resulted in more parents being brought into the abortion decision as well as more teen victims of sexual abuse and violence getting legal intervention to protect them from future harm.

 

     5).     Would you SUPPORT legislation that expands the categories of people a pregnant minor can
    consult in seeking an abortion to include adult family members, clergy, a trained professional such
    as psychiatrist, clinical social worker or advanced nurse among others?

    (X)Yes    ( )No

              Reason: I feel in cases where there is sexual abuse and/or violence inside the family all children
    should be able to go to someone outside the situation for help. A lot of times even other family
    members know what is happening and will not help for any number of reasons including denial, fear
    of violence on themselves, or not wanting the public or other family members knowing about what
    is happening leaving the child on their own in something they can not and should not have to
    deal with on their own ever.

Recently, legislators have taken it upon to tell physicians how to practice medicine, forcing doctors

to put aside their best judgment and opt for inferior medical procedures which put the health and

lives of women at risk.

 

     6).     Would you OPPOSE legislation in which the government would decide what medical care a
              physician may provide to patients throughout any stage of pregnancy?

    (X)Yes    ( )No

              Reason: All patients have the right to have any procedure available that has been approved by the
              medical community to insure the best possible outcome in their treatment and the treatment of
              their unborn child.

 

     7).     Would you OPPOSE legislation that places bans on abortion procedures but does not include an
              exception to protect the woman’s health?

    (X)Yes    ( )No

              Reason: The health of the mother should always be the priority. The mother can try for another
              child later and does no good for the child or the family if they lose their mother just so the child
              can live.

 

Informed consent is already required for all medical procedures. Recently, some states began to require mandatory anti-abortion lectures. Most of this legislation requires a physician to recite a predetermined litany of biased information about the “risks” of abortion without requiring a discussion of the significantly greater risks of pregnancy and childbirth. Physicians are already obligated under law to discuss the appropriate risks and alternatives to all medical procedures, and to obtain the informed consent of a patient before proceeding. A mandatory anti-abortion lecture violates the physician-patient relationship and is nothing more than patients being forced to review state mandated anti-choice propaganda.

 

     8).     Would you OPPOSE legislation mandating that a physician who performs an abortion be required to
              first show a patient materials about fetal development at various stages during pregnancy, and
              other state-mandated information designed to dissuade a woman from having an abortion?

    (X)Yes    ( )No

              Reason: I believe that it should be up to medical community to make sure that all treatment
              options be presented in a fair, even, and non-biased view showing all the risks of each giving the
              choice to the patient to choose what is best for them.

 

There have been attempts to single out abortion as the only medical service for which there should be a mandatory waiting period between the time a woman signs the consent form and the actual performance of the abortion procedure. These laws do nothing to assist women in making the decision to seek an abortion and are designed by opponents of abortion to harass women who choose to terminate a pregnancy. Most women who live outside the Chicago area must travel long distances to a clinic. The waiting period forces them to make two trips. Even in Chicago, a waiting period requires a woman to take two days off of work to visit the clinic for no actual, medical reason. These laws are yet another governmental intrusion into the physician/patient relationship and can cause delays that threaten a woman’s health, or result in a denial of services.

 

     9).     Would you OPPOSE legislation requiring a waiting period between the time that a woman signs a
             consent form and the time that her abortion procedure is performed?

    (X)Yes    ( )No

              Reason: There should be no delay especially when the health of the patient could be affected. By
              the time a woman signs the consent form there she has thought about what she is done many
              times over and knows exactly what she wants to do by then.

 

Medicaid covers a wide range of medical services including pregnancy-related matters. In. 1977, Illinois singled out abortion as a medical procedure no longer covered under Illinois’ Medicaid programs. In 1994, under court order, Illinois began paying for abortions that are medically necessary to protect a woman’s health. Denying Medicaid funding for abortion costs both taxpayers and families. Approximately three-quarters of the women who are denied Medicaid funding for abortion have one anyway, usually at great sacrifice to themselves and their families. Many borrow from their rent or grocery budgets which means their families must do without basic necessities. Sometimes, because it takes time to secure the money, the woman has to obtain an abortion at a later stage, when the procedure is even more expensive and poses a greater risk to her health. Some resort to an illegal or self-induced abortion, risking their lives.  The cost of a first trimester abortion is approximately 68% of the basic monthly grant for a family of three.

 

     10).    Would you SUPPORT restoring abortion coverage under the state Medicaid plan?

     (X)Yes    ( )No

               Reason: For the three-quarters of the women that will have them anyway, it would bring aid to
               them sooner which would let them do it sooner which would be a safer time for them. For the
               one-quarter that can not find the money else where which leaves the only option to have the
               baby which causes either further hardships on their families or another person to be put into
               the public aid system, It then adds to the cycle of more people being put into the public aid
               system which then would cost the taxpayers more than it would have to pay for the abortion in
               the first place which would then stop the cycle.

 

     11).    Would you SUPPORT legislation to restore state employee’s health insurance coverage for
              abortion?

    (X)Yes    ( )No

              Reason: All people should have the right to any procedure which will keep them healthy and safe.

 

     12).    Would you SUPPORT legislation that would make it illegal to prevent a patient or staff person from
               entering or leaving a medical facility, while at the same time protecting First Amendment rights to
               free speech and assembly?

     (X)Yes    ( )No

               Reason: Every person has the right to have any medically approved treatment without any
               interference from any person or Group. Every person has the right to perform their legal job
               without interference from any person or group. Everyone has the right to let their opinions heard
               as long as it does not interfere with other people’s right to do whatever is legal.

 
In its ongoing assault on reproductive rights, the anti-legal abortion movement has hijacked the issue of stem cell research for political purposes. Not unlike its opposition to all forms of artificial birth control and its opposition to emergency contraception for rape victims, the anti-abortion movement is using opposition to stem cell research to establish as public policy (versus privately held religious doctrine) that life begins at conception without respect for a woman’s health and life. Thus, support of stem cell research is essential to protecting reproductive rights.

 

     13).    Would you OPPOSE legislation banning embryonic stem-cell research?

    (X)Yes    ( )No

              Reason: Even if the new findings that stem-cell research can now be done without the use of
              embryos, I would oppose any legislation that bans embryonic stem-cell research. They approve the
              procedure of artificial insemination which then disposes of the left over embryos after the best are
              implanted. Instead of disposing the embryos, they could be used for the research.

 

Many anti-choice organizations perform ultrasounds on women as a tool to scare and intimidate them from choosing abortion. Often these ultrasounds are performed without any medical supervision. Because of concerns for safety, the Federal Food and Drug Administration, American Institute of Ultrasound Medicine, and the American College of Radiology Board of Chancellors oppose the practice of performing ultrasounds without medical supervision. Both California and Texas have taken action to ensure that medical supervision is provided when performing an ultrasound on a pregnant woman.

 

     14).    Would you OPPOSE legislation that would require a woman to view an ultrasound before she could
               have an abortion.

     (X)Yes    ( )No

               Reason: It adds to the cost of treatment for an un-needed procedure that has no use in to
               perform the procedure.

 

     15).    Would you SUPPORT legislation requiring medical supervision when an ultrasound is performed on a
               pregnant woman?

     (X)Yes    ( )No

               Reason: I believe the use of any medical equipment should only be used by properly trained and
               supervised personnel.

 

     16).    Would you OPPOSE state funding of so-called “Crisis Pregnancy Centers” that refuse to provide
               non-biased, medically accurate information about all legal options to women facing unintended
               pregnancies?

     (X)Yes    ( )No

               Reason: I believe that everyone has the right to be told of every medically approved treatment
               option and then given the choice as to which one they want and should be held in the confidence
               of there doctor.

Preventing Unintended Pregnancy
Mandatory parental involvement before a minor can receive contraceptive care would have disastrous consequences for teenager. Current publicly funded family planning programs annually prevent 386,000 unintended births to teenagers, avoiding 155,000 teenage births and 183,000 abortions. While most teens inform a parent of their use of reproductive health services, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that 80% of teens who don’t would discontinue care if required to and fewer than 1 in 100 would discontinue sexual relations. The result of mandatory parental involvement in contraceptive care would be large increases among teens in undiagnosed and untreated sexually transmitted diseases, more teenage pregnancies, births & abortions. Current Illinois law allows minors to access certain health care services (including mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, prenatal care, HIV/AIDS/STD testing and treatment, and family planning services) without prior parental consent or notification.

     18).    Would you OPPOSE legislation that would require parental consent before a minor could receive
                family planning services?

                (X)Yes    ( )No
               
                Reason: Any of us that have been kids and those that have kids know that we did/ or they will do
                whatever they feel is right no matter what our parents told us or what we told our children. As
                parents we can hope that we taught them how to make those right choices when it comes time to
                sex. We hope that they feel they can come to us when they are thinking about becoming sexually
                active but if they feel they can not, then they need the services of those that will help them make
                the right choices and maybe they will make sure they don’t do something that will affect the rest
                of their lives.

     19).    Do you SUPPORT legislation requiring and fully-funding comprehensive sexuality education in public
               schools?

            (X)Yes    ( )No
            Reason: We need to make sure their education is more than just the how but the why and the
               complete consequences of their choices. We need to make sure that they know how to protect
               themselves from what can happen that could stay with for the rest of their lives be it a baby to a STD.

     20).    Do you SUPPORT allowing school-based health clinics, with local community support, to prescribe or
            dispense birth control to students?

            (X)Yes    ( )No

  Reason: See numbers 18 &19.

 

It is estimated that up to half of all unintended pregnancies and abortions can be prevented through greater access to Emergency Contraceptives (EC). EC is not an abortion drug. It is a safe, effective, FDA approved method of preventing pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. Since EC must be taken within a limited time period to be effective, and because the sooner it is taken the more effective it is, it is imperative that women have quick access to the medication. Unfortunately, some women are forced to waste time because their access to EC is impeded by the requirement of obtaining a prescription from a physician or by pharmacists who refuse to dispense the medication. Under many circumstances these delays cause women to miss the window of opportunity and risk unintended pregnancy.

     21).    Would you OPPOSE legislation that would rescind or allow exceptions to the Illinois law requiring
                 that pharmacies fill prescriptions for contraceptives without delay?

    (X)Yes    ( )No

              Reason: I believe that a requirement for any pharmacist or pharmacy to obtain their license should
              be that they have to agree to fill any prescription without delay.

     22).    Would you OPPOSE legislation that would allow pharmacies and/or pharmacists to refuse to fill
              prescriptions and send customers away without being served?

    (X)Yes    ( )No

              Reason: I believe that a requirement for any pharmacist or pharmacy to obtain their license should
              be that they have to agree to fill any prescription that has been approved by the FDA no matter
              what it is for.

 

Pro-Choice Leadership

 

In many other state legislatures, pro-choice legislators have made protecting the fundamental right to make reproductive decisions privately and without government interference a top legislative priority. Most often, this firm belief in protecting women’s lives and health has been not only in votes cast, but in the expression to the political leadership of conditional support for an agenda based on guarantees that abortion rights will be protected from further attacks. These attacks, of course, are always made on the most vulnerable-young, poor, rural, and now, women whose health would be jeopardized by carrying a pregnancy to term.

 

     23).    Will you diligently express to your Party Leader the importance of promoting a pro-choice agenda?

    (X)Yes    ( )No

              Reason: I believe that this country was founded on the belief that people should have the right to
              choose what is best for themselves and that we need to keep the right to keep doing so. I will
              remind the Party Leadership that we as Democrats believe in making sure the people are given the
              right to choice for themselves in as many areas as possible and not to be taking away any of those
              choices.