The president of Illinois State University’s Students for Life group informed SFLI that on the way to class a few weeks ago, she encountered volunteers passing out Planned Parenthood lanyards to promote the organization! We are disappointed, though not surprised, that Planned Parenthood is engaging in this kind of advertising directed at college students.
Incidents like this remind us how important it is to ensure that every campus in Illinois has a pro-life group like ISU!
Because a Christian student group at the University of California Hastings requires members and leaders to be Christians, the University has de-recognized the group. Hastings has an “all comers” policy that requires student groups to allow any students to act as members or leaders, despite ideological differences or the effect that said differences could have on the groups’ activities and message.
The Christian Legal Society and pro-life attorney James Bopp filed legal papers with the Supreme Court in an attempt to overturn a lower court’s decision to uphold Hastings’ policy. President of Students for Life of America Kristan Hawkins told LifeNews.com that “this decision could have a devastating impact” on pro-life student organizations throughout the country.
Let us pray that the Supreme Court will uphold our First Amendment right to organize and define student groups along ideological grounds!
See the full story at LifeNews.com.
For Immediate Release
Contact: John-Paul Deddens
Phone: 217-255-6675
Email: johnpaul@prolifeillinois.com
Students Send Sweet Message to Springfield
College students travel to Springfield to lobby against “The Reproductive Health and Access Act”, deemed “Illinois FOCA”
Springfield, IL – On Thursday February 11, Illinois Students will converge in Springfield for a lobby day hosted by Students for Life of Illinois: “Cupcakes at the Capital”. Their lobbying efforts will focus on dissuading the Illinois General Assembly from passing “The Reproductive Health and Access Act”. The bill has been called the “Illinois Freedom of Choice Act,” due to its radical agenda to remove commonsense restrictions on abortion ranging from parental notification to right of conscience laws for health care providers.
Students will give cupcakes to the legislators with the message “Life is Sweet” written in the icing. “So often, people go into lobbying with a demanding spirit. We want to show our appreciation for our representatives, while at the same time boldly informing them of our stance on this crucial issue,” said John-Paul Deddens, Executive Director of Students for Life of Illinois. “Nothing in last year’s Illinois FOCA or what we expect to be introduced this year is meant to help women in need. It only tears down what few protections we have in Illinois.”
Students from over 13 different schools including University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Loyola University Chicago, Lewis University, Bradley University and Northern Illinois University will be lobbying Thursday in Springfield.
Students for Life of Illinois is an umbrella organization that exists to help college students bring about a culture of life on their campuses by providing resources, training and support. More on Students for Life of Illinois at www.ProLifeIllinois.com.
This past weekend, Executive Director John-Paul Deddens and Board Member Alicia Torres spent time with high school students in the TeenSpeak segment of SpeakOut Illinois entitled:
Deddens and Torres shared with students the many ways in which they can establish and grow their high school pro-life groups, as well as how they can become involved with SFLI once they begin college. Staff had a great time with the students and enjoyed the dynamic presenters at SpeakOu
t. Thanks to all who made this wonderful event possible!
You can read more about TeenSpeak at the Generations for Life Blog.
[An insightful article on last year's Illinois FOCA. This indicates what we have to look forward to this year...keep your eyes open!]
by Brenda Kay Zylstra
It is an axiom that Illinois politics and politicians are dirty, corrupt, factious and belligerent. Indicted governors, crooked mayors, a budget so broke even MacGyver couldn’t salvage it into anything helpful — to study IL politics is to long for a return to blissful ignorance. Not even Obama in all his splendor can cover over this multitude of sins and sinners.
And yet, in the face of the worst economic turn-down since at least the 30s, in the face of an $11.5 billion IL budget deficit, despite last year’s absurd budget fiasco of earmarks and in-fighting and childish squabbling, the Illinois General Assembly is considering passing a fiscally, legally, morally irresponsible bill concerning abortion.
Right now the Illinois General Assembly is considering passing HB 2354, entitled the Reproductive Health and Access Act. Illinois already has fewer abortion restrictions than most states. As the bright blue bedrock in the red Midwest, IL stands in stark contrast to its neighbors, lacking laws pertaining to informed consent, waiting periods, parental notification [and so forth] that most other states have deemed necessary. Americans United for Life believes that only nine states have worse records than IL for defending life.
It appears the IL General Legislature is shooting for dead last.
At this moment, I’m not here to argue Roe v. Wade or ‘right to privacy’ or when life begins. If you’re even vaguely pro-life, you are already opposed to this bill. Read More→
