SB 1564: The Continuing Story

Almost one year ago, SB 1564 was signed into law. Since then, it has caused a firestorm of outrage among the pro-life medical community and pregnancy help centers in Illinois. Why? Doctors, pharmacists, and pregnancy resource centers in Illinois, regardless of their mission or pro-life principles, are forced to talk about the so-called “benefits” of abortion and assist women in obtaining abortions by helping them find an abortion clinic. At this time, only two pregnancy resource centers and one medical professional have been granted temporary injunctive relief from the law.

In an interview for The World View, Emily Troscinski, executive director of Illinois Right to Life, summarized the continuing fallout after the bill’s passage.

“Some pregnancy centers are suing,” she said, “and they have been given temporary relief from the law until that judge can make a determination. There are other pregnancy centers which have not been given temporary relief from the law, and they are actually not seeing patients right now. They are not counseling women. They are sending them to other pregnancy centers.”

This radical, pro-abortion legislation passed both the House and the Senate by May of 2016, and was signed into law by Governor Bruce Rauner the following July. On January 1st of this year, it took effect. Here’s a timeline of the legal action that has taken place since the bill was signed:

August 5, 2016

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed suit in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court in Winnebago County, on behalf of the Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford (Rockford), Dr. Anthony Caruso of A Bella Baby OBGYN (Downers Grove), and Aid for Women (Chicago). Mauck & Baker Attorneys at Law are also co-counsel in the case. You can view the lawsuit here.

September 29, 2016

ADF filed suit in federal court on behalf of the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) (Fredericksburg, VA), Informed Choices (Grayslake and Crystal Lake), TLC Pregnancy Services (Elgin), Mosaic Pregnancy & Health Centers (Belleville), and Dr. Tina Gingrich of the Maryville Women’s Center (Maryville). Mauck & Baker LLC are co-counsel in the case. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. You can view the lawsuit here.

Oct. 27, 2016

ADF filed a motion for preliminary injunction in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court in Winnebago County on behalf of the Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford, Dr. Anthony Caruso of A Bella Baby OBGYN, and Aid for Women. Mauck & Baker LLC are co-counsel in the case. You can view the complaint here.

December 20, 2016

The Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford, Dr. Anthony Caruso, and Aid for Women were granted a preliminary injunction (temporary relief) against the law, until the pending ruling is made. You can view the order here.

February 2, 2017

The Thomas More Society filed for injunctive relief on behalf of the Women’s Centers of Greater Chicagoland (Chicago) and Hope Life Center (Sterling) in the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in Sangamon County. You can see the complaint here.

February 9, 2017

The Thomas More Society filed for injunctive relief on behalf of eighteen pregnancy resource centers in the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in Sangamon County. The pregnancy resource centers who filed suit are:

Abigail Women’s Clinic (Mendota), Choices Pregnancy and Health (Charleston), Corbella clinic (South Elgin), Family Life Center (Effingham), First Step Women’s Center (Springfield), Freeport Pregnancy Center (Freeport), Hope Life Center, Inc. (Sterling), Lighthouse Pregnancy Center (Vandalia), New Life Pregnancy Center (Decatur), Options Now (Godfrey), Pregnancy Information Center (Aurora), Pregnancy Resources (Moline), Pregnancy Resource Center (Rushville), Southside Pregnancy Center, Inc. (Oak Lawn), Spoon River Pregnancy Resource Center (Canton), The Women’s Centers of Greater Chicagoland (Chicago), Waterleaf Women’s Center (Aurora and Bolingbrook), We Care Pregnancy Center (DeKalb).

You can view the complaint here.

March 16, 2017

The Thomas More Society filed suit in federal court on behalf of 1st Way Life Center (Johnsburg), Pregnancy Aid South Suburbs (PASS) (Chicago), and Dr. Ronald Schroeder (Jerseyville), in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. You can view the lawsuit here.

March 31, 2017

A state court hearing in the lawsuit filed by ADF on behalf of the Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford, Dr. Anthony Caruso, and Aid for Women, was held in the Seventh Judicial Circuit in Winnebago County.

The pro-life community has made clear that it is not going to back down. Stay tuned to our page for more information and updates on this continuing story.