The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today applauded the strong statement by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and four other state Constitutional officers -- Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, Secretary of State Jesse White, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, and State Comptroller Daniel Hynes -- supporting House Bill 317 as necessary to protect the "health and safety" of young women in Illinois. House Bill 317, currently pending before the Illinois House of Representatives, reforms the dangerous and harmful 1995 Illinois law forcing all teens in our state facing an unintended pregnancy to tell her parents about the decision to terminate a pregnancy, or go before a judge to explain why her parents cannot be consulted. The legislation endorsed by the state Constitutional officers today expands the number of trusted adult whom a young woman can consult about her decision, and creates an option for a young woman to consult with a medical professional in those rare instances when she cannot discuss her pregnancy with her parents.

The letter in part states that failure to pass House Bill 317 "will negatively affect the health and safety of too many young women in Illinois. We hope that you will ensure that our state has a parental notification law that not only protects teens making a difficult choice, but also affords them a moment of reflection and advice before having an abortion."

"We commend the popularly-elected leaders of our state for joining together to send a strong signal in support of the health and well-being of the young women of Illinois," said Lorie A. Chaiten, Director of the Reproductive Rights Project at the ACLU of Illinois.