House approves changes to Health Care Right of Conscience Act
By JERRY NOWICKI
Capitol News Illinois
jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House passed a measure Wednesday night that would give employers greater authority to enforce COVID-19 vaccine or testing requirements.
The final vote came after 10 p.m. Wednesday, passing on a 64-52 roll call with two present votes. No Republicans voted for it, and enough Democrats peeled support for it to fail to meet the three-fifths majority that would allow it to become law before June 1, 2022. It still needs Senate approval before it can head to the governor, who supports it.
The measure, also backed by Attorney General Kwame Raoul, had become a flash point, with opponents calling it an infringement on personal freedoms and proponents classifying it as an effort to clarify existing law to close a legal loophole allowing people to flout COVID-19 vaccine or testing mandates.
More than 50,000 witness slips were filed against it on the Illinois General Assembly website.
House Floor Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 1169 would amend the Health Care Right of Conscience Act, which currently prohibits discrimination against anyone for their “conscientious refusal to receive, obtain, accept, perform, assist, counsel, suggest, recommend, refer or participate in any way in any particular form of health care services contrary to his or her conscience.”
The amendment would insert language stating that it is not a violation of the law for an employer “to take any measures or impose any requirements …intended to prevent contraction or transmission of COVID-19.”
Its proponents argued in committee and on the floor that it’s needed to strengthen vaccine mandates by allowing employers to enforce them.
Ashley Wright, chief of legislative affairs for Raoul’s office, said at a committee hearing Tuesday that there have been recent court decisions in Illinois, including one earlier Tuesday, in which judges have blocked employers from enforcing vaccine mandates, citing the existing HCRC Act.
The court decisions have also been used to forgo testing requirements.
After 8 p.m. Wednesday, Raoul was seen discussing the matter with Rep. Robyn Gabel, an Evanston Democrat and the bill’s chief House sponsor, outside of House chambers, but he declined a Capitol News Illinois interview request.
In floor debate, Gabel said the HCRC Act was initially passed “to preserve the ability of health care providers, including pharmacists, to refuse to perform or provide health services related to abortion and reproductive health care that violate their conscience.”
The reason for her bill was to clarify that existing law, she said, because it should not be applicable to mitigation measures aimed at slowing a deadly pandemic. Those with health care or religious concerns regarding mandate compliance can still access federal exemptions, she said.
“Contrary to rampant misinformation campaigns, this bill is not a vaccine mandate,” she said. “In fact, it does not require anyone to do anything. As the bill itself says, this is simply a declaration of existing law and shall not be construed as a new enactment.”
Gov. JB Pritzker spoke on the bill at a news conference earlier in the day, pointing to its use to skirt vaccine or testing mandates.
“Just yelling out ‘conscience’ and saying, you know, ‘I don’t want to do it’ isn’t good enough,” Pritzker said. “We have to keep people healthy and safe. That’s the whole purpose of the mitigations that we’ve put in place. Now, the Health Care Right of Conscience Act is being misinterpreted and used in court cases to try to allow people who just don’t want to get vaccinated, are anti-vaxxers, the anti-maskers, to avoid the rules.”
Critics of the bill, however, argued the language is overly broad and that the Health Care Right of Conscience Act actually was intended to protect an individual’s right to make his or her own health care decisions.
“This legislation is designed to lead to absurd results, where you can let an employer or any person employed by any unit of government in the state of Illinois to force a person to do things, even things your doctor thinks is medically contraindicated, wrong or harmful,” Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, said in floor debate. “And tonight, your yes vote means you’ve denied them a remedial claim.”
Rep. Keith Wheeler, R-Oswego, said a decision on vaccination should be between a doctor and a patient, and the proposed change is a clear change to existing law, not simply a clarification of it.
“This is pretty clear,” he said of the existing law. “This is actually very clear, that people expect a right, they have a right right now. They have a right and this bill effectively changes that right when it comes to COVID-19.”
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Local News
Mother Mac unveils new lights and scoreboard
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Across the nation, women’s sports are on the rise in terms of viewership, enthusiasm, sponsorship and excitement. Mother McAuley is no stranger to the impact that women’s athletics has on the development of an individual, strengthening of a team and key skills and attributes developed along the way. South Side…
Cicadas in the park in Palos Park
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Cicadas are coming and the Village of Palos Park is ready. The village hosted its 31st annual Arbor Day Celebration on Sunday, May 5, themed, “The Wonder of Trees” at The Center in the Lodge, 12700 Southwest Highway, with featured speaker, Tricia Bethke of The Morton Arboretum who presented, “Cicadas…
Palos Heights SD 128 sees enrollment boom
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Over the past few years, Palos Heights School District 128 has experienced an explosive growth among incoming students. There has been a significant increase particularly at Indian Hill Early Learning Center, 12800 S. Austin Ave. Chippewa Elementary School, 12425 S. Austin Ave; Navajo Elementary School, 12401 S. Oak Park Ave;…
Comings & Goings: Orange’s Pancake House now open in Palos Heights
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Palos Heights is the home of a popular new breakfast café. Orange’s Pancake House, 11845 Southwest Highway, held a ribbon-cutting event on April 18. Owners, Elvia Briones, of Virgina, and Fernando Cruz, of Evergreen Park, said they were very excited to be in the heart of the Palos Heights community.…
Sisters make Chicago Lawn a world destination
Spread the love. Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 . Earlier this month was the Fifth Lithuanian Documentary Film Festival, with distinguished guests from Lithuania and other parts of the United States visiting the neighborhood. They held a photo session in the editorial office of…
Happy Mother’s Day to everyone, everyone
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796 . Yet another Mother’s Day is upon us. I wish everyone a happy day. By everyone I do mean everyone. There are a lot of dads who do it alone, along with important mother…
Mother’s Day is truly a day to be celebrated
Spread the love. Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . Mother’s Day happens on Sunday, May 12. If this isn’t something to celebrate, I don’t know what is. Motherhood means new life, new beginnings, new possibilities. Even if you won’t be seeing your mom, you can still…
Saint Xavier men’s volleyball finishes historic season in nation’s top 4
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Saint Xavier men’s volleyball team made history by advancing to the semifinals of the NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Championship. But the Cougars fell to eventual national champion Georgetown (Kentucky), 25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 21-25, 15-10, on May 3 at Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Although there was…
Neighbors
Area Sports Roundup: Marist leads way with 11 wrestlers heading to state
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer An army of area wrestlers is headed to the state tournament, with 49 set to hit the mat in Champaign. During sectional action on Feb. 12, area wrestlers feasted on opponents. Marist will send 11 to the tournament, which begins Thursday at State Farm Center on the University…
Paczki Day ahead, not behind
Spread the loveBy Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 If you read my column online last week, you might remember my reference to Paczki Day. I thought it took place on Feb. 9. I was shopping at a Jewel outside our neighborhood around that date, and I asked…
Man charged in string of armed robberies in Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Hickory Hills
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong A Chicago man has been charged in a string of armed robberies that took place in Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Hickory Hills and other communities. He was charged February 2 for the December 28 robbery of the Shell station at 12121 S. Ridgeland Ave. in Palos Heights. Palos Heights police…
Campaign 2020: Civil Rights attorney ShawnTe Raines-Welch to seek judgeship
Spread the loveBy Ray Hanania Civil Rights attorney ShawnTe Raines-Welch has announced her candidacy for one of two vacancies for judge in Cook County’s 4th Subcircuit in the June 28 primary election. Raines-Welch specializes in legal work for municipal governments, including cities, school districts, park districts and other local taxpayer-funded public bodies at an established…
Campaign 2020: 11 elected officials endorse Newman in primary
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Marie Newman’s bid to win the Democratic nomination in the new 6th Congressional District picked up steam Tuesday when 11 elected officials in Cook and DuPage counties announced they were endorsing her in the June primary over fellow incumbent Sean Casten. “Congresswoman Marie Newman has been a very strong and effective…
Owner dispels rumors of Royalberry closing
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Frank Salman, owner of Royalberry Waffle House and Restaurant in Palos Heights, has a simple message: “We’re not closed!” Salman said rumors have been rampant in the area that his restaurant of 17 years suddenly closed at the corner of 127th Street and Ridgeland Avenue. “We are not closed. We are…
Things were poppin’ at Valentine’s event
Spread the loveBy Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 Last Saturday I stopped in at the Valentine Small Business Pop-Up at Monarca, on the northwest corner of 63rd and Spaulding. I really enjoy these events. I always walk out spending more than I planned, this…
The next correspondent could be you
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac GSWNH Columnist At-Large This week, it’s my privilege and pleasure to write the Greater Southwest News-Herald’s column for Greater Ashburn (the Wrightwood, Ashburn, Parkview and Scottsdale neighborhoods). Greater Ashburn has not had a correspondent in this newspaper since Carolina Franco stepped away from writing this column back in late 2019. Anyway,…
$900,000 Lotto ticket sold at Palos Heights 7-Eleven
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Local Lucky Day Lotto players best check their tickets for last Sunday’s mid-day drawing. A winning ticket worth $900,000 was sold at the Palos Heights 7-Eleven store. The winning ticket was sold at the store at 6350 W. 135th St., and matched all five numbers in Sunday mid-day’s drawing: 11-13-24-30-37.…
Bridgeview inks deal to promote village events, tourism
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Bridgeview is again partnering with the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau to market and promote tourism in the village. The village board, by a 6-0 vote at its Jan. 19 meeting, approved the resolution. Per the resolution, the bureau will “help market and promote the region for conventions, meetings,…