Suit Challenges Illinois Amendments To Health Care Right of Conscience Act

On Friday, two pro-life pregnancy care centers and a pro-life physician filed suit in Illinois state court challenging SB 1564, the recently enacted Illinois law amending the state's Health Care Right of Conscience Act. (See prior posting.)  The complaint (full text) in Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford v. Rauner, (IL Cir. Ct., filed 8/5/2016) alleges that the new law violates Illinois' Religious Freedom Restoration Act, as well as plaintiffs' religious freedom, free speech and equal protection rights under the Illinois constitution. The complaint describes the provisions that would require plaintiffs to violate their religious and moral beliefs:

S.B. 1564 requires Plaintiffs and other medical facilities and physicians to choose between referring for abortions, transferring a patient to an abortion provider, or provide a patient asking for an abortion with a list of providers they reasonably believe may perform the abortion.

ADF issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit/