CHICAGO – Republican candidate for governor Paul Schimpf took Democrats to task for the misguided and damaging policies they advanced during the recent veto session, which concluded early this morning. He pointed to a series of legislative missteps around a variety of issues, ranging from parental rights to redistricting.
Schimpf found the repeal of the Parental Notification of Abortion Act particularly troubling. “This is a betrayal of parents, plain and simple,” Schimpf said. “This is yet another example of Democrats’ failure to understand that parents play an appropriately vital role in a minor child’s life.”
Several Democrats crossed the aisle to vote with Republicans against the repeal—but not enough. “The fact that the repeal faced significant bipartisan opposition shows just how extreme this agenda is,” he added. “This repeal puts young women—many of whom are as young as middle-school age—in significant danger.”
“This issue is very important to me,” Schimpf explained. “My career as a military prosecutor unfortunately meant dealing with many sexual assault cases. This repeal opens the door for more victimization of underage young women while denying parents the opportunity to support their daughters.”
The repeal was just one of many examples of Democrats’ “rejecting common sense,” said Schimpf. He noted the passage of an amendment to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act, which prevents people from being conscientious objectors to COVID vaccine mandates.
“Pushing back against one of our most sacred rights, the right of conscience, is typical of many Democrats in Springfield, and is clearly an effort to quash whatever resistance remains to Governor Pritzker’s rigid and overbearing COVID regime,” Schimpf noted. “By removing the ability of Illinoisans to refuse to comply with COVID- and vaccine-related mandates, Governor Pritzker’s power over our everyday lives grows even more suffocating.”
Similarly, Schimpf cited the new Congressional and state legislative maps as proof that Democrats are far more interested in keeping power than they are in fairness or giving all voices in Illinois a chance to be heard.
“We know Governor Pritzker lied when he said on the campaign trail that he wouldn’t accept partisan, gerrymandered maps,” Schimpf said. “Now that he’s in power, he and his Democratic colleagues have done everything they can to make sure that Republican voices are silenced.”
“Pritzker and Democrats in Springfield have prioritized enhancing their own power while failing to protect children or respect the rights of adults—especially parents.”
In a sharp contrast to Pritzker-style rule, Paul Schimpf offers a distinct alternative: real leadership. As Governor of Illinois, Schimpf will build upon a career-long legacy of keeping people safe and facilitating justice. Unlike Pritzker, he’ll keep his word, hold himself and others accountable, support business-friendly policies, and stand up to special interests.
That change will be necessary to fix Illinois—and to chart a productive path toward fulfilling the state’s immense potential.
About Paul Schimpf: Paul Schimpf served as a State Senator for the 58th Senate District, was the Minority Spokesperson for the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and, during his time as an active-duty Marine Corps officer, was the chief American attorney advisor to Iraqi prosecutors in the trial of Saddam Hussein. For more information on Senator Schimpf, please visit Schimpf4Illinois.com.