Southern Illinois News

State Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) wants to see fairness prevail in the fight against COVID-19 mandates.

“The act allows people the right to refuse to receive or take part in health care services that are contrary to their conscience,” Bryant said at an Oct. 26 news conference where the Healthcare Right to Conscience Act was debated. “I'm retired from the Illinois Department of Corrections. I spent a good portion of my career dealing with inmate lawsuits and finding time and time again that an inmate is given the right to say what his sincerely held religious beliefs are. However, Gov. Pritzker doesn’t want to give the free people of this state even the small amount of freedom that is given to inmates within the Department of Corrections.”

After Gov. J.B. Pritzker expressed his support for removing any religious or personal exemptions from COVID-19 vaccines and testing, legislation was filed to make changes to the Illinois Healthcare Right of Conscience Act.

Despite no Republican voting in favor of the bill, the measure passed the House by a 64-52 vote and now needs approval from the Senate before being ready for the governor’s signature.

House Floor Amendment 3 would amend the Health Care Right of Conscience Act that currently bans 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 change in language would establish the legal right of a business owner “to take any measures or impose any requirements …intended to prevent contraction or transmission of COVID-19.”

Bryant still isn’t giving in.

“The Healthcare Right of Conscience Bill has over 40,000 opponents slipped in for committee,” she said. “That is the size, if you think of it, of more than 68 of our 102 counties. So, enough citizens in this state to equal more than 68 of our 102 counties are saying no we don't want this. I want us to watch this particularly because of the reasons that I just said to you, but what we need to be watching is a change in committee and a change in bill number.”

Bryant added she’s seen what public pressure can do in getting lawmakers to reconsider pushing forward with legislation that is clearly not popular with voters.

“You might remember just a couple years ago there was an abortion bill that had over 20,000 witness slips in opposition to it and it was changed at the last minute on Memorial Day weekend,” she said. “I can’t remember if it was Sunday or Monday, but it was changed on Memorial Day weekend to a different bill, into a totally different committee and I would look for that to happen again. So, we're going to be watching that vigilantly. Any attempt to weaken this protection of moral convictions or religious beliefs must be stopped. I strongly oppose any attempt by the majority party to make changes to the Healthcare Right of Conscience Act.”