GRANNIE ANNIE’S
TOP TEN LIST
THE CHICAGO BAR ASSOCIATION

10. Why do some Illinois State Representatives tell me that in order to get legislative approval for any adoptee rights bill, and in particular HB 4623, (a bill to give some adopted adults their original birth certificate) it must first pass muster with the Chicago Bar Association?

9. Why does the Chicago Bar Association ALWAYS oppose the unconditional issuing of original birth certificates to adopted men and women?

8. Are you all adoptive parents?

7. What legal right, duty, or hold does the bar association have over adopted adults?

6. Are the members of the Chicago Bar Association smarter than members of adoptee rights organizations?

5. Does the Chicago Bar Association have more experience being adopted than members of adoptee rights organizations?

4. Is the bar association afraid that the legislators aren’t smart enough to present a bill that is legal?

3. Are you all birth mothers or birth fathers?

2. Why is the Chicago Bar Association special in the eyes of the lawmakers? Why did you get a heads up on the date and time of the Wednesday, March 13, 2008 hearing on HB 4623? Representative Sara Feigenholtz scheduled a hearing AND VOTE on HB 4623 but did not let the public know until just hours before the hearing was set, thus effectively preventing the public from expressing its opinions on this bill. Does she like you better than she likes me?

AND THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION FOR THE CHICAGO BAR ASSOCIATION IS

1. WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

ILLINOIS: IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED

BASTARD NATION: THE ADOPTEE RIGHTS ORGANIZATION
P.O. Box 1469
Edmond, OK 73083-1469
415-479-3741
http://www.bastards.org/


PLEASE DISTRIBUTE FREELY

ILLINOIS ACTION ALERT

URGE THE ILLINOIS HOUSE TO VOTE NO ON HB4623.

HB 4623, sponsored by Representative Sara Feigenholtz, is a dangerous bill and must be voted down. Sometime during the month of April, the Illinois House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on HB4623. We do not know what day the bill will get to the House floor, so we must ACT IMMEDIATELY in order to let our voices be heard. {Please see easy Contact Information below}

IF PASSED INTO LAW, HB 4623 WOULD…

1. …..give birth parents 6 months after the bill is passed to file “Denial of Information” forms with the Adoption Registry. Any adoptee whose birth parent files a “Denial of Information” form will NOT receive an original birth certificate. This section includes a 6 month advertising campaign to let birthmothers know their choices.

2…..define three different classes of adult adoptees, those born before 1946, those born between January 1, 1946 and January 2009, and all prospective adoptions.

3.…..give all prospective birth parents 21 years in which to file a Denial of Information Form. Current law requires them to file a denial within 6 months.

4.…..give birth parents 5 options that range from contact to anonymity to choose from.

5.…..permit redacting ( or whiting-out) an official document.
6.…..codify "anonymity" for the first time.
7.…..make all of the birth parent options go through the Illinois Adoption Registry where the concerns are related to searching rather than to civil rights.
8…..allow for the possibility of adoptees receiving copies of birth certificates with birth parent names removed as well as the adoptee's name.
9.…..grant access veto powers to birth parents who relinquished all legal rights to the adoptee as a child.

PLEASE E-MAIL, WRITE, CALL, or FAX THE MEMBERS OF THE ILLINOIS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IMMEDIATELY. TELL THEM THAT HB4623 IS A SERIOUSLY FLAWED BILL WHICH MUST BE VOTED DOWN SO THAT A TRUE ADOPTEE RIGHTS BILL CAN BE WRITTEN AND FILED IN ITS PLACE.


WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE BILL NEEDS 70+ VOTES IN ORDER TO PASS OUT OF THE HOUSE. WE MUST PUT AN END TO IT RIGHT IN THE HOUSE WHERE IT BEGAN!


Background
HB 4623 began back in January as a shell bill purportedly to make changes to the IL CI system. On Monday, March 10th, Rep. Feigenholtz announced her new OBC search bill, HB 4623. On Tuesday, March 12, the shell bill was transformed into the new 77 page OBC search bill. On Wednesday, March 13th, the new bill went straight to the House Adoption Reform Committee, of which Rep. Feigenholtz just happens to be chair. That very same day, the committee voted 8-1 vote to pass the bill. The new 77 page bill was only put up on the IL website hours before the hearing so there was no time for interested parties to testify. No wonder the committee passed the bill; even they didn't have time to read all 77 pages.


This bill has been rejected by many adoption reform coalitions, including Illinois Open.

The 77 page complete text of the bill is at
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&SessionId=51&GA=95&DocTypeId=HB&DocNum=4623&GAID=9&LegID=35302&SpecSess=&Session=
Bastard Nation: http://www.bastards.org/
Illinois Open My Space http://www.myspace.com/illlinoisopen
Illinois Open web page http://www.ilopen.org/
Adoption Reform Illinois Resource Page: HB 4623 opposition coalition letter to legislators and media http://www.73adoptee.com/2008%20open%20letter.pdf

CONTACT INFORMATION – Cut and paste
eacevedo@hdsmail.state.il.us,Repdistrict3@yahoo.com,repbassi@aol.com,strepmbeaubien@aol.com,rep@pbellock.com,rep_berrios@yahoo.com,bobbiggins@comcast.net,wbblack@cooketech.net,ilrepmikeboland@aol.com,mikebost@midwestmail.com,rbradley@hdsmail.state.il.us,dan@repdanbrady.com,rbrauerr@housegopmail.state.il.usJBROSNAHAN@PRODIGY.net,burekdj@legis.state.il.us,Chapalaviali@legis.state.il.usrepcolvin@sbcglobal.net,coulson@earthlink.net,tom@tomcross.com,Repcurrie@earthlink.net,mdavis@hdsmail.state.il.us,williamd@legis.state.il.us,Lisadugan@sbcglobal.net,kendunkin@msn.com,joe@josephdunn.com,Reddyunit1@aol.com,sara@staterepsara.com,bobflider@repflider.com,mflowers@hdsmail.state.il.us,Jack@JackFranks.org,mystaterep@aol.com,staterepPaul@sbcglobal.net,staterepgordon@sbcglobal.net,st.rep.graham@sbcglobal.net,julie@juliehamos.org,hannig@hdsmail.state.il.us,hoffman@legis.state.il.us,strephow@legis.state.il.us,n.jakobsson@worldnet.att.net,staterepchuck67@aol.com,kevinjoyce35@aol.com,rkosel@aol.com,Repkrause@aol.com,Reploulang@aol.com,davidleitch@ameritech.net,dstrct50@aol.com,repmendoza@aol.com,judybe@ameritech.net,mmadigan@housedem.state.il.us,sidneymath@email.msn.com,brandy@ivnet.com,karenmay58@aol.com,mmcauliffe20@yahoo.com,kevmac37@sbcglobal.net,jmcguire86@sbcglobal.net,jhmeyer@gmail.com,repdavidmiller@aol.com,repmitchell@earthlink.net,repjmitchell@cin.net,moffitt@grics.com,repmulligan@USA.net,ruthmunson@ruthmunson.com,repmeyers@mccomb.com,enekirtz@repnekritz.org,osmondjoann@aol.com,CGMORROW11132@aol.com,poer@housegopmail.state.il.us,70thdist@pritchardstaterep.com,johnjmillner@aol.com,cyberelm@earthlink.com,leader@mcleodusa.net,repreitz@egyptian.net,Kelly38@sbcglobal.net,robertbobrita@aol.com,chapin@chapinrose.com,kathy@kathyryg.org,jmsacia@aeroinc.net,skip@saviano.com,ilrep49@sbcglobal.net,rslone@bwsys.net,repscully@sbcglobal.net,mks@winco.com,sommer@mtco.com,staterepsoto@aol.com,stephens@apci.net,ilhouse51@sbcglobal.net,jiltracy@jiltracy.com,rkurtz@mc.net,pverschoore@legis.state.il.us,RepWait@aol.com,washington60th@aol.com,jimwatson@localnetco.com, repwinters@aol.com, kyarbrough@hdsmail.state.il.us,


For a comprehensive list of all 118 members of the House of Representatives, please go to:

http://www.ilopen.org/

REPLACE ILLINOIS HB 4623

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FORWARD

NEW BILL NEEDED TO REPLACE ILLINOIS HB 4623

HB 4623 is a flawed bill. I oppose it in the hope of being able to see it changed into a bill which we can all be proud of; a bill that will serve all adopted men and women equally.

HB 4623 - A FLAWED BILL

• HB 4623 allows birth parents to have the final “say” in whether or not an adopted adult can have his or her original birth certificate. These are the very same birth parents who relinquished all legal rights to their biological offspring at least 21 years ago.
• Adopted adults whose birth mothers file a “Denial of Information Request” will not be able to receive a copy of their original birth certificate.
• In prospective adoptions, birth parents will have 21 years after they legally relinquish their offspring to decide whether or not to file a denial of information.


• This bill gives birth parents the option of being “legally anonymous,” a very dangerous precedent to set.


• HB 4623 will divide adoptees into three different groups: 1) those born before 1946; 2) those born between 1946 and 2009; and 3) all prospective adoptions after 2009. Each tier of adoptees will be treated differently under HB 4623.


• The bill continues to treat adopted adults as “children belonging to the state.” It requires all adoptees to use the Illinois Adoption Registry to manage their private and personal affairs. Adopted adults do not need any assistance from an Adoption Registry if they are truly on a par with non-adopted citizens.


• The bill proposes redacting (or whiting-out) of an official document.
  

I do not wish to be a naysayer or a spoiler who wants to prevent any adopted adults from receiving their original birth certificate. Believe me, I’m an adoptee and I know what it feels like to be kept in the dark by the state for decades. It breeds shame

My goal is for every single adoptee in Illinois to be able to request and receive, unconditionally, their original birth certificates. I want every single adoptee in Illinois to be completely severed from any state control when they become adults. I don’t want to leave even one adoptee behind in the clutches of the state.

The only way to accomplish this really modest goal is for the legislators to vote down HB 4623 as quickly as possible. Then we can go right back to the table and work together to write a new bill that will restore the civil and human right of all Illinois adopted adults to access their original birth certificates without bureaucratic restraint or third party interference.

A NEW BILL

All adopted adults, upon reaching the age of majority and upon written request, shall be able to request and receive a copy of their original birth certificate without any restrictions or falsifications on the certificate, in a manner identical to that of all other non-adopted citizens of the state.

• 
  A new and improved bill would be one in which no anonymity forms would be allowed. There could be a respectful non-binding contact form for birth parents to use if they wish.
• A new and improved bill would set all adopted adults forever free from government interference with their private lives.
• In a new bill, birth parents would not be able to “rule” their biological offspring for the rest of their lives.
• A new and improved bill would prevent the state from establishing a new category in the law – one in which the state would give birth parents an assurance of anonymity from their biological offspring.
• A new and improved bill would not need any assistance from the Illinois Adoption Registry or the Confidential Intermediary System. A new bill would issue original birth certificates to adopted adults in the very same way all other citizens get their certificates – from the Departments of Public Health of the Departments of Vital Statistics – NOT via an adoption registry. Adopted adults do not need any assistance from an Adoption Registry if they are truly on a par with non-adopted citizens.
• A new and improved bill would cut all ties between every single adoptee and the state when the adoptee reaches the age of majority.
• A new bill would never try to balance adoptee rights with birth parent rights.
  

Writing a bill to help some adoptees isn’t just, it isn’t fair and it isn’t the right thing to do. It takes the same amount of work and energy to help ALL adoptees as it does to help only some of them.

So let’s do it.

Please take just a few minutes to help all adopted adults. You can write to your representative in the Illinois House of Representatives and let him or her know that you believe HB 4623 is a damaged bill and that it must not be allowed to pass in the House. Instead, a new bill must be crafted to take its place, one that will treat all adopted adults equally.

You can find out who your representative is, please go to

http://www.elections.il.gov/districtlocator/SelectSearchType.aspx