© 2024 St. Louis Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Other

Appeals court upholds Illinois abortion law

By AP/KWMU

Chicago – A federal appeals court upheld a long-dormant Illinois law that requires parents of teenage girls to be notified before their daughters have abortions.

Attorneys on both sides say the law would take effect within weeks unless its critics ask for a stay and appeals judges agree.

Anti-abortion activists applauded the decision, while opponents said the measure is guaranteed to usher in dangerous problems.

The law does not require that teens receive their parents' consent, only that physicians provide 48 hours notice to parents before an abortion is performed.

The law went unenforced during more than decade of legal wrangling.

Other