HEADS UP, ILLINOIS~ASAP

[MYSONSDAD]

We need support on this, ASAP:

This important legislation, currently being sponsored
by Representative Richard Myers, Paul Froehlich, and Sidney Mathias,
would establish a presumption favoring shared legal
and physical custody for divorcing or unmarried
parents, or following parental separation in cases
where a family court determines that both parents are
fit to care for their children.

>We urge you to vote against HB926, which
would allow the custodial parent to remove the minor
child away from the non-custodial parent.

PHONE OR WRITE LETTERS!

After a year of dissemination, collaboration, and
brainstorming, Illinois House Bill 1431 was filed
yesterday with the help of Representative Richard
Myers, Paul Froehlich, and Sidney Mathias.

While there is still much more work to be done, this
bill will no doubt be one of the most important pieces
of legislation to be introduced in almost 20 years.

Known as a Rebuttable Presumption of Shared
Parenting,
HB1431 picks up were single-parent childrearing and
Joint Legal Custody falls short. It provides a level
playing field for all fit parents to share in the
care, nurturing, and childrearing decisions without
the need for drawn-out court battles that force good
parents to do battle and destroy one another with
protracted litigation.

We anticipate that there will be resistance to this
bill from members of the Illinois State Bar and
various groups from within the state . But with your
support, it is our strong belief and desire that we
can correct years of misguided policies that hurt
children and the community by enacting this bill.

HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
-----------------------------------

                   Sprgfld phone   Sprgfld fax
District phone/fax


Randal Hultgren      R   (217) 782-1653 (217) 782-1139
(630) 221-0040/9466


Chapin Rose      R   (217) 558-1006 (217) 782-1275
(217) 348-7673/7677


Jim Sacia      R   (217) 782-8186 (217) 558-7016
(815) 232-0774/0777


Ronald Wait     R   (217) 782-0548 (217) 782-1275
(815) 547-7771/7767


JoAnn Osmond      R   (217) 782-8151 (217) 557-7207
(847) 838-6200/9277


Lou Lang      D   (217) 782-1252 (217) 782-9903  (847)
673-1131              
                                       

James Brosnahan      D   (217) 782-0515 (217) 789-4899
(708) 499-2810/3991


Careen Gordon      D   (217) 782-4535 (217) 782-7631  
(815)634-3096/3137


Julie Hamos      D   (217) 782-8052 (217) 557-7204  
(847)424-9898/9828


Jay Hoffman      D   (217) 782-8018 (217) 557-2763  
(618)345-2176/3338


Elaine Nekritz      D   (217) 558-1004 (217) 557-7204
(847) 257-0450/0452


House Judiciary Chair: John Fritchey      D
(217) 782-2458      (217) 557-7214      (773) 583-3338
     (773) 478-8006

Vice-Chairperson :     John E. Bradley      D  (was
Rep. Froehlich)
(217) 782-1051      (217) 782-0882      (618) 997-9697
     (618) 997-9807


Also note: Last year Rep. John Bradley, a family law
practitioner stood up in committee and complained
about a similar bill that was introduced by Rep.
Myers, which was unfortunately withdrawn.