STAT! Time out.... Email ILLIONIS legislators NOW !!!!

[Hawkeye]

This just in from www.cnbp.info:

Things are finally under way in Illinois. Mike Burns from the Illinois Shared Parenting group has been actively engaged with Illinois legislators. We now have a bill ready to move out of the Illinois Judiciary Committee. We have to convince the committee to vote in favor of the bill then it will go before the Illinois House. Like Iowa, Illinois has the same organizations fighting to stop this bill. These are the organizations who make their bread and butter of off of broken homes. (evil lawyers!)

I'm asking all of you to write to each member of the Illinois Judiciary committee and ask them to vote yes to HB1431. Illinois members have helped the Iowa side, now it's time to return the favor. We need to show them we are for real. Information about the bill is below.

Always be polite and to the point. JPC will get more parents to the bargaining table and more children will benefit. WE NEED A YES VOTE!!!!!!!!!!

Brosnahan, Rep D
[email protected]

Lang, Rep D
[email protected]

Hoffman, Rep D
[email protected]

Hamos, Rep D - Femi-Nazi
[email protected]

Hultgren, Rep R
[email protected]

Nekritz, Rep D
[email protected]

Osmond, Rep R
[email protected]

Rose, Rep Chapin R
[email protected]

Sacia, Rep Jim R
[email protected]

Wait, Rep R
[email protected]

Fritchey, Rep D - Chair
[email protected]

Bradley, Rep D - Co-chair
[email protected]

=============================================
You can also send a kind letter to the following Illinois legislators who sponsor this bill. They need your encouragement to push on with this bill. Illinois legislation is a different animal from Iowa. They truly need your encouragement.

House Co-sponsors

Froehlich, Rep R
[email protected]

Rep Richard Myers R
[email protected]

Rep Dunkin D
[email protected]

Winters, Rep R
[email protected]

Mathias, Rep R
[email protected]

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED, HB1431:

Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Provides that the court shall use a rebuttable presumption that joint legal and physical custody is in the best interest of the child. Provides that, whenever it appears that both parents are fit, but that joint legal and physical custody is not feasible and cannot be remedied by a Joint Parenting Agreement between the parents, the court shall use a rebuttable presumption that the best interests of the child will be served by granting legal and physical custody to the parent more disposed to encourage and permit frequent and continuing contact by the other parent with the child. Requires the court to justify any departure from the presumptions with detailed findings.
==============================================

Here's what I wrote:
Dear neighbor, Greetings from Iowa,

Please vote yes for HB1431.  Don't hurt the children anymore. I've lived in Springfield, nearly lost a toe there when I was 4.

Children need both parents.... they do best with both parent's involvement. Their time, their enthusiasm. Time = money.

Sure, money helps, but it does not replace a parent's love, attention, care, devotion, skill sharing, the list goes on.

Please, Illinois legislators, do something positive for the upcoming generation. Allow them easier access to both parents.

Do not be the adults that said NO, you can't see your dad or your mom, grand or step parents for no sensible reason.

Don't cave into the feeble argument that some lawyers practice, that being feeding off of broken homes.

Show America and the world that you really care about children.  We'll be watching how you vote.

 

[MYSONSDAD]

I wrote one letter, copy and paste, change the rep I am sending to. For my local reps, make it a little more personal. It took 1/2 an hour to send each person a letter. And have another one ready for the next round.

We really need a good showing of support. It goes in this coming Tuesday at 8am.

Hawkeye, I really can not thank you enough for posting this. We have got to get this thru.

One person who should be added to this list is

Representative Careen M Gordon (D)
75th District
[email protected]

[Hawkeye]

Glad to help... I forwarded a copy of my posting to several other groups from coast to coast, including Dr. Baskerville.  I just noticed I misspelled Illinois in the headline tho.. LOL... oh well, we gotta make some "nois", eh?  ;^)

I hope folks in other states jump on this too. Some of these state reps just think we're all deadbeats. If you get any responses, forward them to //www.cnbp.info

[MYSONSDAD]

We are in for a tough battle. It will be uphill all the way.

I can forward...

"Children learn what they live"

[MYSONSDAD]

Iowa has had their Bill in place for sometime, has it made a difference for fit parents?

 
"Children learn what they live"

[c_alexander]

Can anyone tell me if David Phelps is still in the Illinois legislature. He went to school with my mother and was friends with my grandparents. I coudl send something to him asking for his help in supporting this. It may not do anything, but then again it may help.

[Hawkeye]

>Iowa has had their Bill in place for sometime, has it made a
>difference for fit parents?
 
Depends on who you talk to. Mark at //www.cnbp.info has been trying to track judges based on peoples input.  

A friend of mine just went thru a divorce, his attorney told him that the bill would have no effect so he never asked for shared custody. I think he regrets it now, maybe with a change of circumstances he can try again. He got hit with such an expensive settlement with his ex-wife, he had to sell his house.

[MYSONSDAD]

There is a Brandon Phelps in the House.

Send something to all Hawkeye posted. These are the key players at the moment.

The others can wait for another day...

[MYSONSDAD]

Still have a very long, rough road. HB 1286 was a bill we were all opposing. This was sent tonight.

>Just a quick note to let you know that the Illinois Bar's proposal,
HB 1286 is not going to be called this week.

I just got off the phone with Rep. Scully's office, and they relayed
a message from him telling me that he was not going to call the bill.

Consider this a partial victory for us. Seems those phone calls,
faxes, and letters from concerned parents are paying off.


Thanks to those of you who contributed.


-Michael Burns<





"Children learn what they live"

[MYSONSDAD]

Passing this on, thought you'd all like to know.....


Hey Gang-

  Illinois HB 1431 is moving forward with a 14-0 YES vote from the
House Judiciary Committee, provided we can come to an agreement on a
Domestic Violence exemption for unfit parents.

The bill moves forward to the Senate Judiciary Committee to combine
with another bill.  We will be collaborating with that co-sponsor,
the IL State Bar and IL Coalition Against Domestic Violence [at least
I hope it will be a collaboration] in making this work.

I got some very positive nods and thumbs-up from the male members of
the committee, and a very positive plug at the beginning of the
hearing (surpise!) from the Committee Chair, Rep. Fritchey (D) who
said that our child custody situation in this state has become
a "train wreck." (His words).

Before we could really get into debating the matter, he called for a
14-0 vote in favor of the bill pending the language on DV, and move
it onto the Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing and
vote.

I think it's safe to say that we can be cautiously optimistic. Stay
tuned for more details.


Thanks and regards,


Michael Burns