Saturday, May 1, 2010

IL HB 5428 LEADS TO DISRESPECT & MISREPRESENTATION

We can only suspect what blew HB 5428 through both houses without much opposition from legislators. The text of the bill is evidence that if it would become law, many adopted adults will still be treated like children. But birth parents would again have rights that were terminated years ago. The previous court order would mean nothing. I won't go into my thoughts as to what precedent this could set in regards to rulings of judges. I wonder what notary publics think about redacted original birth certificates. The notary seal does not seem to mean much in IL.

The wait is on as to if Gov. Quinn will or not sign the bill into law. I honestly don't know how he can sign it in the midst of a fiscal crisis. It is stated on White Oak Foundation's Web site that the year-long, nationwide public campaign will not cost taxpayers. However it fails to state who is going to pay this bill. Neither is there ia statement as to who foots the bill for the state registry and confidential intermediary program. The last I heard IL has a $13 billion defict but maybe there is a large piggy bank stuffed full with currency!

Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, sponsor of HB 5428 and Melisha Mitchell with White Oak Foundation are keeping us entertained during the wait to see just what Gov. Quinn will do. However the disrespect and misreprsentation shown by Sara and Melisha are far from being humorous.

Sara or someone using her email address sent a reply to concern shown by Lori Jeske. No matter who wrote this reply Sara is responsible. It is a must read at The Daily Bastardette. We advocates who dwell on all adopted adults being treated equally by having access to their original birth certificate were referred to with disrespect. Many think of us as troublemakers but to be called "ungrateful bastards" by a state representative is totally out of line. Street talk is that she is an adoptee - hard to believe, isn't it?

While still shaking my head over Sara's behavior, I checked out White Oak Foundation's Web site to see what Melisha Mitchell might be saying about HB 5428. She refers to we opponents as "sloppy fact checkers". She does show a bit more respect than Sara! Maybe that is why she is entitled to misrepresentation of the bill. It is a must read but I will point out one thing that stands out as not being told just the way it should be.

Melisha states that the State Registry will not be strengthened. She says that this legislation would eliminate the need for an adopted person seeking his/her birth record to be signed up with the Registry. But yet according to the text of the bill, if I were to request my original birth certificate, I would have to register with the Registry. Of course I could not even do it until November 2011. My birth mother is a deceased adoptee so in order to request hers a death record must be filed with the Registry by either a confidential intermediary or suviving relative of hers. Wonder if I would be considered to be a relative? Possibly unless a confidential intermediary decided to charge me for a red tape process. The state would continue to be treating me like a child, especially when it comes to trying to obtain my own original birth certificate.. But yet Sara claims that HB 5428 will treal IL adoptees just like those in open records states. Who is she fooling? Obviously she has fooled many legislators and some of the public, including adoptees who believe in baby steps.

The past few weeks have been quite interesting in IL. As the strong winds continue to blow through the prairie I wonder just what will be said next from Springfield or Chicago. It probably won't be good

1 comment:

Grannie Annie said...

I agree, Mary. I, too, believe that one of the worst parts of the bill is that it makes birthparents "legal" again in the lives of adult adoptees. It gives to birthparents a confidentiality right never before written down in our law.