Reminder to contact the Governor!
Gayle Riedmann
Governor Blagojevich Today: Ask Him to Sign SB 264 The Safe Childbirth
Act-Freestanding Birth Centers Into Law!
Many of you have taken action on this important piece of legislation
already- Thank you! WE NEED EVERYONE TO HELP! We are VERY close to
passing a law to establish freestanding birth centers in Illinois.
Governor Blagojevich has until the end of August to sign SB 264 into
law. We need you and your supporters to call or e-mail him TODAY!
On March 29, 2007, the Illinois Senate passed SB 264-The Safe
Childbirth Act with of vote of 35-21. Then on May 24, the Illinois
House passed SB 264 (with amendments) with a vote of 105-9, and on May
30 the Illinois Senate passed the amended version of SB 264 by a
unanimous vote of 57-0! If your senator and/or representative voted
in favor, please thank them; if they voted against it, give them a
call and try to educate them on the needs of birthing women in
Illinois. SB 264 now awaits the Governor's signature.
Please take a few minutes to urge Governor Blagojevich to sign SB 264
into law in order to establish freestanding birth centers in
Illinois. Please call (217) 782-0244 or e-mail
http://www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm
Thank you for your continued support!
Background Information on SB 264The Safe Childbirth Act- Freestanding
Birth Centers:
(See the files posted to this google group for more detailed
information)
--Introduced by Senator John Cullerton, Senate sponsors are: Cullerton-
Martinez-Sandoval-Collins-Harmon, Delgado, Peterson, Haine, Lightford,
Radogno, Althoff & Trotter. House sponsors: Hamos-Flynn-Currie-
Coulson-Chapa LaVia-Feigenholtz, Fritchey, Harris, McGuire, Soto,
Nekritz, Arroyo, W.Davis, Hernandez, Berrios, Crespo & Collins
--SB 264 amends the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act of 1992
allowing for the establishment of 10 pilot program freestanding birth
centers either in a federally designated health professional shortage
area or a state identified obstetrical need area.
--SB 264 is supported by the Illinois Society of Advanced Practice
Nurses, American College of Nurse Midwives, Illinois Nurses
Association, Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition, Illinois
Citizen Action, Illinois Public Health Association, Illinois Women's
Health Coalition, Health and Medicine Policy Research Group, American
Civil Liberties Union, American Association of Birth Centers, Illinois
Cesarean Awareness Network, Planned Parenthood, Alivio Medical Center,
Coalition for Illinois Midwifery
Why is SB 264 Necessary?
--SB 264 would provide improved healthcare access, decreased cost, and
a safe birth option to the childbearing women of Illinois.
--Birth Center birthstatistics demonstrate intrapartum and neonatal
mortality rates are lower than that of comparable hospital births, and
cesarean section rates are reported as 4.4%, significantly lower than
hospital births.
--Since birth center births cost 30-50% less than a hospital birth,
there would be millions of dollars saved in Illinois.
Gayle Riedmann, CNM
Chair Illinois Birth Center Task Force
Health and Medicine Policy Research Group
29 East Madison Street Suite 602
Chicago, IL 60202
312-372-4292 birth...@gmail.com
www.hmprg.org/birthcenters.html