Citizens who want to let their Illinois state representatives know that they oppose House Bill 2354, the Reproductive Health and Access Act, shouldn’t write letters, according to Zach Wichmann, associate director for education of the Catholic Conference of Illinois.

Now is the time for phone calls, he told The Catholic Post this week.

“If you’re going to write a letter, fax it. Mail could be too late,” he said. “Our push is to get as many people as possible to call their representatives and ask them to vote no.”

In a recent action alert, sent out by e-mail, Wichmann said House Bill 2354 seeks to:

? make abortion a fundamental right, preventing any common-sense regulation such as parental notification;

? expand public funding of abortion through Medicaid and possible state health insurance plans;

? undermine the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act protecting health care professionals and employers; and

? mandate comprehensive sex education for all children in public schools.

He called the legislation “extreme and a radical change from current law.”

What makes the timing so crucial is that the bill has had its first reading and passed the House Human Services Committee on March 11, Wichmann explained. It will now go to the House floor for consideration by the entire body.

“The next two weeks we have to do everything we can to push for defeat of this bill,” Wichmann said.