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RFM NEWS EXCLUSIVE
Chicago, Illinois
1-708-388-0552

Critics charge Illinois legislator with conflict of interest

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, July 20, 2001 (RFM NEWS) Fuel was added to criticism
of an Illinois legislator, who played a major role in the defeat of Illinois'
Born-Alive Infants Protection bills, when it was discovered a medical campus
owned by Advocate Health Care Systems is being built in her district. 
Illinois state Rep. Renee Kosel (R-Mokena), who is a member of Advocate owned
Christ Hospital's Governing Council, gave emotional testimony against the
born-alive legislation (Senate Bills 1093, 1094 and 1095) during the last
session of the General Assembly, on May 9th. 

Rep. Kosel confirmed to RFM NEWS that the soon to be constructed Advocate
facility will indeed be in her district.  Kosel has come under heavy fire
from pro-life supporters in her district and from around the state,
concerning her testimony against the born-alive legislation.  Advocate Health
Care Systems, headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, which owns Christ
Hospital in Oak Lawn and seven other medical facilities throughout the
Chicago area, will soon begin construction on the site located near 179th
Street and LaGrange Road.

Kosel played a significant role in the defeat of the born-alive legislation
when she testified in front of the House Judiciary Civil 1 Committee, which
eventually voted against all three bills.  Senate Bill 1095 was modeled after
federal legislation recently passed by the U.S. Senate.  Essentially, SB 1095
states that a child born at any stage of development is a human being. 
Kosel's critics asserted she should have recused herself from testifying on
the born-alive subject because of her close ties with Advocate Health Care
Systems and Christ Hospital.  Kosel is on the Governing Council of the Oak
Lawn hospital which is at the center of the born-alive controversy nationwide
because of the hospital's use of an abortion procedure many call "live-birth
abortion."

Construction of the new Advocate site in Kosel's district is leading some of
her critics to speculate whether the Mokena legislator had a heavy conflict
of interest concerning any issue involving Advocate Health Care Systems.

Much of the state and federal born-alive legislation which is now being
considered was prompted by Jill Stanek, a whistle-blowing labor and delivery
nurse, who is employed at the Advocate Oak Lawn hospital and is also a
constituent of Kosel.  The Born-Alive Infants Protection legislation was
sponsored by state Senator and gubernatorial candidate, Patrick O'Malley
(R-Palos Park) who resigned from Advocate Christ Hospital's Governing Council
after learning about the facility's use of the live-birth abortion method. 

Stanek, who has given sworn testimony in front of the Illinois General
Assembly and the U.S. Congress, first revealed the controversial abortion
method in which a woman has premature labor induced pharmaceutically, which
sometimes results in the birth of a live newborn baby.  The abortion is then
completed when the child is left to die, often in the hospital's new "Comfort
Room," where there is a rocker to rock live aborted babies until they die, a
First Foto machine to take professional pictures of the aborted baby for
parents, baptismal supplies, and a footprinter if parents want that keepsake.

Kosel, who was interviewed by RFM NEWS on Thursday, now asserts her
testimony, which many say helped to defeat the born-alive legislation, was
actually misconstrued.  Kosel told RFM NEWS she, in actuality, favored a
majority of the born-alive legislation.  However, many of Kosel's critics say
her testimony did not reflect that assertion. 

But witnesses who attended the Judiciary Committee hearing have told RFM NEWS
Kosel's testimony was unambiguous and definitely meant to ensure that the
Born-Alive Infants Protection legislation was defeated.  The closing line
from Kosel's short testimony states as follows, "Please do not allow a piece
of legislation to go through that would prolong a child's death. Thank you."

Some observers of Illinois state politics see Kosel's reported reversal on
the born-alive subject as a reflection of the political jeopardy pro-abortion
legislators now find themselves in due to their opposition to the
legislation.

"I continue to be astounded, in a state like Illinois, where we hold family
values very high and very dear, that members of the General Assembly in both
the House and Senate refused to support this common sense, all-American
legislation that even Barbara Boxer and Ted Kennedy could support before the
U.S. Senate," said O'Malley in a phone interview with RFM NEWS. 

Both Boxer and Kennedy are ardent pro-abortion supporters, yet they joined 96
other members of the United States Senate in passing the federal version of
the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, 98-0.  This federal vote and the
growing number of individual states enacting similar legislation have put
great pressure on Illinois politicians, like Kosel, who kept the born-alive
bill from reaching the House floor for a full vote.

* * * * * * * * * *

Editor's Note:  A full transcript of Rep. Kosel's House Judiciary Civil 1
Committee hearing testimony can be found on Republicans For Fair Media's
website at http://www.rffm.org

Republicans For Fair Media

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