November 2014
Governor Pat Quinn lost his re-election bid in Illinois yesterday. He had come into office by replacing Rod Blagojevich, and then winning one term on his own. And somewhere in there, he signed HB 5428 – the bill that would provide Illinois adoptees with access to their original birth certificates.
Governor Quinn did this for a number of reasons. Representative Sara Feigenholtz, an eight term representative, had made it clear that this bill was the most important piece of legislation she would ever champion – and she needed him to sign it. Other key legislators played a role, most notably Senate President John Cullerton, and Speaker of the House, Mike Madigan. So politics may have played a role – but I’d like to think Governor Quinn signed the bill into law because he knew it was the right thing to do.
This past May, he celebrated the fourth anniversary of that signing in Springfield – and then in July, he signed yet another bill to help adult adoptees. He has championed adoptee rights more than most in his position across the country. I hope he can feel me standing up to salute his service today (as he has so often very quietly stood up to salute those who have served our country). Thank you Governor Pat Quinn. Adoptees, whether they are from Illinois or not, will remember the good work that you did. Thank you for your service and for your compassion as a human being. May others in power follow your example…