Kendall County Times

State Rep. Keith R. Wheeler (R-Oswego) offered his thanks this Thanksgiving season for Henry’s Law, which allows women in their third trimester of pregnancy to receive a parking placard.

Wheeler noted in a news release on his website that the law, which was passed last year, increases safety for expectant mothers during the most vulnerable months of their pregnancies. According to the news release, Henry’s Law allows women in the third trimester of pregnancy to obtain a free 90-day placard that permits them to park in handicapped-accessible parking spaces in the state.

“This law will help protect all our working moms and their babies-to-be, especially during those harsh winter months when snow and ice heighten the risk for women walking from their car to go into work, to go shopping for their families, or to visit their doctor,” Wheeler said in the news release. “Unfortunately, the inspiration for this new law, baby Henry Marcum of Aurora, his mother went into preterm labor at 21 weeks when he was born in November of 2019 and was only with us for about 60 minutes before he passed. This new law is a great way to honor his memory and to demonstrate that a life that only lasted one hour can make a huge difference in the lives of thousands of moms and babies across our state.”

Wheeler’s website noted that House Bill 3027, known as “Henry’s Law,” was a bi-partisan effort that included more than 50 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle.

According to the release, House Bill 3027 was unanimously approved in 2021 by both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly.

First elected to the Illinois House in 2014, Wheeler is a cybersecurity, data analytics and IT executive, according to his website.