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Friday, Jun 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Just your normal week, right? Whew. I hope you have the best weekend you can…

Already brushing off the dust

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Friday, Jun 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Let’s start with some oppo that’s been floating around. Back in December of 2008, an Illinois House Special Investigative Committee was created to investigate Gov. Rod Blagojevich to see if more reasons existed to impeach him. From that report…

Ms. Gold’s first negative interaction came when she worked at the Equal Employment Office (EEO) in Schaumburg, IL as a TM 6 (technical manager), monitoring minority contracts and employment at IDOT sites. While there, Gilbert Villegas, was also put into this office as a TM 4. While there, Villegas was part of an incident where other employees heard Villegas and other associates using racial charged expletives including the N word. This incident was brought to Ms. Gold’s attention who then reported it to the Civil Rights Office of IDOT. This was further investigated and Ms. Gold stated that Gilbert Villegas was told by a superior that if Villegas lied about the incident (so as to cover it up) he would get Ms. Gold’s position at EEO. Shortly after the incident and investigation, Ms. Gold was transferred to the Civil Rights Office and Gilbert Villegas was placed into her old job as a TM6. Ms. Gold further claimed that upon Villegas’ taking over of this position, minority contracts for African-Americans fell swiftly and specifically that 14 African-American businesses went out of business.

Cook County Commissioner Stan Moore issued a statement today defending Villegas…

Marine Veteran Gil Villegas is a man of character and integrity. I was Gil’s direct supervisor during his time at the Illinois Department of Transportation and I have known him for decades since. There is no circumstance where he would ever use the language of discrimination and I can categorically say with certainty it did not happen at the time in question.

* Speaking of CD3…

Expenditures of about $2.8 million from outside groups are a big factor in the newly created 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary, where Ald. Gil Villegas (36th) and state Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, are the front-runners. […]

About $1 million was spent by outside groups to support Ramirez and some $565,000 to oppose Villegas.

About $800,000 was spent by outside groups to support Villegas and some $420,000 to oppose Ramirez.

* Republican US Senate candidate Bobby Piton’s “closing arguments”…

Closing Arguments from Bobby Piton on Vimeo.

* From a Tribune story about the state party’s pitch to hold an early primary…

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers and a member of the party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, told the Illinois delegation that “Chicago is a very interesting place” where there are “local issues that then get played out in the national campaign.”

She cited labor disputes between the CTU and Chicago mayors, adding that, “I would have hoped that it was simply restricted to Rahm (Emanuel) and the CTU but it seems to be a continuing oration in Chicago” under Lori Lightfoot.

“How do you ensure that this is about the presidential election as opposed to all these other issues,” Weingarten asked.

[Jake Lewis, the state party’s deputy director] didn’t directly address the question. Instead, he called the state “absolutely union proud” and said backing for the early primary date, as well as for a bid to get the party’s 2024 presidential nominating convention for Chicago, were backed by the state AFL-CIO and the Chicago Federation of Labor.

“Illinois isn’t a state where unions are on the defensive trying to stop Republican encroachment or join the race to the bottom. We are proud. We are aggressive,” he said. “Nobody knows better than you in this room the power unions have in Illinois and Chicago and we feel like Chicago is the capital of the Midwest and that what happens in Chicago, what happens in Illinois, radiates out to other states in the Midwest.”

As much as I despise much of the national political press, I gotta admit that watching presidential candidates navigate state, city and county politics would be hilarious.

* You can learn a lot at the doors. I was chatting with a legislator’s campaign manager earlier this month who looked incredulous when I asked if she had walked any precincts. “I’m the campaign manager,” I was told with an eyeroll. Well, yeah, but if you want to learn something about what actual human beings are thinking, go knock on some doors…

Democratic primary voters in southwest Lake County have a choice between two candidates for their party’s nomination to the Illinois House of Representatives who have one thing in common — they say they are willing to work hard to get the job.

Chelsea Laliberte Barnes of Palatine and Nabeela Syed of Inverness have walked throughout the district since they decided to seek a seat in the General Assembly knocking on more than 10,000 doors each. They say they learned a lot and met many potential constituents.

Syed and Barnes are running for the Democratic nomination in the 51st District in Tuesday’s primary for the opportunity to oppose one-term incumbent Chris Bos, R-Lake Zurich, in the Nov. 8 general election. Bos is unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Both candidates learned from potential voters the economy was at the top of the peoples’ minds while campaigning. Though there are other issues — like gun violence and health care — inflation, jobs and taxes were always close to the top of the list.

* Politico…

— Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez — AOC — just announced she’s endorsing Delia Ramirez in the newly drawn 3rd congressional district.

— Republican Congresswoman Mary Miller has been endorsed by state Rep. Dan Caulkins in her reelection bid against Congressman Rodney Davis.

— Steve Kim, a GOP attorney general candidate, has been endorsed by Dan Rutherford, a former state Treasurer who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2014. Kim was his lieutenant governor running mate.

* More…

* Rep. Underwood’s fundraising again tops Republican hopefuls’ in 14th District

* Opponents Criticize Jonathan Jackson’s Crypto Campaign Donations

* In primary races for Cook County Board, a new map and 3 retiring commissioners boost competition

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Federal judge rejects lawsuit over gas pump signs touting gas tax freeze

Friday, Jun 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Bloomberg…

An Illinois law requiring gas stations to post notices of a reduction in gas taxes will stand for now after a federal trial court rejected a trade association’s challenge.

The Illinois Fuel & Retail Association sought to overturn recent amendments to Illinois’s motor fuel tax that require retailers to inform customers that the state suspended the inflation adjustment to the tax from July 1 through the end of the year. Failure to comply results in a $500 per day fine. The group argued the amendments violated retailers’ free speech and equal protection rights under the US Constitution.

* From US District Judge Sue Myerscough’s decision…

The parties agree that SB 157 involves governmentally compelled speech. However, the parties disagree as to whether the compelled speech SB 157 mandates is political or commercial.

Defendants argue that the mandatory signage is commercial speech and should be analyzed under the Supreme Court’s decision in Zauderer v. Office of Disciplinary Counsel of the Supreme Court […]

In response to Defendants’ arguments, Plaintiffs argue that Zauderer is inapplicable because SB 157’s mandatory signage constitutes political speech and is, therefore, subject to strict scrutiny. But the mandated signage states, “As of July 1, 2022, the State of Illinois has suspended the inflation adjustment to the motor fuel tax through December 31, 2022. The price on this pump should reflect the suspension of the tax increase.” 35 ILCS 505/2(a-5). That is a purely factual statement about what the Illinois General Assembly did, and the signage does not contain controversial statements. Plaintiffs cite no case law or authority, binding or otherwise, to support their contention that the signage is political. […]

Applying Zauderer, SB 157’s signage mandate survives Plaintiffs’ facial challenge. As stated, the signage contains “purely factual and uncontroversial information” about what taxes are assessed on the price of gasoline. That information furthers the Defendants’ stated goal of “ensuring that customers actually are aware of and obtain the benefit of the General Assembly’s suspension of the inflation adjustment to the gas tax. […]

Lastly, the mandated signage is hardly burdensome. […]

This is not such an unusual case, so the Court declines to extend its exercise of supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiffs’ claim under the Illinois Constitution. Therefore, Plaintiffs’ claim arising under the Illinois Constitution is dismissed. […]

Plaintiffs are given leave to file an amended complaint within 14 days of the entry of this Order. If Plaintiff fails to do so, this case may be subject to dismissal with prejudice for failure to prosecute under Local Rule 7.1(B)(2).

…Adding… Tribune…

Josh Sharp, CEO of the fuel and retail organization, said Myerscough’s ruling, which came ahead of a scheduled Friday hearing that was then canceled, defied “common sense and the Constitution.”

“I think it was absolutely rushed by the judge,” Sharp said. “This type of speech should be relegated to campaign commercials and direct mail.”

The group, which Sharp said is considering an appeal, has argued the signage forces gas stations to “speak on behalf of the Illinois government” or get fined $500 for each day they fail to post the notice.

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Protected: *** UPDATED x1 *** SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and some campaign updates

Friday, Jun 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Ken Griffin coverage roundup

Friday, Jun 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Here you go…

* Ken Griffin has had enough of the high-crime Windy City and moves his hedge fund to Miami: Mr. Griffin noted in a letter to employees that many workers had clamored to relocate to other offices, including Miami. They don’t merely want to escape Chicago’s winters. Many are literally running for their lives amid a crime surge that shows no signs of abating. Thefts so far this year in Chicago have increased 65% compared to last year.

* Ken Griffin’s Citadel Move Is ‘Punch in the Gut’ for Chicago: “There’s no way to dress this up as anything but a punch in the gut for Chicago’s economic development reputation,” said Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, a government watchdog group that counts Griffin among its trustees. “The entire company isn’t moving right away, but it is a terrible warning.” … “It does not signal any immediate ramifications for the city’s credit profile,” Rinaldi said. Fitch has assigned a BBB- rating with a stable outlook to the city largely given its underfunded pensions and others liabilities. Fitch’s rating for the city is one notch above junk. … Still, Citadel’s move and others like it should be a wake up call for policy makers in the city and state, said Todd Maisch, president of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. While the vast majority of companies likely will stay put, departures of headquarters including Citadel will at the very least spur small- to medium-sized companies to question why they are based in this city or state, he said.

* Ken Griffin’s announcement about Citadel’s move comes at a curious time politically for the billionaire: Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs said Griffin’s departure was a sign of the state’s modern-day business climate. Durkin quoted Ian Fleming’s “Goldfinger,” in which the villain told James Bond, “‘They have a saying in Chicago. Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time, it’s enemy action.’ First it’s Boeing. Second it’s Caterpillar. Third, it’s Citadel,” Durkin said.

* Ken Griffin pulling Citadel out of Chicago: His announcement comes on the heels of the Chicago region losing the corporate headquarters of Boeing and Caterpillar, a worrisome trend balanced slightly by news this week that one of three companies cereal and snacks maker Kellogg will split into, the largest, will be based in Chicago. And in a win for the city at the expense of the suburbs, Abbott said it will move 450 headquarters workers downtown from Lake County.

* Griffin’s exit will deal one more hit to Illinois: In its piggy bank: Still, if the figure amounts to tens of millions, budget and tax experts said the damage done to the state’s budget would be minimal in a state of 12.8 million residents. Losing out on one taxpayer’s loot, even the state’s wealthiest resident, would amount to a “rounding error” in a state with a $46.5 billion budget, said Ralph Martire, executive director of the Center for Tax & Budget Accountability. [Carol Portman, president of the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois] agreed, saying “that’s real money, but it’s not devastating.”

* Ken Griffin moving Citadel headquarters from Chicago to Miami: “He’s walking away even before the election. He’s giving up on his candidate on the campaign even before the election’s even happened. He’s sending a message that he’s washing his hands of Illinois,” said ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington. Washington said Griffin’s absence will create a vacuum. “It’s especially bad for the Republican party because the Republican party, particularly at the top of the ticket, has been relying on Griffin’s money, and now that money seems to be going away,” she said.

* Going to Disney World: No sour grapes in billionaire Griffin’s exodus to Sunshine State as Illinois election clouds loom? “The decision to move HQs to Miami and the timing around announcing it have absolutely nothing to do with the Governor’s race,” spokesman Zia Ahmed said in an email to the Sun-Times. Ahmed didn’t respond when asked whether Griffin would continue to contribute to Illinois causes and politicians. … But Griffin is also likely sending a message that he doesn’t want to support whomever wins the GOP primary on Tuesday, whether Bailey or former venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan.

* Ken Griffin’s exit from Illinois leaves his gubernatorial candidate behind: However, former two-term Republican Gov. Jim Edgar said the effects of Griffin’s announcement carry undeniable harm for Irvin’s struggling gubernatorial effort and likely is a sign of Illinois’ wealthiest person calling a strike a strike. “I guess he believes the polls,” Edgar said of Griffin. “It’s not a good endorsement for Irvin.”

* Ken Griffin, wealth inequality and the politics of envy: It is easy to be jealous of Griffin’s billions, but the politics of envy make us all worse off. Instead of focusing on income inequality, Pritzker should celebrate wealth creators, regardless of whether they widen the gap between the rich and the poor. Adding a few billionaires will increase income inequality here, but that would be a boon to government revenue. When it comes to policies, Illinois would be better served by ones that attract successful entrepreneurs, not ones that drive them out of the state.

* What happens now to Ken Griffin’s $58.5 million Gold Coast condo?: It’s not clear why Griffin, whose primary Chicago residence appears to be a condo half a block east at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago (formerly the Elysian Hotel Chicago) that he bought for $13.3 million in 2013, hasn’t finished the four-story penthouse. But it may turn out to have been for the best. A Chicago agent who sold the city’s next-highest priced condos says there is likely more of a market for Griffin’s space sold off as individual floors than as one big unit. “Individual floors would sell much faster versus a whole unit,” said Chezi Rafaeli, the Coldwell Banker agent who this year represented both buyer and seller in the $20 million sale of the 89th-floor penthouse at the Trump International Hotel & Tower. It’s the second-highest condo price to date in Chicago, after Griffin’s purchase, and was for mostly raw space.

* Ken Griffin Makes Wall Street South in Miami a Reality: Inflation is already uniquely painful in the Sunshine State. Single-family rents in the Miami metro area surged 41% in the past year, the most among large metro areas tracked by CoreLogic, thanks in part to limited supply and the added demand from people moving into the area. On Zillow, typical rents in the Miami metro are now comparable to those in Los Angeles despite household income levels that are about 25% lower. Meanwhile, Miami’s Gini coefficient — a measure of inequality — is on par with Colombia’s.

* Griffin’s move to Florida only latest blow to local philanthropy: “You think the 606 [trail] would have been built without Ken? Do you think the Field Museum would have gotten a new dinosaur or what he did for the [Museum of Science and Industry] or the University of Chicago?” the source said.

* Ken Griffin’s move means he’ll step back from Chicago nonprofit boards: “Given that he and his family have moved, he unfortunately will no longer be able to serve on boards in Chicago,” spokesman Zia Ahmed said in an email. Ahmed added that Griffin will announce additional donations to local organizations in the next week. Trustees and board members of nonprofit organizations are typically among the institution’s highest-dollar supporters and public advocates. Losing a high-profile and affluent figure like Griffin would be a huge blow, illustrating another way the departure of the state’s richest man will reverberate across multiple facets of Chicago’s cultural and economic landscape.

* With Ken Griffin headed to Miami, these are now the richest Illinoisans: With Griffin gone, who’s on top? The answer is Lukas Walton—by a long shot. Walton, 35, an heir to the Walmart founding family’s fortune who heads a Chicago-based sustainable-investing philanthropy, is worth $19.7 billion, according to Bloomberg. And though that’s a year-to-date decrease of $2.43 billion, it still far exceeds the next highest-value Illinoisan.

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Digging into that new poll

Friday, Jun 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. Dan Proft posted a memo from his pollster Fabrizio Lee. Click the pic for more images…

MoE is +/-4.4 percent.

* Proft also sent me some crosstabs that I requested…

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*** UPDATED x3 *** Pritzker to call special session on abortion rights

Friday, Jun 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’ve been telling subscribers about this for several days…

Gov. Pritzker to Call Special Session for Reproductive Health Rights, with Support from Speaker Welch and President Harmon

Governor Issues Statement on Urgency of Standing Up for Reproductive Rights

In Illinois, we trust women. Despite the action of the Supreme Court today overturning Roe v. Wade, the right to safe, accessible reproductive health care is in full force in Illinois – and will remain so.

In Illinois, we’ve planned for this terrible day, an enormous step backward and a shattering loss of rights. We passed the Reproductive Health Act, enshrining choice as the law of the land in Illinois. We removed the trigger law that would have prohibited abortion in Illinois with the overturning of Roe v Wade. We expanded health care so that finances are not a barrier to receiving reproductive care.

In Illinois, we are a state committed to expanding access to reproductive health care including abortion care, contraception access, fertility treatment and gender affirming care. We’ve made it clear that we trust people to make the best decisions for themselves about their own reproductive health.

In Illinois, we will hold firm to these rights and continue to work with stakeholders to expand them. To that end, I am calling the General Assembly into special session in the coming weeks, with the support and consultation of House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon. Together, we are committed to taking swift action to further enshrine our commitment to reproductive health care rights and protections.

* From Senate President Don Harmon’s spokesperson…

We applaud the governor’s leadership, the Senate President is in agreement and we are working on the logistics.

*** UPDATE 1 *** Here we go…

UPDATE: Daily Public Schedule: Friday, June 24, 2022

What: Governor Pritzker to call for special session to further enshrine reproductive rights after Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

Where: Howard Brown Health Clark- 2nd Floor Atrium; 6500 N Clark St, Chicago.

When: 10:30 am

Watch: www.illinois.gov/livevideo

Note: Masks are required at this facility. Street parking available on Clark Street. Attendees and media should enter through main doors of clinic then take the elevator to the second floor.

*** UPDATE 2 *** I’m told by several sources that Democratic state Senators are being advised to keep July 6 and 7 open for a special session.

From an email…

Good morning Senators,

In light of this morning’s ruling and based on the availability survey results, please hold the following dates:

Wednesday, July 6th
Thursday, July 7th

*** UPDATE 3 *** Senate GOP Leader McConchie…

In response to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and Governor Pritzker calling a special session to expand abortion rights even further, Senate Republican Leader, Dan McConchie, issued the following statement:

“Let me be clear, Governor Pritzker and many Illinois Democrats want to push Illinois to the utter extreme on abortion policy. Right now, Illinoisans can already get an abortion in all nine months of pregnancy for any reason and use taxpayer dollars to pay for it. But that’s not enough. Now, they want us to help pay for out-of-state residents to travel to Illinois to receive abortions and even allow non-physicians here to perform them.

“This is clearly not what mainstream Illinoisans want. While the Governor is calling a special session to act on these and potentially other extreme measures, Illinoisans are trying to deal with soaring gas prices and massive grocery bills that are leaving families hopeless. Instead of dealing with these vital issues, Pritzker is embracing an extreme agenda that will make Illinois an outlier even amongst the most liberal states.”

…Adding… Gov. Pritzker’s statement to reporters today…

We knew this day was coming.

The extremists on the Supreme Court have made an abhorrent decision — one rooted in partisan games — leaving an indelible stain on our nation. Overturning Roe v. Wade directly contradicts the nation’s history of expanding rights in the United States. It’s an attack on freedom and liberty our constitution is supposed to guarantee. Right now, it’s abortion they’re taking away. Next, it will be birth control and other contraceptives. Next: fertility treatment. They are coming to take away women’s power to become mothers at the time of their choosing. And they are allowing states to criminalize the exercise of reproductive rights. Women and their doctors are now threatened with going to prison or being bankrupted because of the radical majority Donald Trump and his right-wing allies created on the Supreme Court.

Here we are. At exactly the point many of us feared and even predicted. Privacy rights are being eviscerated right before our very eyes. If they can take away your ability to control your own body, there’s not much that stops them from making marriage equality illegal and taking away employment protections for your beliefs or your orientation.

No ifs, ands, or buts about it: we are headed down a dangerous spiral that will erode our democracy. This attack on personal rights is not new in the world. We’ve read this book before. I’ve read this book before. Maybe the Supreme Court will now authorize burning the book.

If you want a glimpse into the future, you can look to our past.

Just a few miles away from here, at the old Cook County hospital, there was a wing once known as Ward 41. Ward 41 was dedicated to what they used to call “septic obstetrics”—or in layman’s terms: botched abortions. From 1961 to 1965 ALONE, Ward 41 doctors managed the aftermath of over 20,000 illegal abortions. Because abortions were illegal, desperate women sought out desperate solutions. Hospital professionals from back then say what they saw was nothing short of horrific — disturbing memories etched into their minds for eternity.

They treated women who burned their insides with bleach and peroxide. Women whose uteruses were perforated with paintbrushes, cocktail stirrers, knitting needles, and wire coat hangers. Women who were nearly dead due to unimaginable blood loss and advanced sepsis. These women saw no other choice. They risked their lives out of desperation for just a semblance of control. And far too many died.

Before Roe v. Wade, criminal abortions were the leading cause of maternal death in the United States by a 7 to 1 margin. Those who did not die were left infertile, in perpetual pain, and permanently traumatized. Today, I’m thinking about those women—those we’ve lost and those we’ve harmed. We cannot allow their deaths to be in vain.

Make no mistake: in the many states where they will be illegal, abortions will continue. Now they will also be dangerous, they will be secretive and they will be deadly.

I am here to say: We cannot go back to Ward 41. In Illinois, we WILL NOT go back to Ward 41. And for all the women whose fundamental rights have been taken away today, we stand with you. We will raise our voices, we will open our arms to help you and we will protect your rights.

To the right-wing officeholders who today are cheering the Supreme Court’s ruling: GET YOUR IRON BOOT OFF WOMEN’S NECKS! Hop off your high horse and know that what you’re calling a “celebration of life” today will actually lead to death — the death of women in abusive situations, the death of women whose health is at risk, the death of women and girls who will still seek abortions—ones that are unsafe and performed by unqualified back-alley butchers.

Let me make this explicit and clear to women throughout our state, the Midwest, and our nation: Illinois will be a safe haven for the exercise of your reproductive rights. In Illinois, Roe v. Wade is still the law, and it will remain the law as long as we have a pro-choice legislature and a pro-choice governor. Here, we trust you to make your own decisions about your reproductive health. We will defend your right to bodily autonomy.

In Illinois, we will hold firm to these rights and continue to work with stakeholders – many of whom are standing with me now – to expand them.

To that end, I am informing the General Assembly that I will be calling them into special session in the coming weeks to more firmly protect women’s reproductive rights in Illinois and address the challenges posed by this radical Supreme Court decision. I’m grateful to have the support and partnership of House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon in this effort. Together, the Democratic leadership in Illinois is committed to taking swift action to further enshrine our commitment to reproductive healthcare.

I want to close by speaking directly to those who have the most at stake in today’s decision:

To the single mom juggling four kids and three-part time jobs, Illinois will fight for you. To the teenage CHILD, who endured rape or incest, Illinois will fight for you. To the marginalized and most vulnerable, who are being attacked at every turn by transphobic, or misogynistic or bigoted politicians, Illinois will fight for you. We will NOT turn back the clock. Here in the Land of Lincoln and the home state of Barack Obama, where we were the first to ratify women’s suffrage 100 years ago, we will continue the fight for freedom, liberty, and justice for ALL.

…Adding… WTTW…

Likely on the agenda for the special session will be bills designed to strengthen protections for abortion care, and to provide resources for people traveling to Illinois from states that have banned abortion.

Here’s what the governor said about travelers…

We don’t provide direct subsidies to people coming from other states. We support the women of Illinois with a lot of funding to make sure that they can exercise their rights and their health care. People who come from other states, though, do benefit from the capacity building that we do, from support that we provide to providers. So that they can build their professionals, the number of professionals on staff, and there’s more that we can do. But let me be clear, I mean, we start first and foremost, protecting the people of Illinois and the women of Illinois, and now we are definitely going to see many more people coming to the state even than we saw over the last year. And we need to make sure that we’re ready for that.

…Adding… Center Square…

State Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, said he doesn’t see the point of why Pritzker needs to call for a special session because the Supreme Court ruling changes nothing in Illinois.

“In Illinois we have the most extreme pro-abortion laws in the nation,” Batinik said. “A minor child can get an abortion with taxpayer funds without even telling her parents.”

Batinick said Pritzker should instead be focusing on the issues that Illinoisans are more concerned about, such as inflation, gas taxes and corruption.

* Rep. Niemerg…

State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) called the official 5-4 decision by the United States Supreme Court a historic decision.

“This is a great day for the pro-life movement,” declared Rep. Adam Niemerg. “But this is now a states rights issue and we have more work to do in Illinois.”

“The Governor has called for a special session of the General Assembly to take up more legislation to appease pro-choice activists. Instead of looking for ways to expand abortion the Governor should focus on services to help expecting mothers before and after pregnancy. We need to give mothers options, not limitations.”

* SJ-R…

State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said Pritzker was using the special session as “a campaign tactic in the general election to scare voters. It’s very disturbing.”

With gas at $5 a gallon and with the threats of rolling blackouts from utilities across the state, Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield said Pritzker’s call for a special session was “ridiculous.”

“Illinois is now an abortion haven with the laws the governor has passed and now he wants to do more,” said Butler, who is pro-life. “It speaks volumes about where his priorities are.”

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Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization react

Friday, Jun 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Personal PAC…

Today the United States Supreme Court, with a majority 6-3 vote, eliminated the constitutional right to abortion. The Mississippi Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case not only asked the Court to rule on the constitutionality of a pre-viability abortion ban but also to overturn Roe and Casey altogether, which former President Trump’s appointees agreed on unanimously.

This decision to reverse 50 years of precedent set by Roe v. Wade is an assault on women and their ability to make their own health care decisions. It is also an ideological decision that will further undermine trust in the Supreme Court.

The authority to determine whether abortion will be a safe medical procedure or one that is illegal and dangerous, putting the health and lives of women at risk, will be determined by zip code rather than a basic human right found in most democracies.

Twenty-six states are moving quickly to ban abortion, leaving more than 36 million women of reproductive age without abortion access. Additional states, concentrated in the South and Midwest, will also move quickly to enact their own bans on abortion.

Personal PAC has been preparing for this moment for 33 years and is ready to fight to ensure that Illinois continues to provide safe and affordable access to abortion care to its citizens and those in neighboring states who need us.

“Roe was overturned because we lost elections. Now that they have defeated Roe on a national level, anti-choice extremists are coming for pro-choice states like Illinois,” said Personal PAC CEO Terry Cosgrove. “Protecting Illinois will come down to electing pro-choice leaders in the Illinois Supreme Court, Governorship and General Assembly in the 2022 election. If we do not win in 2022, Illinois could see the end of abortion access and the enactment of laws similar to those in Texas and Oklahoma.”

“In the face of a devastating decision that puts millions of women at risk across the nation, Illinois remains unwavering in our support for women’s bodily autonomy and their most fundamental freedoms,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “So long as I am governor, Illinois will be an island for reproductive rights for every American who has been abandoned by a Supreme Court beholden to the extremist Republican party. Today, pro-choice Democratic governors are the last line of defense for reproductive freedom, and we stand ready to fight like hell for women’s rights, as generations before us did.”

“The day has finally arrived—far-right extremists on the U.S. Supreme Court have achieved their decades-long goal of overturning Roe v. Wade, setting back the struggle for reproductive justice and placing millions of women in harm’s way,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Although Illinois remains the most pro-choice state in the country, one election can change everything. That’s why Illinoisans in every corner of the state must turn out and vote for pro-choice Democratic leaders at every level of government if we are to preserve the progress we’ve made for our residents and provide a helping hand to the women who will seek out Illinois for access to safe, legal abortions.”

* Sen. Feigenholtz…

State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, eliminating millions of women across the nation the right to choose:

“For decades, the United States has had the privilege of accessing reproductive health care and abortion care afforded by Roe v. Wade. Today, with one swift stroke of the Damocles sword, that privilege has ended for millions of women across the country. The GOP-backed Supreme Court sent reproductive health care and the right to abortion spiraling back 50 years.

“An extremist minority of anti-choice officials have pushed anti-abortion rhetoric with the end goal of overturning Roe v. Wade. This has been their strategy for 50 years; this has always been their endgame.

“Fortunately, Illinois was prepared. We passed HB40 and the Reproductive Health Act, which removed outdated laws enshrined in statute by anti-choice zealots and made Illinois a beacon for reproductive rights. As a result, Illinois is now ready to welcome those that need reproductive health care.

“We will fight to keep Illinois a pro-choice state and continue building capacity for out-of-state patients.

“We marched and fought and won to guarantee the fundamental right to bodily autonomy, and we are not stopping now.”

* US Rep. Rush…

U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade:

“By striking down Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court has turned back the clock on women’s rights by denying them autonomy over their own bodies. This decision currently hurts poor, rural, and disadvantaged women in conservative states the most, but it has the potential to affect every woman in this country as it opens the door for a future GOP-controlled Congress to pass a national ban,” said Rep. Rush. “If the conservative pro-life movement really cared about the lives of children, they would be supporting mothers and children instead of prohibiting healthcare access and oppressing women.”

More to come.

* US Sen. Durbin…

U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Durbin also announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on July 12 that will examine a post-Roe America.

“Today’s decision eliminates a federally protected constitutional right that has been the law for nearly half a century. As a result, millions of Americans are waking up in a country where they have fewer rights than their parents and grandparents.

“The bottom line: on critical, personal choices involving a woman’s right to make reproductive decisions about her own body, do you trust her or the government? The Supreme Court now says a woman’s right to privacy does not extend to the most personal, private choice she will ever face.

“The Senate Judiciary Committee will explore the grim reality of a post-Roe America in a hearing next month. The Court’s decision to erase the right to access an abortion will not only lead to the denial of critical health care services, but also criminal consequences for women and health care providers in states eager to embrace draconian restrictions. I will keep fighting to enshrine into law a woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices. We cannot let our children inherit a nation that is less free and more dangerous than the one their parents grew up in.”

* Sen. Simmons…

State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court decision to overturn the right to an abortion protected under Roe v. Wade.

“I am furious at this colossal injustice that has just been handed down by the nation’s top court. A generation of reproductive rights are being taken away by an oppressive patriarchal, fundamentalist court that is grievously out of touch with the country. The reproductive rights and health care of millions of people – women of all backgrounds, transgender people, and nonbinary people – are under attack. Today is a shameful day in our country’s history.

“We in Illinois are ready, willing, and able to help those who are seeking abortions receive the necessary and often lifesaving health care that they need. I will fight to ensure Illinois has the resources to provide reproductive health care for the countless medical refugees who will no doubt need to come to our state to receive it. I call on the community, advocacy organizations allied with the reproductive justice movement, and other elected officials to raise your voice and resist. I call on my counterparts in the more than 30 states, where a right to an abortion may be severely curtailed or disappear within weeks, to agitate, protest, and fight tooth and nail in the weeks ahead to hold on to these rights for the millions of people and their families who need access to abortion. We must demonstrate, we must take to the streets, and we must make it clear that we will not allow the Supreme Court to undo hard-won generational rights.

* EMILY’s List…

Today, in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the constitutional right to an abortion, EMILY’s List President Laphonza Butler released the following statement:

“Today, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, undoing nearly 50 years of precedent and taking direct aim at our freedom. They have outlawed the right to make our own health care decisions and the freedom that allows us the opportunity to decide our own future.

This court is moving us backward, taking rights away and giving control of our bodies and our decisions to the government. This decision was made by a handful of justices, most nominated by a president who lost the popular vote and voted in by senators representing less than half of the population, despite the fact that the majority of this country supports the freedom afforded by Roe v. Wade. Their decision will have sweeping consequences for millions of Americans.

Republicans have fought to undermine reproductive rights for decades, and as devastating as this decision is, it won’t be the end of their effort. In states around the country, Republicans are advancing more extreme restrictions to criminalize abortion and punish women and doctors. National Republican groups and party leaders have already made clear their intention to pass a national abortion ban. If they get their way, even states that have codified access to abortion will be forced to stop care. They will not stop until they replace our freedom with their control.

Make no mistake: abortion is on the ballot this November, and we, the pro-choice majority in this country, will hold them accountable. We will replace them in offices across the country, up and down the ballot with Democratic pro-choice candidates who will fight for our rights and freedom, with women who will work to expand access to anyone who needs it.

Today is a tragic day. But this decision will not end the debate on this issue. We will take this fight to the ballot box. We are the majority in this country and we will fight back.”

* Sen. Castro…

Following news of the Supreme Court overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) released the following statement:

“The overturning of Roe v. Wade is a devastating loss for women and reproductive rights. When it comes to health care, everyone should have the right to make decisions on their own body.

“This decision will especially impact communities of color and low-income people who might not have the means to travel to access reproductive care or be able to afford to raise a child in these times of ever-rising prices.

“I take some solace in the fact that our state is a leader in reproductive rights—enshrining these rights as fundamental. As the impact of this decision unfolds, I ensure every woman who seeks the right to choose that your rights will be acknowledged and protected here in Illinois.”

* Sen. Aquino…

Following the news of the overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) released the following statement:

“While we knew this day was coming, I don’t think anyone can be fully prepared for the devastating impact of this attack on women’s reproductive rights. I am appalled, but not shocked.

“This decision is a severe infringement on the civil liberties of our nation’s women, and even worse, this opens the door to further attacks on the civil liberties of us all. I stand with fellow leaders to continue the fight for reproductive rights in Illinois and beyond.”

* Ald. Dowell…

“Just a few moments ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, taking away our freedom to decide when and how to start a family,” said Ald. Pat Dowell, candidate for Congress in the 1st District.

“This decision is the start of the erosion of all kinds of rights that are codified in the Fourteenth Amendment. Without the protection of the freedom to choose when and how to start a family, the freedom to choose to marry the person you love could be next. So could the freedom to be the person you want to be. And the freedom to use the bathroom that matches your gender identity.”

“Today’s decision is about control. Control over women’s bodies, control over LGBTQIA+ persons, and control over your freedom to decide what is best for yourself.”

“The only way to stop the court’s overreach to control your body is to codify your rights into law through legislation.”

* US Rep. Newman…

Today, U.S. Representative Marie Newman (IL-03) released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“The Supreme Court’s radical decision to overthrow decades of the legally protected right to an abortion in the United States is barbaric, cruel and a harrowing blow to gender equality. When you take away a woman’s right to decide when and under what circumstances to have a child, you take away her agency over her life, body and future.

“When this opinion was first reported last month, I decided it was necessary for me to share the story of my abortion at age 19. As I described to CNN and ELLE, I never intended to discuss my abortion publicly, however, upon reading the Supreme Court’s draft decision, I knew that I had to. I am one of the 25% of women in this country who have had an abortion and my story can help show others that abortion is not taboo or shameful – that it is simply a standard medical procedure.

“If I had not had access to safe, legal abortion when I was 19, I would not be in Congress today. I am heartbroken thinking about the young women in the same position I was 40 years ago who have just lost their freedom to make that same decision. I’m thinking of the women who dream of being doctors, athletes and politicians, who are now unable to exercise agency over their future.

“Once again, I am calling on the Senate to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, and I am again calling on our Senators to stop prioritizing the procedural relic that is the filibuster over protecting our fundamental right to reproductive health care.

“Today’s ruling shows just how much the Republican Party has embraced an extremist, far-right minority of the country, instead of the common-sense majority who want to see Roe v. Wade upheld. Whether it is women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights or workers’ rights, the GOP is hell-bent on turning back the progress of the past century and is committed to entrenching a social and political hierarchy where white, wealthy, Christian men once again have an unchallenged hold on power. This is not the future the American people want, I can tell you that. I will not sit back and accept this radical attack on human rights, and I know that millions of Americans will join me in protesting, advocating and voting to ensure our government and laws respect everyone’s fundamental human dignity.”

* Sen. Collins…

The following is a statement from State Senator Jacqui Collins on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“Knowing this vicious, politically-motivated decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade was coming doesn’t make it any easier to stomach. Especially because we know that the consequences of banning abortion will be shouldered by Black, Brown and low-income women who are already starved of resources, only to have their rights to bodily autonomy taken from them too.

“Not only am I disgusted that the highest court in the land has stripped women and gender nonconforming people of our reproductive healthcare rights despite the fact that the majority of Americans support access to abortions, I am deeply afraid of what comes next unless Democrats fight back with everything we’ve got.

“That’s why I am running for Congress. Now more than ever, Democrats need a proven progressive in Washington with a track record of legislative accomplishments to vigorously and decisively fight for justice for women and all minority groups who must continually demand our rights that are guaranteed under the Constitution, but not in countless cities and states across the country.

“In Congress, I will work to codify Roe into law while simultaneously increasing access to reproductive health care. That means making medical abortions available over the counter, establishing clinics on federal land and tribal land that are not governed by state laws, demanding that Medicaid cover the cost of abortions as well as the travel costs for people who will now be forced to go to other states to seek care.

“These are only some of the steps we must take in the face of today’s decision. I fought to protect access to abortion in Illinois,and I won’t stop fighting until every woman and gender nonconforming person in America can get the care they need without interference from or persecution by the government.”

* Pritzker campaign…

Today, the JB For Governor campaign released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s disastrous and misguided decision to ignore a half century of legal precedent and overturn Roe vs Wade.

“Today, in a direct assault on the right to privacy and self determination,
the United States Supreme Court confirmed our worst fears on Roe vs Wade. The Republican Party and the extremists they appointed to the Supreme Court have satisfied their goal.

However, to women everywhere: abortion is still safe and legal in Illinois.

Governor Pritzker enshrined the right to choose into state law in preparation for this very moment and we will not go backwards. Illinoisans overwhelmingly support a woman’s right to control her own future––and Governor Pritzker will fight like hell to protect those rights.

Radical Republicans, including every GOP candidate for governor, want to dismantle the freedom to choose and take our state back to the dark ages. Their extreme policies would undo decades of progress and pose a clear threat to our most fundamental rights.

The governor remains committed to defending against this dangerous backslide and refuses to accept a world where our children have fewer rights than we did. In Illinois, we trust women and we will always defend their right to choose.”

The fight for reproductive freedom is on the ballot this November and governors are now the last line of defense for privacy rights. Every GOP candidate for governor must be asked about where they stand on this final decision and if they’d seek to institute harsh bans on abortion similar to the ones in effect in Oklahoma or Texas.

Governor Pritzker has fought on the frontlines for reproductive freedoms his entire life and in 2019 he signed the Reproductive Health Act, the most sweeping abortion rights bill in the country, into law.

* US Rep. Schneider…

Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade in:

“Justice Alito’s opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization will forever be a stain on the legacy of the Supreme Court. The Court’s decision to overturn nearly 50 years of freedom for American women will have long and unimaginable consequences. We know that women across the country will now lose their access to safe health care. We know that, as a result, women will die, families will fall into poverty, and America will be immeasurably poorer.

“I will always fight for a woman’s right to choose. I’m proud of my vote to codify Roe and deliver the promise of safe health care to the next generation.”

* PPIA media alert…

PLANNED PARENTHOOD ILLINOIS ACTION REACTS TO SCOTUS DECISION ON ROE V. WADE
WHEN: Friday, June 24 at 12:30 PM

WHERE: Planned Parenthood of Illinois Administrative offices, 17 N. State, 5th Floor

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot
Senator Melinda Bush
Representative Kelly Cassidy
Additional representatives still being confirmed

DETAILS:
Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) is hosting a press conference in response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

Abortion is and will remain legal in Illinois even though every state that borders Illinois will quickly move to ban or severely restrict abortion access.

Members of the media can enter the building and check-in on the 5th floor, at the reception desk.

Broadcast quality footage will be available after the press conference for those unable to attend in person.

* Speaker Welch…

Speaker Welch’s Statement on Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade

“Today is a dark day in our nation’s history. Today, this Supreme Court told half of Americans they don’t have the right to make deeply personal health decisions without government interference. Today, half of Americans are losing their basic human rights and bodily autonomy.

I’m grateful that in Illinois we’ve prepared for this day. Thanks to strong women and fierce advocates we have codified reproductive health care into law, and we will always trust women to make their own health decisions.

Today our nation is taking an enormous step backward but, regardless of what any conservative judges say, in Illinois we will never waver in our fight to ensure every person has the right to safe, accessible reproductive care.”

* SEIU Healthcare Illinois…

The following was released by SEIU Healthcare Illinois Executive Vice President Erica Bland-Durosinmi in response to the SCOTUS ruling to overturn the historic Roe vs. Wade decision.

Today the United States Supreme Court voted to overturn the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision. This ruling will rescind 50 years of federal constitutional protection of abortion rights for women across this country. As advocates of civil liberties, we are appalled by what is undoubtedly one of the most flagrant abuses of civil rights against women in our country’s history.

As a union that fights to protect the healthcare standards for over 90,000 frontline workers, the majority being Black and brown women, we will continue to speak out against this classist and sexist injustice that disproportionately affects low-income women of color.

There is evidence that our democracy continues to be under attack when 69% of voters in 2020 polled that they wanted Roe vs. Wade to remain as ruled. Americans have made it clear that abortion is healthcare, and that Roe vs. Wade saves lives. Unfortunately, the voice of the people is disregarded.

History has shown us that when access to safe and legal abortions is denied, women will suffer. Women who have limited financial resources and are unable to travel when faced with an unplanned pregnancy will be forced to endure extreme medical hardships that often lead to death.

This ruling will not result in our silence. Our members will continue to speak out as healthcare providers to demand that our legislators pass laws to protect women’s reproductive rights. We stand firm in combating this attack on women’s civil rights as well as in fighting to secure the safety and wellbeing of generations to come.

* Sen. CP-Z…

State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) is disheartened and emboldened by the news of the overturning of landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, effectively stripping reproductive rights from millions of women and pregnant people across the nation. She released the following statement:

“No amount of time could fully prepare us for the devastation of this decision from the highest court in our nation. No words can express the amount of suffering and grief this decision will cause. Abortion saves lives—and yet the court’s decision refuses to recognize the right to bodily autonomy we should all fundamentally have.

“Days like these shake the foundations of our nation to the core, and we must not shy away from saying so. If we are to keep our state and our country, we must hold fast amidst reactionary backlash to the decades of progress in reproductive rights. We must hold fast to the truth that women and pregnant people across this country have a right to their own body. They had that right yesterday and they have that right today. Illinois recognizes that. Other states may deny access to our rights, but we have enough wisdom to know they are inalienable. The Illinois Constitution that I swore an oath to support enshrines in its first Article that: “All men are by nature free and independent and have certain inherent and inalienable rights among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” I will continue to defend that.

“To deny access to our rights is to deny access to our humanity - and that is something no overreaching court can take from us. Now is the time to unite around that common inalienable humanity to recognize that, while Illinois will remain a haven for your rights, some won’t stop until they obliterate our state’s rights to defend a pregnant person’s liberty.

“When I think about the effects of this decision, I think of the people in Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma and the 23 other states that have introduced hostile legislation limiting abortion and reproductive health care. I think of a pregnant person who may not be able to receive lifesaving care due to a doctor’s fear of providing an abortion. I think of the people who know they cannot afford to raise a child in these times of inflation and a baby formula shortage, in a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, no requirement for paid leave following birth, and a health care system that lacks in equity and support especially for Black and Latine individuals.

“While I am so grateful to live in and represent a state that protects our reproductive rights, I know it’s a privilege. To women and other people across the country seeking an abortion, I want to say that you are welcome in Illinois. We will fight for you. We support you, we will uplift you, and we will keep you safe.”

* Budzinski…

This morning, the Supreme Court announced its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, reversing 49 years of precedent affirming a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion in the United States.

Nikki Budzinski made the following statement: “The Supreme Court’s decision shreds decades of progress and reproductive freedom for women across the country.”

“My heart goes out to all the women that have fought to keep reproductive healthcare a decision between a woman and her doctor and to women who may be fearful that they don’t have access to a safe, legal abortion.”

“Roe v. Wade has guaranteed this healthcare choice for women for 49 years. In Congress I will fight for women’s healthcare rights. I will fight for you.”

* Jeff Deppe…

Today the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade after 49 years of protecting the lives and health of women across the country.

I am disappointed and concerned for women throughout America, who now face the prospect of losing autonomy over their own bodies, and risk the loss of life, dire health ramifications, and in many states, the loss of personal legal freedom.

As State Representative, I will oppose efforts to limit a woman’s freedom to choose. I will oppose efforts to limit a woman’s reproductive freedom. I will support efforts to strengthen and affirm a woman’s freedom to make her own health care decisions.

In addition, as a Representative of a district that borders Iowa, a state that has signaled it will enact more stringent reproductive health laws, I will work to ensure that Rock Island County’s social service agencies are equipped to serve women and families in need of health care.

Illinois is a pro-choice leader. It wasn’t always this way - it took a lot of hard work and dedication by a lot of people. I will honor their work by protecting choice, and ensuring reproductive care is available and safe.

* Logemann…

Today, Jonathan Logemann, Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“Our worst fears have been realized. The Supreme Court has taken away the Constitutionally-protected right of women to access reproductive healthcare, have an abortion, and make decisions over their own bodies.

As this ruling opens the door for laws criminalizing abortion even in cases of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is in danger, millions of women will have their health care and their lives put at risk.

I am running against a politician who has pledged to ban abortion. It has never been more important to have a representative who will vote to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law by passing the Women’s Health Protection Act to ensure that doctors and patients, not the government, are in charge of making such personal health care decisions.”

* Sen. Peters…

State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) issued the following statement … in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision:

“This decision is a threat to broader fights for justice everywhere. This is a gateway for the far right to start attacking so many important rights we have today. The Supreme Court’s extremist decision to strip people of their abortion rights is appalling and will not reduce abortions, but only further penalize working class communities especially working class Black and Brown communities.”

“Illinois continues to lead the country when it comes to protecting the reproductive rights of our residents, and I know we will be a welcoming, safe place for people from hostile states that may be seeking an abortion. I am grateful to the organizers and the movement who demanded that Illinois be a leader on reproductive justice, and I am committed to working with them and my colleagues to expand people’s rights in Illinois, not restrict them. I want to be clear that this is the beginning of a much broader movements’ plan to attack marginalized communities and we must not back down from this challenge, but stand up and step out.”

* Senate President Harmon…

Senate President Don Harmon issued the following statement today after the Supreme Court issued an opinion overturning Roe v. Wade:

“Today’s ruling is a distressing departure from five decades of precedent and a devastating blow to women around the country.

This decision turns the clock back to a time when women did not have autonomy over their own bodies and died trying to access health care.

Over the past few years, we took many steps in Illinois to affirm a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body.

As long as there is a Democratic majority in the Illinois State Senate, we will continue to protect those rights.”

* US Rep. LaHood…

Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-18) released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case:

“As a father of three and a Pro-Life advocate, I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case, returning the question of abortion to the states and to the people. In Congress, I stood proudly with the growing Pro-Life movement to advocate for the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade, and this decision is a huge victory for the sanctity of life.

“Democrats in Washington and Illinois, including President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Governor Pritzker have spent years seeking to undermine and delegitimize our independent judiciary. In the weeks since the unprecedented leak of Justice Alito’s opinion, we have seen attacks on pro-family crisis pregnancy centers, disruptions of church services, and an assassination attempt on Justice Kavanaugh and his family. The Dobbs decision, in the face of violence, is a win for our independent judiciary and the Constitution.

“Governor Pritzker continues to push his radical abortion agenda in Illinois, which includes late-term and taxpayer-funded abortion, restrictions on conscience protections, and limits on parental involvement. The Governor’s policies are widely outside the mainstream. I will continue to lend a voice to the voiceless and push to enact Pro-Life protections that uphold the sanctity of life and support mothers and families.”

* Rep. Mike Zalewski…

Today’s decision by an extremist Supreme Court denying women the right to choose is horrifying. We must do everything we can to make sure Illinois remains an oasis for reproductive health.

My colleagues and I had the foresight to see this coming:

✅ We enacted House Bill 40 striking an antiquated trigger law that would have returned us to an anti choice state.

✅ We enacted the Reproductive Health Act in 2019 which *guarantees* the right to choose in Illinois today.

✅We fully funded planned parenthood.

I support Governor Pritzker’s call for an emergency special session and look forward to doing everything we can to protect women in this state.

* Sen. Fine…

State Senator Laura Fine (D—Glenview) released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade – depriving millions of women of their right to choose:

“I am angry that the Supreme Court has decided that it is okay to take away a woman’s fundamental right to make decisions about her own body. Overturning Roe v. Wade will have devastating consequences for women’s physical and mental health. This will not stop abortion, it will just make it unsafe. Here in Illinois, we trust women and have protected a woman’s right to choose. Under Illinois law, women still have access to reproductive health care such as abortions. I will continue to fight to uphold a woman’s right to choose and advocate for reproductive rights as a fundamental right for everyone in this country.”

* DPI…

Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Rep. Robin Kelly released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“Today’s decision is a profoundly disturbing attack on legal precedent and a devastating blow against women’s fundamental right to decide what’s best for their own bodies and lives. The Supreme Court has trampled on decades of established law, tossing aside sound legal judgment in an effort to force their far-right agenda upon our nation.

“In states across the nation, this decision ends the right for millions of women to access safe reproductive health care. However, the right to safe, accessible abortion is still legal here in Illinois. Illinois Democrats have enacted some of the strongest reproductive health access laws of any state in the nation, and we will continue to serve as a haven for women across the Midwest and the country who need access to abortion.

“I share the pain, shock, and anger so many are feeling, and I am especially worried about further attacks on the rights of women, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of color from this court. However, Illinois Democrats will never relent in fighting back in the General Assembly, in the halls of Congress, or at the ballot box to protect the fundamental rights of all Americans.”

* Giannoulias…

Democratic Illinois Secretary of State candidate Alexi Giannoulias released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade:

“Today’s decision strips women of their fundamental right to an abortion, endangering their health and eliminating their right to autonomy and choice. Conservatives on the Supreme Court believe the fundamental right to an abortion should be in the hands of the states. Unfortunately, Republicans across the nation are passing laws at the state level banning abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, and attempting to ban contraception and in-vitro fertilization.

Women deserve the fundamental human right to control their own bodies, and not be dictated by a right-wing agenda. Women have maintained this right for nearly 50 years before this Court decided to interpret the Constitution through a MAGA lens of extremism.

Abortion, thankfully, will continue to remain legal here in Illinois, but my thoughts are with the women across America today who are immediately impacted by this decision; however, lives are at risk and we must take action to fix this.”

* Valencia…

Democratic Secretary of State candidate Anna Valencia released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion overturning Roe v. Wade:

“Many advocates warned this day would come when Donald Trump was elected President and he filled three vacancies on the Court. That’s why I spoke out back then in favor of HB 40, which guarantees access to reproductive healthcare across our state, regardless of what the Supreme Court says, and I remain committed to protecting access to abortion for all Illinoisans.

“At this frightening and dangerous time, we need elected leaders in Illinois and at all levels of government who have always protected and advanced reproductive freedom. I am honored to be the only candidate in this campaign who has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood, because they know I have always been and always will be a champion for reproductive rights. The road ahead will no doubt be a difficult one, but I will continue to use my platform to speak out against these injustices and organize alongside movement leaders to defeat efforts to further erode our rights. We cannot lose hope and can’t stop fighting because our daughters and future generations depend on us now more than ever.”

Last month, Valencia launched a TV ad, “Consequences,” that highlights her staunch advocacy for reproductive rights. Valencia has long been an outspoken supporter of reproductive rights, and she has consistently and exclusively supported pro-choice candidates running for office in Illinois. Valencia spoke out in favor of HB 40 and sponsored a resolution in the Chicago City Council urging its passage. That bill repealed the Illinois “trigger” law that would have made abortion illegal in Illinois if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns or weakens Roe v. Wade.

After a draft opinion overturning Roe was leaked last month, Valencia released a digital ad, “Choice,” highlighting her commitment to reproductive justice and history of working alongside women elected officials and community leaders fighting the Trump and Rauner administrations. In another video, Valencia contrasts her record with Alexi Giannoulias saying, “Where have you been, and what have you done? I’ve been here, standing up for women and all of our communities.” Valencia is the only candidate in the Illinois Secretary of State race to be endorsed by Planned Parenthood of Illinois Action.

* US Sen. Duckworth…

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement after an ultra-conservative majority of the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“I am outraged and horrified—this outcome is a nightmare that robs women of their right to make their own choices about their healthcare and their bodies, and it paves the way for a nationwide abortion ban that Republicans have been seeking for decades. Millions of American families—including my own—have relied on Roe v. Wade for almost 50 years, and 70% of Americans believe it should remain the law of the land. The Supreme Court of the United States and the Justices who claimed Roe was ‘settled law,’ but then turned around and ruled otherwise, will—as Justice Sotomayor said—’struggle to survive the stench’ of this extreme decision.

“In a nation with a growing maternal mortality crisis and often inaccessible healthcare, without affordable child care or universal paid leave, forcing births on anyone—even when the mother’s life could be at risk—is not only cruel, it will also be deadly. Doctors working in states where abortion, or even management of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, is outlawed could even be threatened with prison for daring to save a patient’s life. Victims of rape could be forced to relive their trauma every day.

“I refuse to let my daughters grow up in a world with fewer rights than I had. As Republicans continue their march toward a nationwide abortion ban, I will do everything in my power to ensure that Illinois remains a safe haven for all women seeking reproductive care. It is as important as ever that the Senate acts to codify Roe v. Wade into law so that every American in every state has equal access to basic, necessary healthcare—regardless of their skin color, zip code or income.”

Duckworth has made protecting and expanding access to essential women’s healthcare a top priority. She spoke out on the Senate floor in support of Americans’ reproductive rights and issued a statement after the leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court showed that a small group of far-right Justices could overturn Roe v. Wade in the coming weeks. Last year, she helped introduce the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) to codify Roe into law and was outraged when Republicans blocked this critical legislation earlier this year. Additionally, Duckworth is the lead sponsor of the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Healthcare (EACH) Act, which would end the Hyde Amendment and lift unjust abortion coverage restrictions for those who depend on Medicaid and other government-sponsored plans.

* Comptroller Mendoza…

The following statement is from Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“Women’s reproductive rights today were stripped and shaken to the core. This is a ruling of seismic proportions. Women today will have fewer rights to
reproductive healthcare decisions than their grandmothers did. Women across the country will still need access to this crucial healthcare service. Women will be less safe. For those who can make it to our state, Illinois will be there for them. Now more than
ever, we must continue to strengthen laws that protect women’s rights to reproductive healthcare access in Illinois.”

* Treasurer Frerichs…

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today responded to the Supreme Court opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade.

“Five people I never met decided they will make health decision for my school-aged daughter, not me,” Frerichs said.

“Years from now, when my daughter is an adult, she will not be able to decide what happens with her body because five people she never met determined they know best,” Frerichs said.

“Today, the doctors and nurses and friends who participate in a woman’s decision could face criminal charges for doing nothing more than delivering their professional opinion, providing their expert care, and offering a supportive role,” Frerichs said.

“As the father of a teenage daughter, I am furious with the hypocritical politicians who seek to control her body and have decided that she, and every other woman in my life, and in our country, are incapable of making decisions about their own body.”

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe decision. It upheld the Mississippi case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, that banned abortion after 15 weeks.

Anticipating that Roe might be shunned aside, Illinois lawmakers passed a series of laws that keep abortion services legal in Illinois. However, future Illinois lawmakers could reverse this decision.

* Rep. Moeller…

State Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, today issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on abortion rights nationally:

“Today is a sad day for health care and women’s rights in America. But in Illinois, we are resolved to stand strong in the face of this terrible decision to restrict women’s rights to quality health care.

Abortion is safe, legal and embraced as health care for women in Illinois. No politician or court should control an individual’s medical choices. As an elected official in Illinois, my duty is to support health care providers and patients to provide the quality, accessible care options we all deserve.

We have taken many important steps in recent years to protect women’s health care and reproductive rights.

We passed House Bill 40, which removes the trigger law in anticipation of this moment when Roe could be overturned to ensure abortion is still legal in Illinois. We passed the Reproductive Health Act, which guarantees reproductive health care is available to all women. And most recently, I sponsored with Sen. Elgie Sims the repeal of the Parental Notification Act, which ensures women who can be victims of incest and rape in horrible family situations are not repeatedly victimized because they cannot seek the care they need without the knowledge of the supposed loved one who is terrorizing them.

Despite the progress, we are concerned the court decision will create a crisis here in Illinois for abortion care. More than half the country – 26 states – could move quickly to ban abortion, including all of our neighboring states. Illinois could see 20 times more out-of-state patients coming here for care than we do today.

We need to keep abortion care legal, but also do more. We must fund providers and protect clinics that offer this care. We must make abortion care affordable for all who need it. We must do everything we can to protect access to reproductive care, because a right is not a right without accessible, affordable care.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to turn today’s devastating decision into tomorrow’s promise to women and families: Illinois is and will be a place you can make the best choice for your health care. It is time to get to work because millions of women across our state and our nation are depending on us.”

* March for Life Chicago…

The March for Life Chicago strongly affirms the United States Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision to return the issue of abortion back to the states. In the Midwest, the March for Life Chicago continues to advocate for preborn children and their parents, now with the primary focus at the state level.

“With more than 95 pregnancy resource centers in Illinois, the pro-life movement leads the Midwest in serving preborn children and their families. For far too long, the United States Supreme Court has denied citizens the ability to protect preborn life in their state. Today, the March for Life Chicago recognizes this momentous step in protecting the right to life,” says Kevin Grillot, Executive Director of the March for Life Chicago.

With states that have laws predating Roe v. Wade to protect life (WI, MI), states that have laws that go into effect now (KY, MO, ND, SD), and states moving quickly to enact new laws, the vast majority of Midwestern states will once again legally protect preborn life.

“For nearly 50 years, human rights have been ripped away from preborn babies so abortion clinics could profit off of families in need,” added Grillot. “Backed by science, the majority of the Midwest is returning rights to preborn children. Fueled by greed, Illinois Governor Pritzker repealed parents’ rights, revoked preborn protections, and led Illinois to behave like North Korea and China by allowing abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. In a June 13, 2022, Chicago Tribune article, Pritzker said that abortion ‘is another arrow in our quiver’ when referring to attracting businesses in Illinois.”

“The March for Life Chicago calls upon all Midwesterners to stand for life at the Dobbs Rally and March on July 9, 2022,” added Grillot. The March for Life Chicago hosts the Saturday event at 2 p.m. (Central) at Federal Plaza, 50 West Adams in Chicago.

March for Life Chicago is presented by weDignify, in partnership with other life affirming organizations and their millions of members, including Illinois Right to Life, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and Wisconsin Right to Life.

Amy Gehrke, Executive Director of Illinois Right to Life, said “Today is an absolutely joyous day for the most innocent members of the human family and their mothers. Thanks to the court’s bold action, countless lives will be saved. Here in Illinois our work is just beginning thanks to our radical laws, but today is a day of celebration.”

Gracie Skogman, Legislative Director of Wisconsin Right to Life, stated, “This is a historic and joyful day for the pro-life movement, and we reaffirm our commitment to uplift and advocate for preborn lives and their mothers.”

* IDCCA…

With the news that activist Supreme Court Justices have overturned legal precedent, Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) President Kristina Zahorik released the following statement:

“Today is a sad day for our country. Conservative and religious extremists have been plotting for years to strip away women’s healthcare rights and bodily autonomy. They played dirty by blocking then President Obama’s Supreme Court choice and packed the court. The extremists have put the health of millions of women and their families at risk and put other issues of privacy into question. Thankfully, Illinois continues to be a beacon of hope because our Democratic leadership passed common sense legislation protecting women’s rights. But, having piecemeal legislation across this country, on issues of bodily anatomy does not make us a great nation. The IDCCA will continue the fight at the ballot box.”

* Sen. Villanueva…

State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade – depriving millions of women of their right to choose:

“Today’s decision by the nation’s top court is a direct attack on women and their access to health care. I am disheartened, devastated and angry that the court took advantage of their power for their own political agenda – causing harm to millions of women. This decision won’t stop abortion – it will stop safe abortion. Women across the country will be forced to go to grave and unspeakable lengths to access this type of care. That’s sickening.

“While Illinois remains a beacon of hope as women will still be able to practice their right to choose, that will no longer be the case for people living in nearly half the states. To those women: We see you and we are here for you.”

* Sen. Bush…

State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) released the following statement after the nation’s top court overturned Roe v. Wade, stripping millions of women across the nation from their right to choose.

“I am appalled, disgusted and disheartened. To be frank, I am speechless. While the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court comes at no surprise, I’m faced with a shock of emotion I never wanted to feel – and that’s because, despite it being 2022, there’s a war against women.

“Because of this decision, people will suffer and women will die. I am in complete dismay that this is where we are as a country. While I can go to sleep each night knowing women in Illinois are protected from the heinous ramifications of the ruling, it devastates me that women across the country don’t have the same freedom. To those women: Illinois is your safe haven. We welcome you with open arms.”

Bush championed a law in 2017 that ensures Illinois women would still have access to safe and legal abortions should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade. She also led the monumental 2019 Reproductive Health Act, which repealed outdated abortion laws that have been blocked by the courts and ensured that reproductive health care is treated like all other health care and not as a crime.

* US Rep. Rodney Davis…

U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL) released the following statement after the Supreme Court of the United States voted to overturn the Roe and Casey abortion decisions in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case:

“This is a historic and incredible day for Life and the unborn in America, a day that all of us in the pro-life movement have been praying for and working towards. The Supreme Court was absolutely right to overturn previous, wrongly-decided abortion decisions. Nothing in the Constitution confers the right to an abortion. As a pro-life lawmaker with a 100 percent pro-life voting record, I have advocated for years that the Court overturn Roe.

“Now that the Supreme Court has turned this issue over to the people’s elected representatives, our pro-life work continues. We must elect pro-life leaders at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure we advance pro-life policies and protect the unborn. Nowhere is this more important than the State of Illinois, where J.B. Pritzker and Democrats in Springfield have advanced an extreme abortion expansion agenda that legalized taxpayer-funded, late-term abortions, and even restricted parents’ abilities to know if their minor child is seeking an abortion. This is an extreme abortion agenda that is out-of-step with the people of Illinois. I will continue to work tirelessly to advance pro-life policies and protect the unborn in Washington and in Springfield.”

* Sen. Mattson…

The following is a statement from Eric Mattson on the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“The decision by the Supreme Court to deny women freedom of choice and control over their own bodies will set us back fifty years. In the State Senate, I will do everything in my power to maintain Illinois as a safe harbor state for women, both in Illinois and surrounding states.

“It’s now more important that ever that we elect strong pro-choice democrats up and down the ticket.”

* AG Raoul…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The court’s decision rolls back half a century of precedent established in Roe v. Wade and other cases that protect a patient’s right to decide, before viability, whether to carry a pregnancy to term.

“I am extremely disappointed with today’s Supreme Court decision, which jeopardizes the health, the safety and the lives of millions of women in the United States – especially those who already have the least access to health care and other resources. This single decision rolls back 50 years of court precedent and with it, decades of progress toward reproductive autonomy. Contrary to the rhetoric used by some, make no mistake: This decision will not end abortion. What it will do is end access to safe abortions for many women throughout the country.

“In anticipation of the court’s decision, dozens of states have taken draconian steps to restrict access to or criminalize abortion. While some women living in those states could decide to seek legal abortions in other states like Illinois, the option of traveling great distances for potentially lifesaving abortion care may not be available to low-income women or victims of abuse. By revoking a woman’s right to reproductive choice, the court now leaves too many women faced with making unimaginable decisions.

“As I assured Vice President Kamala Harris yesterday at a White House roundtable on reproductive health, Illinois has been and will continue to be a proud reproductive health care oasis where women have the right to make their own highly-personal reproductive health decisions with their families and medical professionals. In light of today’s decision, I encourage people to review guidance my office issued to ensure reproductive rights are protected in Illinois, and I am reminding law enforcement that abortion is legal in Illinois – regardless of today’s decision.

“As we prepare for an influx of women from neighboring states to seek abortion services in Illinois, my office is actively working with the governor’s office and Legislature to address concerns triggered by the court’s decision. Specifically, we must expand safeguards under state law to ensure that women and providers are protected from those who would use this decision to obstruct access to abortion care.

“Today is a sad day in the history of the Supreme Court and our nation. However, this wrong-sided decision does nothing to alter my commitment to enforcing the reproductive health protections already enshrined in Illinois law, working with Illinois policymakers to expand protections under state law, and continuing to urge Congress to codify reproductive health care rights in federal law.”

* US Rep. Miller…

Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) released the following statement regarding the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade.

“A joyous victory for Life! The end of Roe is the beginning of a new chapter, where we embrace a culture of life with a reverence for all of God’s children,” Miller said. “I applaud President Trump, who delivered on his promise of a Court that would honor the Constitution and our sacred right to life. Please join me in praying for all the unborn victims of Roe v. Wade and for the women who have been deceived by the cruel abortion industry. I look forward to always defending life during my time in Congress, and I will never stop using my voice to speak out on behalf of those who have no voice.”

* LG Stratton…

I am angry but unafraid. Today, and every day, I will continue fighting for a woman’s right to bodily autonomy. I am disappointed but determined. Although we have known for weeks that our right to bodily autonomy can be a matter of debate, and can be taken away with a single decision, we cannot avoid the deep ache caused by this ruling. It is a dark day for our country.

I ache for the women across the nation who fear for what comes next. I ache for my daughters, who are losing a constitutional right that was afforded to their mother. I ache for the lives—the lives of BIPOC women, in particular—that this decision has put at risk.

The road ahead is hard and treacherous, but raising our voices is now more important than ever. Those who want to restrict our freedoms and strip away our rights may call today a victory, but tomorrow and every day we will be at the frontlines to push back.

To everyone affected by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade, you are not alone in the journey ahead. We stand with the activists, organizers, and community members across the country in the fight for bodily autonomy, and we will continue to ensure that Illinois will always be a bulwark in that fight.

* Equality Illinois…

Equality Illinois, the state’s LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, is outraged by the US Supreme Court’s majority decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which takes the unprecedented steps of overturning almost fifty years of precedent that protect abortion and reproductive healthcare for women and people who get pregnant.

“The Dobbs decision is not only about the denial of abortion and reproductive healthcare, but about the denial of bodily autonomy. This decision presents a huge threat to LGBTQ+ people not only because of reproductive healthcare, but because the basis of this protection that was undermined/undone by the Court today is the same that protects LGBTQ+ people against criminalization based on our sexual orientation and our right to marry the person we love,” said Mony Ruiz-Velasco, Deputy Director at Equality Illinois.

“Reproductive rights are LGBTQ+ rights and we must stand united with people across this nation denouncing this extremist decision taking us back to a time of pre-Roe v. Wade, when abortions were still happening, albeit unsafely and when many died in the process.”

The Court’s decision is a frontal attack against LGBTQ+ communities, people of color, and those living in poverty.

Equality Illinois is committed to undoing the harm caused by the Supreme Court’s radical decision by continuing to advocate and lead on pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ+ state legislation, organizing and mobilizing alongside impacted communities, and using our political power to effect change through our vote!

* Rep. Walker…

State Rep. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, issued the following statement after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision:

“Today’s decision to overturn 50 years of settled law is a call to action for all Americans to defend their rights of privacy and personal choice. Illinois has been the leader in protecting the rights of choice and privacy for women, and we will continue to lead. We defend the rights of women, their families, and doctors to make the most intimate of healthcare decisions.

This radical decision sets the stage for attacks on access to birth control, in vitro fertilization, life-saving RNA and stem cell research, and same-sex marriage. These Justices have shown they’re not really conservatives, but extremists. There is no place for this extremism in Illinois.”

* Richard Irvin…

As a pro-life Republican, I will continue to fight for every parent’s right to know if a minor child is having an abortion - a right JB Pritzker has outrageously taken away. With Democratic majorities in the Illinois General Assembly, this Supreme Court ruling will have no effect on the law in our state.

* President Preckwinkle…

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s statement on the overturning of Roe v. Wade:

“Today is a devastating day with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Let’s be clear what this decision will not do - it will not prevent women from seeking abortions. What this decision will do is force women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, or seek dangerous and unregulated means for an abortion. This decision will disproportionately impact women of color and poor women, like all policies built on inequity. It also removes all women’s right to choose what happens to their own bodies. Under this ruling, contraception, same-sex marriage, and other rights are now under attack. Illinois and Cook County will remain a safe haven for women, but as we deal with this harsh reality, we must continue to strengthen our resolve and fight back.”

* ILGOP…

ILGOP Statement on the Overturning of Roe V. Wade

“Today, millions of prayers have been answered. Abortion is a very difficult and controversial topic in which real lives - of both mothers and babies - are deeply affected. Because of this monumental ruling, the regulation of abortion is now being left to individual states as it should be. I support our state party platform that values the dignity of all life, from conception to natural death, and applaud the six Supreme Court Justices who had the courage to be real judges instead of judicial legislators. Judges should interpret the law, not make law.

Our country is deeply divided right now, and while I support this decision, I know this ruling will potentially make that division worse, at least in the short term, and many irresponsible people will stoke that division. I implore all Illinoisans to express their opinions with respect, civility, and without violence.”

- Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy

* SEIU Local 73…

SEIU Local 73 President Dian Palmer issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling today in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

“Today is a dark day for women across our nation. The Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade has stripped women of their fundamental right to make their own personal health decisions, sending us back 50 years.

As a union representing over 31,000 essential workers in Illinois and Indiana, the majority being Black and brown women, we recognize that our members are disproportionately affected by this decision. This ruling will result in women being treated as second-class citizens as they are forced to endure economic and medical hardships because access to safe and legal abortions is denied to them.

Working women already struggle to care for their families because of the wage gap in our country. A wage gap that is even larger for Black and brown women. This decision will only cause that gap to widen, forcing more working women into poverty.

Right-wing politicians and Trump republicans claim to support families while undermining the progress made by working women and mothers over the last 50 years. SEIU Local 73 stands with our partners in the reproductive justice movement, with the thousands of frontline healthcare workers we represent who continue to provide essential services, and with the communities who rely on their care. We will keep fighting racial, economic, social, and reproductive justice. This ruling demonstrates the need for working people to vote in record numbers this fall to elect leaders who will defend the rights of working women and all of us.”

* Rep. Conroy…

With Friday’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, state Rep. Deb Conroy, D-Elmhurst, issued the following statement:

“Make no mistake, today’s decision by an extremist Supreme Court will cost lives. An unelected Supreme Court, composed mostly of men, has stripped away decades of settled law in the greatest attack on women’s rights of our lifetime. Today’s news is shocking and heartbreaking.

“In Illinois, we feared this day could come, which is why I strongly supported efforts that will ensure abortion continues to be safe, legal and accessible despite this terrible decision. This vigilance was critical, and why we need to continue to prioritize efforts to strengthen our laws on this issue.

“Women deserve the right to choose. Period. I will do everything in my power to protect access to reproductive health in Illinois.”

* Rep. Mason…

State Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee, issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

“This decision is a disgraceful miscarriage of justice. Rarely in American history have we seen the Supreme Court hand down such a flagrantly atrocious ruling. In Illinois, we have prepared against this day even while hoping it would never come. As a result, Illinois remains a state in which women’s bodily autonomy is protected by the law, as well as a beacon for those in neighboring states whose governments are even now reclassifying them as second-class citizens. We will not bow. We must hold the line. We know what is right, regardless of what unelected extremists in Washington say. Today, I reaffirm my commitment to reproductive justice and protecting a person’s right to choose.”

* Rep. Buckner…

Candidate for Mayor Kam Buckner released the following statement today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a constitutional right that has protected the health of women and entire families for decades is rooted in misogyny and extreme political views. Because of that, our nation is grieving the loss of a woman’s fundamental right to make her own healthcare decisions.

“Access to healthcare helps put women – particularly Black women – on a path to economic opportunity. That’s just one of the many reasons I co-sponsored the Reproductive Health Care Act as a state legislator, a law that protects a woman’s right to choose in Illinois no matter what happens at the federal level. I’ll carry that commitment and fight for women as Mayor of Chicago.

“Today is a somber day for women’s rights and opens the door for more rollbacks on foundational freedoms. Justice Thomas’ concurring opinion suggests the Court will next look to reconsider decisions protecting same-sex marriage and access to contraception.

“As Illinois closes in on Primary Election Day, today’s decision is a grave reminder that voting matters. Elections matter. Donald Trump gave us three politically conservative justices on the Supreme Court: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Coney Barrett – the consequences of which will be felt for generations to come.”

* SEIU Local 1…

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States reversed the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. SEIU Local 1 President Genie Kastrup releases the following statement:

“This is a dark day in American history for women and working families everywhere. Millions of working families will lose access to safe and fundamental healthcare - millions will be less safe and less free. Women no longer have the choices and control over their own bodies.

The social and economic consequences for working families- especially Black and Brown women - will be destructive. Restricting access to healthcare has the biggest impact on working families. Reproductive rights are a labor rights issue.

Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg. In the SCOTUS opinion, Justice Thomas made it clear his intention to reconsider Griswold, Lawrence and Obergefell– the rulings that currently protect contraception, same-sex relationship and same-sex marriage. We cannot allow our nation to go backwards.

First, they came for Roe; Next, they’ll come for immigrants, People of Color and LGBTQ+ people. They’ll come for the very people who make up our Local 1 family. We have to let this fuel us– we have to keep fighting.”

* US Rep. Foster…

Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Clinic, which overturns Roe v. Wade: the 1973 case that established a constitutionally protected right to an abortion.

“Today, our nation took a devastating step backward. This decision dismantles nearly 50 years of settled judicial precedent for reproductive rights, the right to abortion care, and the right to privacy and autonomy. Now, millions of women will be denied the right to make personal and private health care decisions and, in certain instances, be criminalized for doing so.

“History has been clear: denying access to abortions will not curb their frequency. Instead, millions of women will now be forced to seek abortion care through unsafe means – a practice that’s already one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide.

“I’m proud that Illinois has already codified Roe and enshrined access to safe abortion care for generations to come. This decision is the culmination of a decades-long attack by extreme politicians to exert power and control over women’s bodily autonomy. Make no mistake: if Republicans take control of Congress, they will make passing a nationwide abortion ban that overrides states like Illinois a priority. Additionally, they could use similar rationale to target basic rights like contraception, in vitro fertilization, and even same-sex marriage.

“An overwhelming majority of Americans support reproductive freedom, including access to safe abortion care. As long as I have a vote in Congress, I will vote to protect reproductive rights and codify the protections of Roe to preserve abortion access for women in every state.”

* Mayor Rotering…

Hi Rich,

Here’s a statement from Nancy Rotering, candidate for 2nd District Illinois Supreme Court, on today’s SCOTUS decision if you’re doing a round up. Thanks -

“Today, the U.S. Supreme Court put the issue of abortion rights in the hands of state legislatures and courts. I am the only candidate in the race for Illinois Supreme Court in the 2nd District who has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood and Personal PAC. My advocacy for a woman’s right to an abortion spans decades. Now, more than ever, we need to elect judicial candidates with a strong pro-choice record.”

* Sen. Bryant…

State Senator Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) issued the following statement upon learning of the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which vacates the Roe. v. Wade decision of 1973 and returns the issue back to the states:

“As a pro-life legislator, I am pleased to see the United States Supreme Court’s decision to vacate Roe v. Wade and finally return the issue of abortion back to elected officials and the people they represent. I have always strongly felt that the original decision in 1973 was incorrectly made, which has led to the heartbreaking end of innocent life for five decades.

“It is clear that the Democrats in this state will now use this decision as means to ram through even more aggressive and unpopular abortions laws than the ones they have already put in place. Roughly an hour after this decision was released our Governor is already calling for a special session to deal with the impact of the ruling, even though he knows it doesn’t change anything in our state.

“Despite what Gov. Pritzker and his Democrat allies tell you, this decision does not impact the radical abortion laws in Illinois. This decision will not end taxpayer-funded and late-term abortions. It will not prevent a minor to undergo a surgical procedure without their parents’ knowledge despite how unpopular that practice is with the people of our state.

“Those claiming otherwise are being disingenuous and trying to shift the narrative for political purposes.”

* US Rep. Underwood…

Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) released the following statement after a Republican-appointed Supreme Court majority voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, dismantling 50 years of precedent.

“Today is a dark day for women and Americans across the nation. The Supreme Court just struck down our constitutional right to privacy and bodily autonomy. In the history of our country, Americans have never, ever, lost a constitutional right. Unfortunately, that’s now no longer true.

“Abortion became illegal in at least 13 states today — often with no exceptions for rape and incest. This marks a shameful moment in our country’s history — a day that will always be remembered as the moment the Supreme Court ripped away a woman’s right to make decisions about her body and conservatives across the country criminalized health care.

“This activist Supreme Court is clearly ruling to meet the demands of an extremist minority of Americans. There must be court reform to restore public trust and confidence in their role of ensuring equal justice under the law.

“I am shocked and disgusted by the plans that Republican lawmakers have laid out to impose a federal ban on abortion care and use this decision to overturn other legal precedents that protect our civil rights. As these Republican lawmakers’ extreme agenda moves forward, our lives will change radically, even those of us in states like Illinois. The ultra-conservative Court’s opinions in this ruling make clear that our civil rights are broadly under threat — everything from who we can marry, to which Americans are protected from illegal discrimination is now at risk.

“But We, the people, can take action. We need a U.S. Senate majority willing to support procedural reforms to the filibuster. The Biden Administration must act urgently and boldly to protect and expand access to reproductive health care through administrative action, litigation, and every available tool. And the U.S. Senate must take up legislation like the House-passed Women’s Health Protection Act to protect reproductive freedoms for all Americans.”

* US Rep. Newman…

- Congresswoman Marie Newman released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion.

“The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn nearly 50 years of legal precedent is outrageous, horrifying, and will endanger the lives of millions of people who seek abortion care.

It’s not just abortion. They are coming for same-sex marriages, birth control, and so much more. Civil rights, economic rights, and LGBTQ+ rights are all next. We will march, we will vote, and we will never stop fighting.

For too long, white men over 50 have been making decisions about our bodies. That’s why I stood up in 2017 to run for office, and I defeated one of the last anti-choice Democrats in Congress. We need more progressive women in the halls of power with lived experience - leaders who truly understand what it means to be underrepresented.”

* IFT…

Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery issued the following statement responding to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“As a union composed of more than 70 percent female members, we strongly condemn this radical decision and are deeply concerned about its implications for women and pregnant people.

“In this country, all women and pregnant people must be free to make their own decisions about their bodies. It is a fundamental right. Today’s decision will harm all, but there is no doubt that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), Latinx, and the economically disadvantaged – already marginalized groups – will suffer most. We cannot allow this radical conservative legal effort to erode all Americans’ rights and further marginalize society’s most vulnerable. And we will not go back to a time when abortions led to deaths for too many women.

“For many years, our elected IFT convention delegates have passed strong resolutions supporting reproductive and abortion rights. The IFT will continue to work in Illinois to ensure that women and pregnant people have the power to make their own healthcare decisions. We are thankful for Governor Pritzker’s staunch advocacy on this issue; we know he believes, as we do, that reproductive rights are human rights and should be an individual’s choice.”

* Rep. Kifowit…

State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, issued the following statement after Roe v. Wade has been overturned by the Supreme Court:

“This U.S. Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade comes as no surprise. It is clear and very disappointing that the U.S. Supreme Court is politically motivated and this ruling threatens not only all aspects of women’s health, but many other protections and freedoms found under our Constitution. Simply put, I am very concerned that this final opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court will create irreparable harm to many individuals, especially women, across our country. I believe that women are responsible to make choices about their own bodies and their own reproductive healthcare with a doctor. I am glad to live in the State of Illinois, a state that respects women’s right to choose what the best healthcare choices are for their unique circumstances, and have supported legislative action that will continue in Illinois to ensure women have that right to full reproductive healthcare services. I know my life would be different today if I didn’t have access to all aspects of reproductive healthcare as a younger adult. With that essential reproductive healthcare, I was able to responsibly plan for my family and my future. So many individual women do not have that choice now, and that is contrary to the freedoms our country was founded on.”

* Ald. Villegas…

Today, in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the 50 years of legal precedent it set, Alderman Gilbert Villegas released the following statement.

“I am outraged that the Supreme Court has taken away the rights of tens of millions of women to make decisions about their own healthcare. Far-right extremists have usurped the will of the people thanks to Republicans who have fought to undermine reproductive rights for decades. They will continue to advance even more radical restrictions to punish women and make abortion a crime in every state in the country.

I will do everything in my power to fight back and stop this assault on freedom.

In the Marine Corps, our motto is Semper Fidelis, which means “always faithful.” It embodies our commitment to each other and to the progress we can only achieve if we work together. We have many struggles ahead to restore the rights and protections that form the bedrock of our democracy. I will always be faithful to that fight, until we win, together.”

* Sen. Holmes…

State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, removing the right to choose from millions of women.

“It is unbelievable that 50 years of precedence can disappear overnight due to the decisions of an incredibly conservative Supreme Court, which does not represent a majority of our country. Women who feel they have no other option but to have an abortion will resort to dangerous and deadly procedures that killed thousands of women before Roe v. Wade.

“Here in Illinois, I have fought to codify Roe v. Wade to ensure that women have the right to make fundamental decisions about what to do with their bodies. As long as states have the power to make decisions, Illinois will continue to give women their fundamental right to choose.”

* Rep. LaPointe…

State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade:

“Today is a tragic day for our country. I am shocked, saddened and heartbroken to witness the rights of millions of people in America trampled by an out-of-touch, unrepresentative and reckless Supreme Court. This is a harrowing decision that will create lasting trauma and cost lives.

“While Illinois responsibly prepared for this day and took steps to preserve full access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, we must continue to take more action. I will use the full weight of my position to fight for reproductive rights, and ensure that Illinois remains a place where abortion is safe, legal and accessible. Abortion remains legal in Illinois today because of who represents us in the General Assembly and in the Governor’s Office, however we must remain vigilant, because this fight is not over.”

* Gary Rabine…

“I am and have always been unapologetically pro-life and today’s victory in the United States Supreme Court represents a huge win for the protection of life across the country. Unfortunately, under JB Pritzker, Illinois is the most pro-abortion state in the nation where children can get abortions without their parents being notified. If we do not remove JB Pritzker as governor, Illinois will continue to be an abortion oasis. I am the only republican candidate that can beat JB Pritzker and as your governor, I will follow the lead of the United State Supreme Court and ensure that abortion is never legal in Illinois.”

* Rep. West…

With Friday’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, state Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, issued the following statement:

“I was saddened this morning by the news that Roe v. Wade was overturned by our nation’s Supreme Court. However, I could not be more proud of the votes I’ve taken to ensure women, no matter their background, possess the right to continue to make their own personal health decisions in our state. I have and will continue to support measures that strengthen and protect reproductive health rights in Illinois, and I will do all that I can to make sure our state does not go backwards. I will continue to trust women.”

* Majority Leader Lightford…

After the official decision by the United States Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) released the following statement:

“Today’s Supreme Court decision is dehumanizing. It viciously attacks women and all people who can bear children, and it puts every single person’s right to privacy at risk.

“In Illinois, we made sure this dreadful day would not destroy the right to an abortion because we believe that people should be trusted to make their own health care choices.

“While abortions have historically been a polarizing issue, we must not lose sight of the intentions of this conservative-controlled Supreme Court. This doesn’t stop here, and that’s why it’s critical that we come together to protect our civil rights. We won’t allow this court to walk all over the rights so many have fought for, and destroy the lives of many in the process.”

* Mark Szula…

“Today the Supreme Court got it right. Unfortunately, pro-abortion activists in Illinois have passed laws that make our State an abortion oasis. Worst of all, they passed a law to take away parents’ right to know if their child is seeking an abortion. That is just plain wrong. I will lead the fight to pass legislation that protects the unborn and bring common sense back to Springfield.”

* Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region…

Statement from Yamelsie Rodríguez, President & CEO, Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region

“Today is the worst-case scenario for 36 million people of reproductive age who live in 26 states including Missouri where abortion is now poised to be banned. Everything that led to the overturning of Roe should be a stain on our history from which we must learn and do better. This begins a rebuilding of a future with abortion equity — not just rights or access, but rights and access for all people. From this day on, we cannot accept compromise, middle ground, or ‘good enough’. We must demand a system that creates abortion access for all people who need it, no matter their identity, insurance status, or zip code.

“Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region joins our partners in committing to re-building this system, for as long as it takes. We’re not going anywhere. We’re just getting started.”

Missouri’s proximity to Illinois, one of 13 critical access states where patients will likely travel to for abortions, has given Missourians and people from surrounding states a place to go for care. In order to meet the expected surge of 14,000 additional patients, southern Illinois abortion providers and advocates are working with the Pritzker administration to ensure nurse practitioners and physician assistants can practice to the full extent of their training including providing aspiration abortions, commonly known as in-clinic abortions. Already, 12 states have expanded the pool of abortion providers to include nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

The Supreme Court’s actions are in defiance of the American people. Research shows abortion bans and restrictions are deeply unpopular:

• A Washington Post-ABC poll finds that 75% of people say decisions on abortion should be left to the woman and her doctor, including 95% of Democrats, 81% of independents and 53% of Republicans.
• A Gallup poll finds that 80% of the American public think abortion should be legal.

* Leader Gordon-Booth…

State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, released the following statement after the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade:

“Today’s Supreme Court decision was a shocking, life-changing moment for millions of women in our country. An irresponsible and dangerous Supreme Court has rolled back fundamental protections, and is the greatest attack on individual rights we have seen in generations. Women deserve and should always have the right to make their own personal health decisions, regardless of what this irredeemable and out-of-touch Supreme Court has chosen to do.

“While I am thankful that we took decisive action in Illinois to preserve a woman’s right to choose – despite this awful ruling – I am heartbroken thinking about the millions of women in other states who have had their lives irrevocably upturned. We have to fight back against this reckless decision, and we must do all that we can to strengthen protections here in Illinois. Lives depend on it.”

* Sen. Darren Bailey…

Today’s Supreme Court decision is a historic and welcomed moment. Unfortunately, billionaire JB Pritzker is an abortion extremist out of touch with the overwhelming majority of Illinoisans. He continues to push a radical agenda from taxpayer-funded abortion, late-term elective abortions and removing parental notification. The fact JB Pritzker advocated for and signed legislation to allow a 12-year-old to get an abortion without their parents knowing is egregious. As I have consistently stated for several months, as Governor, I will work to remove taxpayer-funded abortion and restore parental notification in Illinois. I will also work with the legislature, civic groups, and nonprofits to support women during and after pregnancy, to make adoption easier, and abortion unnecessary.

* Rep. Carroll…

State Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, issued the following statement after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

“Today is a sad day in America. Elections have consequences and today’s decision by the Supreme Court, overturning 50-years of established precedent and stripping half of Americans of their fundamental right to self-ownership, proves it. Like many of you, I’m disgusted by this decision dictated by politics instead of unbiased legal logic. It is, frankly, a disgrace. This ruling will not deter women from seeking abortions but instead will force them into the back-alley ‘clinics’ of the past. We in Illinois have taken steps to protect women from the abuse that other states are heaping on them, and I am proud to say that we remain a pro-choice state, but more is needed. I’m proud of my pro-choice voting record and, as long as I’m in office, I will do everything in my power to protect reproductive health. This isn’t over.”

* Rep. AS-M…

State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Downers Grove, issued the following statement after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

“The judicial crime perpetrated today against the people of the United States by a gang of unelected, partisan extremists is an outrage rarely equalled in living memory. That this decision was not the result of anything like an unbiased or good-faith examination of the Constitution goes without saying. Anti-woman conservatives have plotted and schemed openly for decades to sabotage women’s rights in any way they can. Out of one side of their mouths, they talk about freedom of choice and liberty, while out of the other side they preach hate, repression, bigotry and inequality. Fortunately, Illinois has not—and will never—bow to the agenda of domineering reactionaries. Here, womens’ right to choose remains—and will remain—intact. Here, we stand ready to take in and protect women in other states whose basic rights there have been stripped away. Here, we hold the line. Here, we take no step back. Here, we defend the truth against lies. Here, we believe in America, not the perverted dystopia that conservatives use that name to describe. Here, we are and will always be pro-choice.”

* Rep. Didech…

Rep. Daniel Didech (D-Buffalo Grove) released the following statement today in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“Today’s Supreme Court decision turns back the clock to a time when women in America did not have the right to make the most personal decisions about their own lives. Reproductive healthcare remains 100% legal in Illinois, and I will fight like hell to make sure it stays that way.“

* Rep. Tom Morrison…

The Supreme Court today rightly returned abortion policy to the states and the people’s representatives in Congress and state legislatures.

Since the country’s founding, state laws—to varying degrees—have recognized and protected life within the womb. That is what this decision represents.

Sadly, Illinois’ abortion policy has become an extreme outlier compared to other states and most countries. That is, there are no restrictions on abortions in Illinois—even up until birth. State taxpayers are required to pay for abortions via Medicaid and state-sponsored health insurance plans. Even some out-of-state residents might receive abortions paid for by Illinois taxpayers, according to our current policies.

Additionally, despite bipartisan opposition and widespread public disapproval—even among those who self-identify as pro-choice on abortion—the legislature and Gov. Pritzker eliminated Illinois’ parental notification law that protected minor girls who seek and/or have an abortion.

Pregnancy resource centers across Illinois and the U.S. have been serving and will continue to aid women and families who face unintended or difficult pregnancies—regardless of a respective state’s abortion policies. We still have much work to do to help promote respect for all lives—from conception until natural death.

* Rep. Mayfield…

State Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan, issued a statement following the Supreme Court’s ruling which overturned Roe v. Wade.

“This is an awful day for women everywhere. Women’s rights, indeed their very place as equal members of society, depends on reproductive autonomy. That has now been cruelly taken away from half the population in nearly half of the states. Fortunately, Illinois has prepared against this possibility, and women in Illinois remain full-fledged citizens, unlike elsewhere. There is perhaps no better description of this partisan and baseless ruling than ‘disgusting.’ Far from protecting women, it will endanger them—access to safe abortions saves lives. Women own their bodies, period, and it is not the place of unelected judges to dictate whether or not any woman will have children. I remain firm in my belief that reproductive healthcare is a human right. Today, we must keep moving forward, we must not give up, we must overcome.”

* Rachel Ventura…

Progressive Democrat Rachel Ventura has made her position on choice a centerpiece of her State Senate race against self-identified moderate, Eric Mattson, in the hotly contested race for Illinois’ 43rd State Senate seat. Following today’s announcement by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, Ventura issued the following statement:

“We need to make Illinois a truly safe state by codifying the protections of Roe v. Wade into the Illinois Constitution. Almost three years ago today, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Reproductive Health Act that protects abortion, contraception, sterilization and pregnancy. I helped gather signatures to support this bill, but at this critical moment in American history, I believe that we need to go further. As the next senator representing the 43rd District, I will fight to put reproductive health on the ballot and codify these protections into the Illinois Constitution. It will take a ballot referendum and majority vote by Illinois voters, but I believe that we as a state are ready to stand up and enshrine women’s rights into our constitution.

I am very familiar with ballot referendums. As Chair of the Public Health and Safety Committee, I recently worked with other board members to put a question on the November 2020 ballot that would establish a 708 Mental Health Board in Will County. I’m prepared to fully engage in this effort as the next Senator representing the 43rd District.”

* PPIA…

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action held a press conference today, June 24, 2022, and were joined by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Alicia Hurtado with the Chicago Abortion Fund, Illinois State Senator Melinda Bush, and Illinois State Representative Kelly Cassidy, to show solidarity in protecting reproductive healthcare rights.

“Planned Parenthood Illinois Action is outraged the Supreme Court has discarded 50 years of precedent and stripped away the constitutional right to abortion, robbing people of their power to control their bodies, their lives, and their futures for generations to come. It is shameful that the Court is ignoring the majority of people in this country who believe that abortion should remain safe and legal,” said Jennifer Welch, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action.

“Let me be clear, in Illinois abortion is and will remain legal. We expect every state that borders Illinois to quickly move to ban or severely restrict abortion access. Tens of thousands of people are now facing a terrible dilemma; flee to a state like Illinois to get an abortion, carry a pregnancy against their will or seek an illegal means to end their pregnancy. This ruling is especially cruel to communities that already face tremendous barriers to health care; people living in poverty, Black and Latino communities, immigrants, young people, people with disabilities and other marginalized groups,” added Welch.

The doors are open at all 17 Planned Parenthood of Illinois health centers, as the organization prepares for an increase of 20,000 to 30,000 out-of-state abortion patients annually.

* Gryder…

Following news of the United States Supreme Court’s 5-4 vote to overrule Roe V. Wade, Kendall County Board Chairman, Scott Gryder released the following statement:

“I believe life is sacred and worthy of protection in a nation where all are created equal.

As a constitutionalist, my longstanding belief that the Supreme Court of the United States 1973 decision holding that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects a federal right to abortion was incorrect, and falls instead, as with most issues, under the Tenth Amendment.

Today, with the court’s 5-4 decision to overrule Roe V. Wade in the wake of Dobbs V. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the court has correctly returned the power to protect the unborn to the states where the people may decide.”

* Rep. JG-G…

State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, issued this statement following the news that the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision was overturned:

“This radical court’s decision to disregard the basic human rights of those who can give birth and restrict access to the right to an abortion is appalling. Millions of women in other states, particularly women of color, will bear the brunt of this despicable action. The dehumanizing choice between illegally terminating their pregnancy or carrying a child to term regardless of circumstances is an impossible choice that no woman should be forced to make. The decision should be theirs and theirs alone.

“I want to be clear: abortion remains safe and legal in Illinois. The protections Democrats put in place in recent years have ensured that. However, our fight has just begun. Misogynist anti-choice advocates will be attacking the right to an abortion harder than ever, and our resistance to their tragically-misguided attacks needs to be just as resolute.

“Governor Pritzker, Speaker Welch, my colleagues in the House and Senate, and millions of like-minded Illinoisans are gearing up for this challenge, and I am proud to stand beside them. To the Republican lawmakers who are determined to destroy decades of progress for reproductive rights: Illinois will not go back.”

* Rep. Harper…

State Rep. Sonya M. Harper, D-Chicago, issued the following statement in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling today on Roe v. Wade.

“Today’s ruling was expected, but that does not make it any easier to bear. Women are no strangers to duplicitous and hateful attempts by bigoted men to restrict and control us. This vile ruling is the culmination of a fifty-year campaign by bigots and misogynists to collar and chain women to the petty whims of the patriarchy. Poor and minority women especially are the targets here—there is no need to indulge the obviously-false notion that wealthy, white women will lose their access to abortion. The transparent disregard of the anti-choice movement for questions of inequality or basic safety is primarily what belies their claims to value life. Illinois law continues to protect the right to choose, but we will need to remain vigilant against further attempts to erode our basic liberties. Today is not an end, but a beginning.”

38 Comments

Roe v. Wade overturned

Friday, Jun 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* United States Supreme Court…

Held: The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.

Prepare for updates.

…Adding… From the decision…

(1) First, the Court reviews the standard that the Court’s cases have used to determine whether the Fourteenth Amendment’s reference to “liberty” protects a particular right. The Constitution makes no express reference to a right to obtain an abortion, but several constitutional provisions have been offered as potential homes for an implicit constitutional right. Roe held that the abortion right is part of a right to privacy that springs from the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments. See 410 U. S., at 152–153. The Casey Court grounded its decision solely on the theory that the right to obtain an abortion is part of the “liberty” protected by the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause. Others have suggested that support can be found in the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, but that theory is squarely foreclosed by the Court’s precedents, which establish that a State’s regulation of abortion is not a sex-based classification and is thus not subject to the heightened scrutiny that applies to such classifications. See Geduldig v. Aiello, 417 U. S. 484, 496, n. 20; Bray v. Alexandria Women’s Health Clinic, 506 U. S. 263, 273– 274. Rather, regulations and prohibitions of abortion are governed by the same standard of review as other health and safety measures. Pp. 9–11.

(2) Next, the Court examines whether the right to obtain an abortion is rooted in the Nation’s history and tradition and whether it is an essential component of “ordered liberty.” The Court finds that the right to abortion is not deeply rooted in the Nation’s history and tradition. The underlying theory on which Casey rested—that the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause provides substantive, as well as procedural, protection for “liberty”—has long been controversial.

The Court’s decisions have held that the Due Process Clause protects two categories of substantive rights—those rights guaranteed by the first eight Amendments to the Constitution and those rights deemed fundamental that are not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution. In deciding whether a right falls into either of these categories, the question is whether the right is “deeply rooted in [our] history and tradition” and whether it is essential to this Nation’s “scheme of ordered liberty.” Timbs v. Indiana, 586 U. S. ___, ___ (internal quotation marks omitted). The term “liberty” alone provides little guidance. Thus, historical inquiries are essential whenever the Court is asked to recognize a new component of the “liberty” interest protected by the Due Process Clause. In interpreting what is meant by “liberty,” the Court must guard against the natural human tendency to confuse what the Fourteenth Amendment protects with the Court’s own ardent views about the liberty that Americans should enjoy. For this reason, the Court has been “reluctant” to recognize rights that are not mentioned in the Constitution. Collins v. Harker Heights, 503 U. S. 115, 125.

Guided by the history and tradition that map the essential components of the Nation’s concept of ordered liberty, the Court finds the Fourteenth Amendment clearly does not protect the right to an abortion. Until the latter part of the 20th century, there was no support in American law for a constitutional right to obtain an abortion. No state constitutional provision had recognized such a right. Until a few years before Roe, no federal or state court had recognized such a right. Nor had any scholarly treatise. Indeed, abortion had long been a crime in every single State. At common law, abortion was criminal in at least some stages of pregnancy and was regarded as unlawful and could have very serious consequences at all stages. American law followed the common law until a wave of statutory restrictions in the 1800s expanded criminal liability for abortions. By the time the Fourteenth Amendment was adopted, three-quarters of the States had made abortion a crime at any stage of pregnancy. This consensus endured until the day Roe was decided. Roe either ignored or misstated this history, and Casey declined to reconsider Roe’s faulty historical analysis.

Respondents’ argument that this history does not matter flies in the face of the standard the Court has applied in determining whether an asserted right that is nowhere mentioned in the Constitution is nevertheless protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. The Solicitor General repeats Roe’s claim that it is “doubtful . . . abortion was ever firmly established as a common-law crime even with respect to the destruction of a quick fetus,” 410 U. S., at 136, but the great common-law authorities—Bracton, Coke, Hale, and Blackstone—all wrote that a postquickening abortion was a crime. Moreover, many authorities asserted that even a pre-quickening abortion was “unlawful” and that, as a result, an abortionist was guilty of murder if the woman died from the attempt. The Solicitor General suggests that history supports an abortion right because of the common law’s failure to criminalize abortion before quickening, but the insistence on quickening was not universal, see Mills v. Commonwealth, 13 Pa. 631, 633; State v. Slagle, 83 N. C. 630, 632, and regardless, the fact that many States in the late 18th and early 19th century did not criminalize pre-quickening abortions does not mean that anyone thought the States lacked the authority to do so.

Instead of seriously pressing the argument that the abortion right itself has deep roots, supporters of Roe and Casey contend that the abortion right is an integral part of a broader entrenched right. Roe termed this a right to privacy, 410 U. S., at 154, and Casey described it as the freedom to make “intimate and personal choices” that are “central to personal dignity and autonomy,” 505 U. S., at 851. Ordered liberty sets limits and defines the boundary between competing interests. Roe and Casey each struck a particular balance between the interests of a woman who wants an abortion and the interests of what they termed “potential life.” Roe, 410 U. S., at 150; Casey, 505 U. S., at 852. But the people of the various States may evaluate those interests differently. The Nation’s historical understanding of ordered liberty does not prevent the people’s elected representatives from deciding how abortion should be regulated. Pp. 11–30.

(3) Finally, the Court considers whether a right to obtain an abortion is part of a broader entrenched right that is supported by other precedents. The Court concludes the right to obtain an abortion cannot be justified as a component of such a right. Attempts to justify abortion through appeals to a broader right to autonomy and to define one’s “concept of existence” prove too much. Casey, 505 U. S., at 851. Those criteria, at a high level of generality, could license fundamental rights to illicit drug use, prostitution, and the like. What sharply distinguishes the abortion right from the rights recognized in the cases on which Roe and Casey rely is something that both those decisions acknowledged: Abortion is different because it destroys what Roe termed “potential life” and what the law challenged in this case calls an “unborn human being.” None of the other decisions cited by Roe and Casey involved the critical moral question posed by abortion. Accordingly, those cases do not support the right to obtain an abortion, and the Court’s conclusion that the Constitution does not confer such a right does not undermine them in any way. Pp. 30–32.

(b) The doctrine of stare decisis does not counsel continued acceptance of Roe and Casey. Stare decisis plays an important role and protects the interests of those who have taken action in reliance on a past decision. It “reduces incentives for challenging settled precedents, saving parties and courts the expense of endless relitigation.” Kimble v. Marvel Entertainment, LLC, 576 U. S. 446, 455. It “contributes to the actual and perceived integrity of the judicial process.” Payne v. Tennessee, 501 U. S. 808, 827. And it restrains judicial hubris by respecting the judgment of those who grappled with important questions in the past. But stare decisis is not an inexorable command, Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U. S. 223, 233, and “is at its weakest when [the Court] interpret[s] the Constitution,” Agostini v. Felton, 521 U. S. 203, 235. Some of the Court’s most important constitutional decisions have overruled prior precedents. See, e.g., Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U. S. 483, 491 (overruling the infamous decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U. S. 537, and its progeny).

69 Comments

New law expands sports team license plate options

Friday, Jun 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From yesterday…

Governor JB Pritzker signed HB4434 into law today, expanding the options of professional sports team license plates Illinoisans can choose from at the Secretary of State. The change, which adds the Chicago Fire, the Chicago Sky, and the Chicago Red Stars to the list of options, brings women’s professional sports to the official license plates of Illinois residents for the first time in state history.

“Last year, we welcomed the 2021 WNBA National Champions, the Chicago Sky, to our statehouse, and this law is another step toward honoring the joy they and our two professional soccer teams bring to Illinois residents,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Illinoisans are lucky to have such an incredible roster of sports teams to root for and this law offers them more opportunities to show off their spirit.”

The Chicago Fire, the Chicago Sky, and the Chicago Red Stars will join the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Bulls, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Chicago Cubs, and the Chicago White Sox as options that the Secretary of State can issue effective January 1, 2023. The legislation also removes the logo of the St. Louis Rams as an option for Illinois license plates, a reflection of the team’s return to California following the 2015 season (now once again the Los Angeles Rams).

“In Illinois we know that gender equity is about opportunity, education, jobs, and having a seat at the table. It is also about uplifting women for their excellence in all areas, including sports,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “This allows us to display our pride and to let all our teams know that we see them, cheer for them, and honor them for what they have accomplished and the example they set for little girls to be great.”

“Showing support for your favorite team will now include our women’s soccer and basketball teams,” said State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago). “These license plates will provide additional revenue for the state while showcasing the teams that drive our success.”

“In Chicago we love our sports teams and whether you’re a basketball or soccer fan, we want you to be able to represent your favorite team with pride,” said Representative Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago). “I’m especially pleased to see our women’s sports teams represented for the first time. Having the Chicago Red Stars, Sky, and Fire represented not only expands our state’s rich sports culture, but it also benefits our schools and, ultimately, our students through the state’s Common Schools Fund.”

“We are excited that Illinoisans will now have the option to represent the Sky and the Red Stars on their vehicles and further uplift women’s sports in Illinois,” said Michelle Lomnicki, Chicago Red Stars Associate General Manager. “Thank you to all of our elected officials who helped us in this process, especially Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado and her staff. This bill will help increase the awareness of women’s sports across the state and encourage children to work towards their goals of becoming professional athletes.”

9 Comments

Open thread

Friday, Jun 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Keep it Illinois-centric, please.

21 Comments

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