* Tribune…

One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade, reversing nearly a half-century of federal abortion rights protections and leaving the matter up to individual states.

Roughly half of all states in the nation — primarily in the Midwest and South — moved to either ban or severely restrict abortion. But Illinois had approved strong reproductive rights protections, declaring abortion a “fundamental right” in the 2019 Reproductive Health Act. Abortion providers in Illinois have reported an unprecedented surge in patients traveling from other states to terminate pregnancies here, as abortion access dwindled in large sections of the country. […]

In a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that guaranteed abortion rights nationwide. The high court also votes 6-3 to uphold a Mississippi abortion restriction in the case at hand, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Protests and rallies — for and against the end of federal abortion protections — erupt in Chicago and across the country.

Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, predicts that Illinois will “become an abortion mecca, by design.”

Check out the Tribune’s timeline here.

* Governor Pritzker penned an op-ed for Salon to mark the anniversary…

As Governor of Illinois, it is my duty to not only keep our residents safe, but to uphold our 205-year legacy—a legacy rooted in progress and justice. So, while every state bordering us is forcing women to revert to back-alley abortions, with some elected officials threatening to limit contraceptive access only for those with approval from their husbands, I’ve worked hand-in-hand with members of the General Assembly to extend protections for patients and providers alike.

We have welcomed abortion providers who fled their states, and we eliminated barriers to access by allowing birth centers to provide all reproductive care and removing copays for birth control and medication abortions. We instituted new protections for patients, doctors and nurses from out-of-state subpoenas—creating another safeguard for reproductive access in Illinois. We funded the creation of the Reproductive Health Public Navigation Hotline—a centralized resource where patients will be able to find the services that will meet their needs. And all the while, we are investing millions toward learning collaboratives and abortion provider trainings, so we can continue to train healthcare personnel to meet the demand of patients seeking reproductive freedom who are flooding in from across the nation.

Anti-choice extremists aren’t going to stop at Roe v. Wade. They will keep chipping away—bit by bit—at reproductive healthcare and other related privacy rights. But Illinois will remain a haven—so long as we fight for it. And my administration and pro-choice members of the General Assembly will do everything in our power to ensure widespread, equitable access to reproductive rights as a foundational freedom.

In Illinois, abortion is legal, abortion is health care, and personal decisions about it will remain between a woman and her doctor.

* NPR…

Since the fall of Roe, Illinois has welcomed an influx of out-of-state patients seeking abortions, becoming what advocates call a “Midwestern safe haven” for reproductive health care.

Democratic lawmakers have focused on passing shield laws, or protections for people coming to Illinois from surrounding states where abortion access is restricted or generally banned, like Indiana and Missouri.

One such measure, which was signed into law earlier this year, applies to healthcare providers and patients. Another measure passed last month, which is waiting for a signature from Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, would prohibit law enforcement from sharing data from automated license plate readers with other states for the purpose of prosecuting someone seeking an abortion in Illinois.

Other notable legislation includes requiring insurers to cover abortion medication, requiring public colleges to offer emergency contraception at “wellness kiosks” and allowing patients of crisis pregnancy centers to sue if they feel the center had misled them from seeking abortion care.

* Daily Herald…

Dr. Erin King, executive director of the Hope Clinic, knew an influx of out-of-state patients who need abortions would be coming to the East St. Louis facility after the June 24, 2022, court ruling.

Still, “it’s almost surreal to now every day talk to people that are traveling from Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas,” to name a few places, King said. […]

Planned Parenthood of Illinois on June 12 reported a 54% rise in patients seeking abortion procedures or medication since June 2022. Before the Supreme Court decision, 7% of clients came from out of state; that portion has risen to 25%. […]

Julie Uhal, manager of the Securing Access For Everyone abortion expansion program at Planned Parenthood of Illinois, gave the example of a client from Tennessee, where abortion is banned.
“She wasn’t an English speaker and didn’t have any ID, so she couldn’t get on a plane and really needed to get back to work the next day after the appointment. So they coordinated a 10-hour bus ride,” Uhal said in an earlier interview.

* Related…

* American Progress | Illinois Pediatrician Combats Confusion Among Adolescents and Families Caused by Abortion Bans: Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and recent legal challenges to medication abortion, Stephanie has noticed many patients are unsure about what options are available to them. Even in Illinois, where abortion is still protected, she notes that among teens, misinformation travels faster and lingers longer, especially through social media and word of mouth. Many are already under social pressure from peers or family and are now further confused by the constantly evolving legal landscape surrounding abortion.

* WBEZ | Catholic abortion doulas comfort the faithful in a post-Roe world: “One of the chapters here specifically addresses spiritual conflict,” Likins said. “There’s lots of examples of how you could counsel someone to go from feeling like God will never forgive them for having an abortion to feeling like, maybe God is actually comforting them during their abortion.”

* Forbes | The Business Impact Of Dobbs A Year Later: Entrepreneurs around the country drew on their creativity to come up with solutions for helping those living in the most restrictive states access reproductive care. Women’s health startups like Julie and Stix created “buy one, donate one” models where people were able to buy emergency contraception while simultaneously donating the pills to people impacted most severely by their state’s trigger laws. Plan C Pills, founded by a group of public health veterans, advertising creatives and digital strategists, was built as a hub for accessing abortion pills by mail in all 50 states. Travel companies like Elevated Access offer private flights for those seeking abortion or gender-affirming care. Their mission is to ease the burden and provide transportation for folks so they can receive life-saving healthcare.

* Axios | Senate Dems tie abortion to broader health care in new Dobbs push: The report is just the latest in a cascade of efforts by Democratic lawmakers and campaign operatives to focus on abortion during the week of the Dobbs anniversary.

* NPR | New abortion laws changed their lives. 8 very personal stories: In December 2022, right before Christmas, I was 20 weeks and 3 days pregnant when I learned my water had broken early. The chances of the baby surviving were very low, but I couldn’t end the pregnancy under Texas laws.