Pritzker on Abortion: The Future in Illinois

JB Pritzker won reelection as Illinois’ Governor. What does this mean for abortion in Illinois?

Prior to reelection, Pritzker was making efforts to improve access to abortion services in Illinois. In his first campaign in 2018 for governor, he vowed to make Illinois a safe haven for women seeking reproductive health care. He upheld this in 2019 when he signed a bill that declared women have a fundamental right to abortion in Illinois. Then in 2021, he signed a bill removing parental notification for minors seeking abortions so that they no longer have to notify their parents or get permission from a judge prior to the abortion procedure.

Immediately after the Dobbs decision in June 2022 that overturned Roe Versus Wade, he called the Illinois General Assembly into a special session to consider measures to expand abortion access throughout the State. During this session, many measures were discussed such as allowing nurse practitioners to perform abortion procedures in order to increase the number of abortion providers. They also discussed giving legal protection in Illinois to providers in other states who may face disciplinary action or prosecution for performing abortions. These plans were put on hold until after the election. Therefore, now that Pritzker has won reelection and has publicly claimed to be the “most pro-choice governor in the entire nation,” it is extremely likely that these measures will be put back onto the agenda within the next calendar year.

While Focus Women’s Center in McHenry does not provide abortions, our nurses do provide valuable information to those seeking such services. Our free Pregnancy Verification and Consultation appointments will be able to confirm your pregnancy, determine how far along you are, and provide you with information on your available abortion options – as well as information on what to look for in a provider and the estimated costs. All of our appointments are confidential and completely free of charge – no insurance necessary. If you are pregnant and looking to learn more about your options – call Focus Women’s Center today to meet with a nurse.  815-322-1585

References

Cherone, H. (2022). Gov, Pritzker calls special session after supreme court overturns Roe v. Wade. WTTW. Retrieved from https://news.wttw.com/2022/06/24/gov-pritzker-calls-special-session-after-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade

Hancock, P. (2022). Pritzker makes abortion rights central issue. Illinois Newsroom. Retrieved from https://illinoisnewsroom.org/pritzker-makes-abortion-rights-central-issue/