CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - In reaction to Friday morning’s news that the U.S. Supreme Court has reversed Roe v. Wade, Governor Pritzker is calling for a special session of the Illinois General Assembly on reproductive rights in the state.
“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…It’s an attack on freedom and liberty that our Constitution that is supposed to guarantee ,” said Pritzker, who addressed reporters at the North Side’s Howard Brown Health Center.
Pritzker added that Friday’s ruling could just be the beginning of the Supreme Court infringing on rights that were once thought of as sacred.
“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,” Pritzker said.
Reiterating what he said last month when a Supreme Court drafted opinion was leaked, the governor insisted that abortions will remain legal in Illinois and welcomes those from other states looking for assistance.
“Let me make this explicit and clear to women throughout our state, throughout 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,” Pritzker proclaimed.
Pritzker indicated he will call on the state’s general assembly to gather for a special session in the next few weeks so that further protections for women’s rights can be secured.
OTHER LOCAL POLITICIANS REACT
Governor Pritzker was just one of the many Illinois elected officials who reacted Friday to the Supreme Court’s historic ruling. Here are comments from other notable politicians in the state:
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois:
“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.”
Former President Barack Obama:
U.S. Rep. (IL) Marie Newman:
Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana 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.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul:
“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.”
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