- Published: Friday, June 24, 2022 02:59 PM
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Dear neighbor,
As you most likely have seen, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling Friday overturning Roe v. Wade. The decision by the nation’s top court will now leave access to reproductive health care up to individual states – taking away millions of person’s right to choose. I believe this is an unfettered infringement on women and I am disappointed in the court’s decision.
Thanks to precautionary work by the General Assembly, reproductive health care remains available to people in Illinois. Our state has some of the most extensive reproductive health laws in the country. It is among 16 states that have laws on the books protecting abortion rights regardless of whether Roe v. Wade remains in effect.
In 2017, the General Assembly passed a law to expand access to reproductive health care. The law repealed “trigger” provisions in the Illinois Abortion Law, confirming that abortion will remain legal in Illinois even if the U.S. Supreme Court rolls back Roe v. Wade.
In 2019, the General Assembly passed the Reproductive Health Act. RHA reinforces each person’s fundamental right to make individual decisions about their own reproductive health – which includes deciding whether to give birth, access contraceptives, or have an abortion if pregnant.
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. You can read my full statement on the decision here.
As always, feel free reach out to my office for assistance by calling 773-278-2020, sending a text message to 773-207-7838, or sending us a note at www.senatorpacionezayas.com/contact-us.
Sincerely,
State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas | 20th District
