Dear Friends,

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 women’s, and transgender and nonbinary people’s right to choose. This represents a grievous turning back of a hard won and settled right the likes of nothing I’ve seen in my lifetime. I am extremely disappointed in the court’s decision.

I want to make sure everyone in our district and across Illinois understands one thing: reproductive health care remains available to those who need it in Illinois. Our state has some of the most extensive reproductive health laws in the country. It is among 14 states that have laws on the books protecting abortion rights regardless of whether Roe v. Wade remains in effect.

Senator Simmons joined Governor Pritzker, Rep. Cassidy, and colleagues and several advocacy organizations in our district at Howard Brown Health in Rogers Park Friday morning to react to the Supreme Court's decision.

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 The law repealed “trigger” provisions in the Illinois Abortion Law, affirming that abortion will remain legal in Illinois even if the U.S. Supreme Court rolls back Roe v. Wade.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 gives each person a fundamental right to make individual decisions about their own reproductive health – which includes deciding whether to give birth, access contraceptives, or have an abortion.

While I am proud of the steps we have taken to protect women and families, I fear what other rights may be stripped away by courts down the road. In the meantime, the Illinois General Assembly will be planning a special session in the coming weeks to enshrine our commitment to reproductive health care rights and protections. I will be laser-focused on ensuring we look at every option we can to affirm existing protections and expand capacity at clinics so that those who need abortions from surrounding states can get them here if they choose, as well as protections for reproductive health providers who may relocate here.

If you have any questions or suggestions for legislation, please don’t hesitate to contact my office.

For the statement I released Friday morning after news of the ruling, find it here.