Illinois officials respond after U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade: "an abhorrent decision"

In a series of tweets, former President Barack Obama urged pro-choice advocates to stand together, protest, volunteer, and support candidates they believe in during the upcoming elections, "because in the end, if we want judges who will protect all, and not just some, of our rights, then we've got to elect officials committed to doing the same."

"Today, the Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues—attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans," he wrote. 

With all of the states surrounding Illinois having far more restrictions on abortions, if not outright bans now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, Planned Parenthood of Illinois said it expects to to see an additional 20,000 to 30,000 patients crossing state lines each year for abortion care.

Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, the political arm of Planned Parenthood in Illinois, said clinics in Illinois already saw an increase in out-of-state demand beginning last month, when a draft version of the decision overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked to the public. 

"We have welcomed patients from states all over the country, and we have seen an increased number of patients from other states. In fact, last month was our highest number of out-of-state patients than ever before, from patients as far away as Texas and Oklahoma and Missouri," Welch said Friday.

Welch noted that some of the state's neighboring Illinois have so-called "trigger laws" that will outright ban abortions immediately, or within a matter of days, now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, while other neighboring states are moving quickly to curb abortion rights, leaving Illinois as "the only oasis for healthcare in the Midwest."

"I am furious that the ultraconservative justices have ignored half a century of settled law, as well as the vast majority of Americans who believe that abortion should remain legal," Welch said of the Supreme Court's ruling, as she pledged that abortions will remain legal and safe in Illinois, thanks to the Reproductive Health Act signed by Gov. JB Pritzker last year, which protects women's reproductive rights in light of Roe v. Wade being struck down.

Welch said Planned Parenthood has taken steps to meet the increased demand for abortion care it expects to see in the coming years.

"Planned Parenthood of Illinois has expanded the physical infrastructure of its health centers and telehealth access. It's added services, such as offering abortion pill by mail to patients with an Illinois address," she said.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois also has also ramped up efforts to help women overcome new barriers to reproductive care in other states, particularly women of color, and those with lower incomes, who might not be able to afford to travel to Illinois for reproductive care.

Illinois State Sen. Darren Bailey, the frontrunner in the race for the Republican nomination for governor, called the ruling overturning Roe v. Wade "a historic and welcomed moment."

"Unfortunately, billionaire JB Pritzker is an abortion extremist out of touch with the overwhelming majority of Illinoisans. He continues to push a radical agenda from taxpayer-funded abortion, late-term elective abortions and removing parental notification. The fact JB Pritzker advocated for and signed legislation to allow a 12-year-old to get an abortion without their parents knowing is egregious. As I have consistently stated for several months, as Governor, I will work to remove taxpayer-funded abortion and restore parental notification in Illinois. I will also work with the legislature, civic groups, and nonprofits to support women during and after pregnancy, to make adoption easier, and abortion unnecessary."

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, even though it was clear weeks ago that the U.S. Supreme Court would be overturning Roe v. Wade, when a draft version of Friday's decision was leaked to the public, nonetheless "it still felt like a horrible tragedy in our nation" when the ruling actually came down.

"Now we have women and girls, men and women, all across our country who are asking, 'what does this mean for me?' and they're frightened, and they're scared," Lightfoot said at a press conference at Planned Parenthood's offices in downtown Chicago, joined by several other elected leaders and pro-choice activists. "We're here not only to voice our opposition and our outrage to the Supreme Court's decision, but to reassure our brothers and sisters all across the country that Chicago and Illinois will remain a safe haven for all who value justice in our country."

The mayor also urged people to organize and to vote in the upcoming elections to support pro-choice candidates.

"If Hillary Clinton had been the president, we wouldn't be sitting here having this horrible outcome in our country. If we had stood up and voted in the 2016 election, the horror of Donald Trump that we are still living through would not be something that we have to experience," she said. "We have the ability, though, to right this wrong; and while this feels painful, this is not the end of the fight. It's a setback to be sure, but we have to be resolved to fight on, because literally lives are hanging in the balance," she said.

Lightfoot also warned that the Supreme Court might soon seek to overturn other key rulings, noting Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a concurring opinion that the court "should consider" past decisions protecting rights to contraceptives, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage.

"This isn't just a decision about abortion. It's not and it's never been just about the sanctity of life, or even children. It's a much bigger and frankly scarier reality than that, and instead part of a long, demented game that a certain faction in our country has been playing, to stop at nothing to access power and dominion over other people, especially women and people of color," Lightfoot said.

"This is the same crowd that is making it harder to vote everywhere across our country. They're attacking transgender children, for God's sake, and their families. And they want to forbid any of us from dare saying gay. They have been voting people in at all levels of government, from school boards to legislatures to governorships and beyond; empowering people who are beholden to their world view. A world view that turns back the clock where women have no control over their own bodies," she added.

Last month, after a draft of the ruling overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked to the public, Lightfoot announced the city will spend $500,000 to support reproductive healthcare services for Chicagoans and people living in neighboring states where abortion might be outlawed.

The mayor said she remains resolved to fight to continue to protect women's reproductive rights.

"We are not going to move back, and we are going to call upon the General Assembly, if there is a special session, to make sure that they pick up that call and do their part also, because again lives hang in the balance," she said.

Illinois State Rep. Kam Buckner, a Chicago Democrat who is running for mayor in 2023, said, "today is a somber day for women's rights and opens the door for more rollbacks on foundational freedoms.":

"The Supreme Court's decision to overturn a constitutional right that has protected the health of women and entire families for decades is rooted in misogyny and extreme political views. Because of that, our nation is grieving the loss of a woman's fundamental right to make her own healthcare decisions. 

"Access to healthcare helps put women – particularly Black women – on a path to economic opportunity. That's just one of the many reasons I co-sponsored the Reproductive Health Care Act as a state legislator, a law that protects a woman's right to choose in Illinois no matter what happens at the federal level. I'll carry that commitment and fight for women as Mayor of Chicago.

"Today is a somber day for women's rights and opens the door for more rollbacks on foundational freedoms. Justice Thomas' concurring opinion suggests the Court will next look to reconsider decisions protecting same-sex marriage and access to contraception. 

"As Illinois closes in on Primary Election Day, today's decision is a grave reminder that voting matters. Elections matter. Donald Trump gave us three politically conservative justices on the Supreme Court: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Coney Barrett – the consequences of which will be felt for generations to come."

Alexi Giannoulias, the former Illinois State Treasurer now running for the Democratic nomination for Illinois Secretary of State, said "women deserve the fundamental human right to control their own bodies" after Roe v. Wade was overturned:

"Today's decision strips women of their fundamental right to an abortion, endangering their health and eliminating their right to autonomy and choice. Conservatives on the Supreme Court believe the fundamental right to an abortion should be in the hands of the states. Unfortunately, Republicans across the nation are passing laws at the state level banning abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, and attempting to ban contraception and in-vitro fertilization.

Women deserve the fundamental human right to control their own bodies, and not be dictated by a right-wing agenda. Women have maintained this right for nearly 50 years before this Court decided to interpret the Constitution through a MAGA lens of extremism.

Abortion, thankfully, will continue to remain legal here in Illinois, but my thoughts are with the women across America today who are immediately impacted by this decision; however, lives are at risk and we must take action to fix this."

Karin Norington-Reaves, a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 1st Congressional District in Illinois, said, "I will be a tireless advocate for codifying Roe v. Wade into law":

"It is appalling that the Supreme Court has sought to criminalize women and doctors, even in cases where a woman or girl has been victimized by rape or incest. And this will not stop here - voting rights and marriage equality will be next. Make no mistake, these rights are now in the hands of the people we elect to Congress. I will be a tireless advocate for codifying Roe V. Wade into law, and protecting women and doctors."  

Democratic Illinois Congressman Brad Schneider said the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade "will have long and unimaginable consequences."

"Justice Alito's opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization will forever be a stain on the legacy of the Supreme Court. The Court's decision to overturn nearly 50 years of freedom for American women will have long and unimaginable consequences. We know that women across the country will now lose their access to safe health care. We know that, as a result, women will die, families will fall into poverty, and America will be immeasurably poorer.

"I will always fight for a woman's right to choose. I'm proud of my vote to codify Roe and deliver the promise of safe health care to the next generation."

Illinois State Sen. Jacqui Collins, who is running for the Democratic nomination for the state's 1st District seat in Congress, said "I am deeply afraid of what comes next unless Democrats fight back with everything we've got."

"Knowing this vicious, politically-motivated decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade was coming doesn't make it any easier to stomach. Especially because we know that the consequences of banning abortion will be shouldered by Black, Brown and low-income women who are already starved of resources, only to have their rights to bodily autonomy taken from them too.

"Not only am I disgusted that the highest court in the land has stripped women and gender nonconforming people of our reproductive healthcare rights despite the fact that the majority of Americans support access to abortions, I am deeply afraid of what comes next unless Democrats fight back with everything we've got.

"That's why I am running for Congress. Now more than ever, Democrats need a proven progressive in Washington with a track record of legislative accomplishments to vigorously and decisively fight for justice for women and all minority groups who must continually demand our rights that are guaranteed under the Constitution, but not in countless cities and states across the country.

"In Congress, I will work to codify Roe into law while simultaneously increasing access to reproductive health care. That means making medical abortions available over the counter, establishing clinics on federal land and tribal land that are not governed by state laws, demanding that Medicaid cover the cost of abortions as well as the travel costs for people who will now be forced to go to other states to seek care.

"These are only some of the steps we must take in the face of today's decision. I fought to protect access to abortion in Illinois,and I won't stop fighting until every woman and gender nonconforming person in America can get the care they need without interference from or persecution by the government."

Republican Illinois Congressman Darin LaHood applauded the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade as "a huge victory for the sanctity of life":

"As a father of three and a Pro-Life advocate, I applaud the Supreme Court's decision in the Dobbs case, returning the question of abortion to the states and to the people. In Congress, I stood proudly with the growing Pro-Life movement to advocate for the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade, and this decision is a huge victory for the sanctity of life.

"Democrats in Washington and Illinois, including President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Governor Pritzker have spent years seeking to undermine and delegitimize our independent judiciary. In the weeks since the unprecedented leak of Justice Alito's opinion, we have seen attacks on pro-family crisis pregnancy centers, disruptions of church services, and an assassination attempt on Justice Kavanaugh and his family. The Dobbs decision, in the face of violence, is a win for our independent judiciary and the Constitution.

"Governor Pritzker continues to push his radical abortion agenda in Illinois, which includes late-term and taxpayer-funded abortion, restrictions on conscience protections, and limits on parental involvement. The Governor's policies are widely outside the mainstream. I will continue to lend a voice to the voiceless and push to enact Pro-Life protections that uphold the sanctity of life and support mothers and families."

Chicago Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36h), who is running in the Democratic primary for the 3rd District of Congress in Illinois, said "I will do everything in my power to fight back and stop this assault on freedom" after Roe v. Wade was overturned:

"I am outraged that the Supreme Court has taken away the rights of tens of millions of women to make decisions about their own healthcare. Far-right extremists have usurped the will of the people thanks to Republicans who have fought to undermine reproductive rights for decades. They will continue to advance even more radical restrictions to punish women and make abortion a crime in every state in the country.

I will do everything in my power to fight back and stop this assault on freedom.

In the Marine Corps, our motto is Semper Fidelis, which means "always faithful." It embodies our commitment to each other and to the progress we can only achieve if we work together. We have many struggles ahead to restore the rights and protections that form the bedrock of our democracy. I will always be faithful to that fight, until we win, together." 

Amy Gehrke, executive director of anti-abortion group Illinois Right to Life, hailed the ruling overturning Roe v. Wade as "an incredible victory for our nation."

"Today, Illinois Right to Life joins millions of Americans in celebrating the end of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that has denied over 63 million preborn children their most fundamental right: life. With today's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, states have regained the ability to protect preborn children and their mothers.

Now, with today's decision, pro-life citizens must work harder than ever to defend life in Illinois. The ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health  is an incredible victory for our nation  but here in Illinois, the work of pro-life advocates is just beginning. With the fundamental holdings of Roe v. Wade now struck down by the High Court, Illinois will soon be home to the nearest abortion provider for as many as 8.9 million reproductive-aged women from outside our state (Guttmacher Institute). It is very likely that Illinois's abortion rate could increase by 20,000 - 30,000 annually.

Illinois Right to Life will continue working tirelessly to provide support to pregnancy resource centers across our state through our Project Love grant program. Since 1994, Project Love has awarded over half a million dollars in grants to  help pregnant women and young families facing urgent financial crises choose life. We will also redouble our work to educate the people of Illinois about how radical our abortion laws are, the brutal realities of abortion, and the need to provide women with life-affirming alternatives to abortion.

Governor J.B. Pritzker has promised to make Illinois a "beacon of hope" for women when, in fact, he is making our state a haven for death. Abortion, which is always deadly to preborn children, is also incredibly dangerous for women and young girls in Illinois. Thanks to the 2019 Reproductive Health Act, abortion clinics regulate themselves and are not subject to state health inspections. In addition, coroners are not required to investigate women's deaths at Illinois abortion clinics. Minor girls can obtain abortions without clinics even notifying a parent or guardian. 

Our goal at Illinois Right to Life remains the same: To utilize education and support for women and young families to win Illinois for life."

Ameri Klafeta, director of the Women's and Reproductive Rights Project at the ACLU of Illinois, said the group stands ready to protect access to abortion in the state after Roe v. Wade was overturned:

"This Supreme Court this morning recklessly stripped the constitutional right to abortion recognized in Roe v. Wade from millions of people in this country. People in nearly half of the states across the country are likely to lose the right to make fundamental decisions over their own body very soon. This is cruel and will disproportionately impact people of color and those economically disadvantaged.

Abortion remains safe and legal in Illinois – that message needs to be heard all across the state. Clinics that provide abortion in this state will remain open and patients can make appointments.  Nothing that the Court has done today reverses the hard work done by advocates in Illinois and legislators in Springfield over the past few years to assure that each person in Illinois has the right to make their own health care decisions, including abortion.

Abortion is health care. And we stand ready to protect access to abortion in Illinois."

Democratic Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush said the overturning of Roe v. Wade "hurts poor, rural, and disadvantaged women in conservative states the most, but it has the potential to affect every woman in this country.":

"By striking down Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court has turned back the clock on women's rights by denying them autonomy over their own bodies. This decision currently hurts poor, rural, and disadvantaged women in conservative states the most, but it has the potential to affect every woman in this country as it opens the door for a future GOP-controlled Congress to pass a national ban," said Rep. Rush. "If the conservative pro-life movement really cared about the lives of children, they would be supporting mothers and children instead of prohibiting healthcare access and oppressing women."  

At a press conference on the North Side, joined by other Democratic elected officials and pro-choice activists, Gov. JB Pritzker called the ruling overturning Roe v. Wade "an attack on freedom and liberty that our Constitution is supposed to guarantee."

"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. Overturning Roe v. Wade directly contradicts the nation's history of expanding rights in the United States. It's an attack on freedom and liberty our constitution is supposed to guarantee. 

Right now, it's abortion they're taking away. Next, it will be birth control and other contraceptives. Next: fertility treatment. They are coming to take away women's power to become mothers at the time of their choosing. And they are allowing states to criminalize the exercise of reproductive rights. Women and their doctors are now threatened with going to prison or being bankrupted because of the radical majority Donald Trump and his right-wing allies created on the Supreme Court.

Here we are. At exactly the point many of us feared and even predicted. Privacy rights are being eviscerated right before our very eyes. 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.  This attack on personal rights is not new in the world. We've read this book before. I've read this book before. Maybe the Supreme Court will now authorize burning the book.

If you want a glimpse into the future, you can look to our past.

Just a few miles away from here, at the old Cook County hospital, there was a wing once known as Ward 41. Ward 41 was dedicated to what they used to call "septic obstetrics"—or in layman's terms: botched abortions. From 1961 to 1965 ALONE, Ward 41 doctors managed the aftermath of over 20,000 illegal abortions. Because abortions were illegal, desperate women sought out desperate solutions. Hospital professionals from back then say what they saw was nothing short of horrific — disturbing memories etched into their minds for eternity.

They treated women who burned their insides with bleach and peroxide. Women whose uteruses were perforated with paintbrushes, cocktail stirrers, knitting needles, and wire coat hangers. Women who were nearly dead due to unimaginable blood loss and advanced sepsis. These women saw no other choice. They risked their lives out of desperation for just a semblance of control. And far too many died.

Before Roe v. Wade, criminal abortions were the leading cause of maternal death in the United States by a 7 to 1 margin. Those who did not die were left infertile, in perpetual pain, and permanently traumatized. Today, I'm thinking about those women—those we've lost and those we've harmed. We cannot allow their deaths to be in vain.

Make no mistake: in the many states where they will be illegal, abortions will continue. Now they will also be dangerous, they will be secretive and they will be deadly.

I am here to say: We cannot go back to Ward 41. In Illinois, we WILL NOT go back to Ward 41. And for all the women whose fundamental rights have been taken away today, we stand with you. We will raise our voices, we will open our arms to help you and we will protect your rights.

To the right-wing officeholders who today are cheering the Supreme Court's ruling: GET YOUR IRON BOOT OFF WOMEN'S NECKS! Hop off your high horse and know that what you're calling a "celebration of life" today will actually lead to death — the death of women in abusive situations, the death of women whose health is at risk, the death of women and girls who will still seek abortions—ones that are unsafe and performed by unqualified back-alley butchers.

Let me make this explicit and clear to women throughout our state, 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. Here, we trust you to make your own decisions about your reproductive health. We will defend your right to bodily autonomy.

In Illinois, we will hold firm to these rights and continue to work with stakeholders – many of whom are standing with me now – to expand them.

To that end, I am informing the General Assembly that I will be calling them into special session in the coming weeks to more firmly protect women's reproductive rights in Illinois and address the challenges posed by this radical Supreme Court decision. I'm grateful to have the support and partnership of House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch and Senate President Don Harmon in this effort. Together, the Democratic leadership in Illinois is committed to taking swift action to further enshrine our commitment to reproductive healthcare.

I want to close by speaking directly to those who have the most at stake in today's decision:

To the single mom juggling four kids and three-part time jobs, Illinois will fight for you. To the teenage CHILD, who endured rape or incest, Illinois will fight for you. To the marginalized and most vulnerable, who are being attacked at every turn by transphobic, or misogynistic or bigoted politicians, Illinois will fight for you. We will NOT turn back the clock. Here in the Land of Lincoln and the home state of Barack Obama, where we were the first to ratify women's suffrage 100 years ago, we will continue the fight for freedom, liberty, and justice for all."

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, said in a tweet he is calling a special session of the state legislature next month to impose new limits on abortion in Indiana:

"The Supreme Court's decision is clear, and it is now up to the states to address this important issue. We'll do that in short order in Indiana. I've already called the General Assembly back on July 6, and I expect members to take up this matter as well," he wrote. "I have been clear in stating I am pro-life. We have an opportunity to make progress in protecting the sanctity of life, and that's exactly what we will do."

Democratic Illinois Congresswoman Lauren Underwood said "This marks a shameful moment in our country's history":

"Today is a dark day for women and Americans across the nation. The Supreme Court just struck down our constitutional right to privacy and bodily autonomy. In the history of our country, Americans have never, ever, lost a constitutional right. Unfortunately, that's now no longer true. 

"Abortion became illegal in at least 13 states today — often with no exceptions for rape and incest. This marks a shameful moment in our country's history — a day that will always be remembered as the moment the Supreme Court ripped away a woman's right to make decisions about her body and conservatives across the country criminalized health care. 

"This activist Supreme Court is clearly ruling to meet the demands of an extremist minority of Americans. There must be court reform to restore public trust and confidence in their role of ensuring equal justice under the law. 

"I am shocked and disgusted by the plans that Republican lawmakers have laid out to impose a federal ban on abortion care and use this decision to overturn other legal precedents that protect our civil rights. As these Republican lawmakers' extreme agenda moves forward, our lives will change radically, even those of us in states like Illinois. The ultra-conservative Court's opinions in this ruling make clear that our civil rights are broadly under threat — everything from who we can marry, to which Americans are protected from illegal discrimination is now at risk.  

"But We, the people, can take action. We need a U.S. Senate majority willing to support procedural reforms to the filibuster. The Biden Administration must act urgently and boldly to protect and expand access to reproductive health care through administrative action, litigation, and every available tool. And the U.S. Senate must take up legislation like the House-passed Women's Health Protection Act to protect reproductive freedoms for all Americans."

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, a Chicago Democrat, said in a tweet he was "extremely disappointed with today's Supreme Court decision, which jeopardizes the health, safety, and lives of millions of women in the United States."

"Let me be clear: In Illinois, everyone has the right to an abortion. The Supreme Court's decision does not change that," he wrote.

In a longer statement posted in another tweet, Raoul said "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."

Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie, in a tweet, criticized Gov. JB Pritzker for calling a special session of the General Assembly "to take up abortion laws in a state that already has some of the most extreme laws in the nation. All while you're paying $6 for gas and $250 at the grocery store," adding the hashtag #outoftouch:

"Let me be clear, Governor Pritzker and many Illinois Democrats want to push Illinois to the utter extreme on abortion policy. RIght now Illinoisans can already get an abortion in all nine months of pregnancy for any reason and use taxpayer dollars to pay for it. But that's not enough. Now, they want us to help pay for out-of-state residents to travel to Illinois to receive abortions and even allow non-physicians here to perform them," he wrote. "This is clearly not what mainstream Illinoisans want. While the governor is calling a special session to act on these and potentially other extreme measures, Illinoisans are trying to deal with soaring gas prices and massive grocery bills that are leaving families hopeless. Instead of dealing with these vital issues, Pritzker is embracing an extreme agenda that will make Illinois an outlier even amongst the most liberal states."

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy, said "Today, millions of prayers have been answered" after Roe v. Wade was overturned:

"Abortion is a very difficult and controversial topic in which real lives - of both mothers and babies - are deeply affected. Because of this monumental ruling, the regulation of abortion is now being left to individual states as it should be. I support our state party platform that values the dignity of all life, from conception to natural death, and applaud the six Supreme Court Justices who had the courage to be real judges instead of judicial legislators. Judges should interpret the law, not make law.

Our country is deeply divided right now, and while I support this decision, I know this ruling will potentially make that division worse, at least in the short term, and many irresponsible people will stoke that division. I implore all Illinoisans to express their opinions with respect, civility, and without violence."

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, a Democrat from Hillside, said "Today is a dark day in our nation's history" after Roe. v. Wade was overturned:

"Today, this Supreme Court told half of Americans they don't have the right to make deeply personal health decisions without government interference. Today, half of Americans are losing their basic human rights and bodily autonomy.   

I'm grateful that in Illinois we've prepared for this day. Thanks to strong women and fierce advocates we have codified reproductive health care into law, and we will always trust women to make their own health decisions.  

Today our nation is taking an enormous step backward but, regardless of what any conservative judges say, in Illinois we will never waver in our fight to ensure every person has the right to safe, accessible reproductive care." 

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, called the ruling overturning Roe v. Wade "a distressing departure from five decades of precedent and a devastating blow to women around the country."

"This decision turns the clock back to a time when women did not have autonomy over their own bodies and died trying to access health care.

Over the past few years, we took many steps in Illinois to affirm a woman's right to make decisions about her own body.

As long as there is a Democratic majority in the Illinois State Senate, we will continue to protect those rights."

Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who chairs Senate Judiciary Committee, in a tweet, said "Today's decision by the Supreme Court ends a half-century guarantee that reproductive rights are protected by our Constitution. But the end of Roe v. Wade is not the end of the fight."

"Let me be clear: these deeply personal decisions should be left to an individual and their doctor. Not conservative Supreme Court justices. Not politicians trying to rile up their base," he wrote. "This decision is one reason why the November election is so crucial. We have two choices: elect pro-choice Democrats who will write abortion protections into law — or hand the reins to Mitch McConnell's GOP, who are already floating the idea of a national abortion ban."

Durbin also plans to hold hearing to "examine a post-Roe America."

"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."

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, a Democrat, said "I am angry but unafraid" after Roe v. Wade was overturned:

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.

Republican Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis said the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade was "a day that all of us in the pro-life movement have been praying for and working towards."

"This is a historic and incredible day for Life and the unborn in America, a day that all of us in the pro-life movement have been praying for and working towards. The Supreme Court was absolutely right to overturn previous, wrongly-decided abortion decisions. Nothing in the Constitution confers the right to an abortion. As a pro-life lawmaker with a 100 percent pro-life voting record, I have advocated for years that the Court overturn Roe. 

"Now that the Supreme Court has turned this issue over to the people's elected representatives, our pro-life work continues. We must elect pro-life leaders at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure we advance pro-life policies and protect the unborn. Nowhere is this more important than the State of Illinois, where J.B. Pritzker and Democrats in Springfield have advanced an extreme abortion expansion agenda that legalized taxpayer-funded, late-term abortions, and even restricted parents' abilities to know if their minor child is seeking an abortion. This is an extreme abortion agenda that is out-of-step with the people of Illinois. I will continue to work tirelessly to advance pro-life policies and protect the unborn in Washington and in Springfield."

In a tweet, Republican Illinois Congresswoman Mary Miller called the overturning of Roe v. Wade "A joyous victory for life!"

"The end of Roe is the beginning of a new chapter, where we embrace a culture of life with a reverence for God's children. I applaud President Trump, who delivered on his promise of a Court that would honor the Constitution and our sacred right to life," she wrote.

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, a Democrat, said, "As the father of a teenage daughter, I am furious."

"Five people I never met decided they will make health decision for my school-aged daughter, not me,"

"Years from now, when my daughter is an adult, she will not be able to decide what happens with her body because five people she never met determined they know best,"

"Today, the doctors and nurses and friends who participate in a woman's decision could face criminal charges for doing nothing more than delivering their professional opinion, providing their expert care, and offering a supportive role,"

"As the father of a teenage daughter, I am furious with the hypocritical politicians who seek to control her body and have decided that she, and every other woman in my life, and in our country, are incapable of making decisions about their own body."

In a tweet, Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade "a dark day in America for people who care about civil rights and equal justice under the law."

Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker is planning to call a special session of the Illinois General Assembly to further protect abortion rights in Illinois in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade:

In Illinois, we trust women. Despite the action of the Supreme Court today overturning Roe v. Wade, the right to safe, accessible reproductive health care is in full force in Illinois – and will remain so.

In Illinois, we've planned for this terrible day, an enormous step backward and a shattering loss of rights. We passed the Reproductive Health Act, enshrining choice as the law of the land in Illinois. We removed the trigger law that would have prohibited abortion in Illinois with the overturning of Roe v Wade. We expanded health care so that finances are not a barrier to receiving reproductive care.

In Illinois, we are a state committed to expanding access to reproductive health care including abortion care, contraception access, fertility treatment and gender affirming care. We've made it clear that we trust people to make the best decisions for themselves about their own reproductive health.

In Illinois, we will hold firm to these rights and continue to work with stakeholders to expand them. To that end, I am calling the General Assembly into special session in the coming weeks, with the support and consultation of House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch and Senate President Don Harmon. Together, we are committed to taking swift action to further enshrine our commitment to reproductive health care rights and protections.