Dear Neighbor,
Today’s Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization marks a turning point in the multi-generational fight to recognize women’s right to choose whether or not to be pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term.
To be clear – abortion remains legal in Illinois, and it is still your right. The decision by six extremist Supreme Court justices to strip women of our fundamental right to privacy overturning 50 years of settled law under Roe v. Wade is a devastating blow to reproductive rights.
The right to choose is a fundamental right and, if it were left up to the vast majority of Americans, it would be a right respected and upheld across the country. The Supreme Court’s decision to limit reproductive freedom for women across our country means that our fundamental rights are now in the hands of state legislatures.
In Illinois we saw the warning signs, which is why Illinois Democrats passed protections ensuring that abortion will remain safe, legal, and accessible in our state – regardless of what the Supreme Court decided with Roe v. Wade. We also fought to pass the Reproductive Health Act, which shields residents from government restrictions and makes reproductive health care a fundamental right for every individual in Illinois.
Illinois must always protect the right to safe and accessible reproductive health care, and I will use the full weight of my position to ensure Illinois does not fall back – despite what an extremist Supreme Court has decided to do.
I am proud that Illinois is a leader when it comes to the right to choose. If you would like to be notified of any future updates regarding choice here in Illinois, visit https://bit.ly/ILChoice.
Sincerely,
Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz