'Important moment for our nation': State, local officials react to Roe vs. Wade decision

Reaction from a number of government and religious leaders from around Illinois to Friday's watershed decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that in essence overturned Roe v. Wade was swift.

Illinois is the only state of the five states it borders not expected to restrict or outright ban abortion.

Because of existing restrictions on reproductive health care in neighboring states, Illinois has already become a destination for some from neighboring states who are seeking abortion care. One in five abortions in Illinois in 2020 were provided to people from out of state, according to records from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Missouri residents make up about 68% of out-of-state patients receiving abortions in Illinois, according to IDPH. Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri has already started training more nurse practitioners.

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A number of rallies around the state were planned for Friday, including one at 5:30 p.m. at the Paul Findley U.S. Courthouse, 600 E. Monroe St. That was being organized by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, Resistor Sisterhood and other allied organizations.

MoveOn, Planned Parenthood, UltraViolet and Women’s March were planning a rally at 10300 S. Western in Chicago at 5 p.m.

Representatives from Illinois Right to Life and the Thomas More Society, a public-interest law firm based in Chicago, took part in a March for Life rally in Chicago's South Loop earlier Friday.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki

Springfield Catholic Bishop Thomas John Paprocki said the decision "marks an important moment for our nation, lifting a cloud that has hung over our country for nearly a half century. There is no way to undo the tragedy of tens of millions of innocent lives lost or the decades of division sown by the Roe v. Wade decision, but, for the sake of future generations, we can now move forward with a more honest debate and efforts to advance policies and support programs that protect innocent life and promote stability and security for vulnerable mothers."

The Catholic Conference of Illinois, the public policy voice of the Illinois bishops and lay Catholics, also put out a statement of support for the decision.

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Sen. Dick Durbin

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, countered that 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?" Durbin said. "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.

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"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.”

Durbin, a Catholic from Springfield, has been denied communion over his stance on abortion. He is the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, called the decision "a nightmare that robs women of their right to make their own choices about their healthcare and their bodies.

"It paves the way for a nationwide abortion ban that Republicans have been seeking for decades."

Duckworth, who is a mother, said forcing births on anyone "even when the mother’s life could be at risk, is not only cruel, it will also be a death sentence."

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, said Friday was a historic day for the right-to-life movement and the unborn, "a day that all of us in the pro-life movement have been praying for and working towards."

Davis, who represents the 13th Congressional District and is locked a tight race with Rep. Mary Miller in the 15th district race, said he had advocated for years for the court to strike down Roe and that is now incumbent on states to elect pro-life legislators.

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"I'm going to work hard to elect more pro-life state legislators," said Davis, during a campaign stop in Springfield Monday. "The abortion industry and taxpayer funding of abortions in Illinois is still going to happen. It's up to states to change the way they deal with this what I consider this abhorrent process we call abortion."

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller

Miller, Davis' opponent, said the decision was "the beginning of a new chapter, where we embrace a culture of life with a reverence for all of God's children."

The Oakland Republican applauded former President Donald Trump, who will join Miller at a "Save America" rally at the Adams County fairgrounds in Mendon on Saturday, for delivering on his promise of a court "that would honor the Constitution and our sacred right to life."

Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices during his presidency.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, said that six U.S. Supreme Court justices had wiped out the rights of millions of Americans, "legalized government-mandated pregnancies" and placed the lives of rape and incest survivors in danger.

“As a mother, a grandmother and a Catholic, I am gutted by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Make no mistake – this ruling will cost lives and livelihoods, and its impact will be felt for generations to come," Bustos said in a written statement. "The U.S. Supreme Court does not belong in our doctors’ offices, and this attack on personal freedom is a radical departure from what has been accepted as the ‘law of the land’ for half a century."

Bustos said she fears what other "fundamental rights these justices could take away from us" and what the repercussions will be.

"This is a tragic day for freedom in America," Bustos said.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-West Chicago, called Friday "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."

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, in a statement, said it was "a wrong-sided decision" by the Supreme that will end access to safe abortion for many women throughout the country.

"“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," Raoul added. "This single decision rolls back 50 years of court precedent and with it, decades of progress toward reproductive autonomy."

Raoul said his office is preparing for an influx of women from neighboring states to seek abortion services in Illinois and will be working with the governor’s office and Legislature to address concerns "triggered by the court’s decision."

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood

U.S. Rep Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, applauded the Supreme Court's decision.

"Democrats in Washington and Illinois, including President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Governor Pritzker have spent years seeking to undermine and delegitimize our independent judiciary," LaHood said in a statement. "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 v. Mississippi) decision, in the face of violence, is a win for our independent judiciary and the Constitution.

"Gov. JB 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."

Bishop Louis Tylka

Peoria Catholic Bishop Louis Tylka said Friday marked "a significant moment in the efforts to work toward a great respect for life."

"As Catholics and as Americans, we must continue to be a voice that defends life — in all its stages and from all its threats — so that we can truly build a culture of life in our country and in the world," Tylka said in a statement. "Today's decision overturns what was previously a federal legalization of abortion and has returned the issue to individual states to decide the matter for themselves.

"Clearly, there is much more work to be done."

Illinois Federation of Teachers

Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery said the union strongly condemned the decision.

"As a union composed of more than 70 percent female members, we strongly condemn this radical decision and are deeply concerned about its implications for women and pregnant people," Montgomery said in a release.

“In this country, all women and pregnant people must be free to make their own decisions about their bodies. It is a fundamental right. Today’s decision will harm all, but there is no doubt that Black, Indigenous, People of Color and Latinx (women) and the economically disadvantaged – already marginalized groups – will suffer most."

State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth

State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, called Friday's ruling "a life-changing moment for millions of women in our country.

"An irresponsible and dangerous Supreme Court has rolled back fundamental protections and is the greatest attack on individual rights we have seen in generations." Gordon-Booth added. "Women deserve and should always have the right to make their own personal health decisions, regardless of what this irredeemable and out-of-touch Supreme Court has chosen to do."

State Sen. Melinda Bush

State Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, said she was "appalled, disgusted and disheartened" by the decision.

"To be frank, I am speechless," Bush said in a statement. "While the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court comes at no surprise, I’m faced with a shock of emotion I never wanted to feel, and that’s because, despite it being 2022, there’s a war against women."

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois officials react to Supreme Court's Roe v Wade decision