SCOTUS overturned Roe v Wade. What happens to abortion access in Illinois and the Midwest?

PEORIA — What will happen now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade?

The case, which established that the U.S. Constitution protects a woman's right to make her own reproductive decisions, including the right to choose abortion, has, for nearly 50 years, determined the rules on a very contentious issue.

States' legislators now have the autonomy to make their own rules on abortion, and many will likely outlaw the procedure. Illinois is one of a few states planning to expand access. How will this affect the residents of central Illinois?

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.

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Outside of Chicago, which major Illinois cities have abortion clinics?

There are 17 Planned Parenthood of Illinois clinics in Illinois that provide medicated abortion, said Mary Jane Maharry, interim director of marketing and communications for PPIL. Only six of those are outside the Chicagoland area: Bloomington, Champaign, Decatur, Ottawa, Peoria and Springfield.

Surgical abortion is less available, however. The closest Planned Parenthood locations providing in-clinic abortions to Peoria is Springfield, while the closest to Rockford is Aurora.

What does Illinois law say about abortion access?

Abortion has been legal in Illinois since the passage of Roe v. Wade in 1973. Although Illinois did have a trigger law on the books that would have made abortion illegal if Roe v. Wade were overturned, that law was nullified in 2017 with the passage of House Bill 40. The Illinois Supreme Court has recognized the right to abortion under the state’s constitution, according to The Center for Reproductive Rights.

Illinois further strengthened a woman’s right to an abortion in 2019 with the passage of the Reproductive Health Act, which made abortion a fundamental right of all people in Illinois:

“This Act sets forth the fundamental rights of individuals to make autonomous decisions about one's own reproductive health, including the fundamental right to use or refuse reproductive health care. This includes the fundamental right of an individual to use or refuse contraception or sterilization, and to make autonomous decisions about how to exercise that right; and the fundamental right of an individual who becomes pregnant to continue the pregnancy and give birth to a child, or to have an abortion, and to make autonomous decisions about how to exercise that right. This Act restricts the ability of the State to deny, interfere with, or discriminate against these fundamental rights.”

What will happen to abortion access in Illinois if Roe is overturned?

Abortion will not only continue to be readily available in Illinois, availability will expand, said Gov. JB Pritzker.

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Will people start visiting Illinois just to get abortions?

More than likely. Several out-of-state abortion clinics are establishing offices in Illinois to meet increased demand, according to The State Journal-Register in Springfield. A Tennessee health care organization called CHOICES is opening a clinic in Carbondale and expects to serve patients from several southeastern states, including Kentucky and Tennessee. The Planned Parenthood affiliate in St. Louis has already opened a facility just across the border in Fairview Heights, Ill.

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How will the end of Roe v. Wade be handled in states bordering Illinois?

Every state sharing a border with Illinois has laws hostile to abortion, making it likely they will all ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights.

In Iowa, an abortion ban is likely because earlier this month the Supreme Court reversed itself and ruled that the right to abortion is not protected under the state’s constitution.

In Wisconsin, lawmakers may try to prohibit abortion. The current governor is supportive of abortion rights, but state law does not expressly protect abortion. Numerous medically unnecessary restrictions already make it difficult for people to access abortion care in the state.

Indiana will likely try to prohibit abortion. Currently, medically unnecessary restrictions make it difficult for people to access abortion care in Indiana.

In Kentucky, the prohibition of abortion is likely. In 2019, legislators enacted a trigger ban intended to make abortion illegal in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned. In 2022, the state enacted a 15-week abortion ban, and, currently, medically unnecessary restrictions make it difficult for people to access abortion care in the state.

Missouri will likely try to prohibit abortion. In 2019, Missouri enacted a trigger ban intended to prohibit abortion in almost all situations if ever legally permissible and an eight-week ban on abortion that prohibits abortion before many people know they are pregnant.

Leslie Renken can be reached at 309-370-5087 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: What Roe v Wade reversal means for Illinois abortion access