The following is a verbatim release from the Governor's office on Wednesday, in which Governor Pritzker and Democrat lawmakers boast of making abortion a "fundamental right":
CHICAGO — Making good on his promise to make Illinois the most progressive state in the nation for women’s reproductive rights, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Reproductive Health Act on Wednesday, enshrining a woman’s right to choose into law.
“In a time when too many states across the nation are taking a step backward, Illinois is taking a giant step forward for women’s health,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “Illinois is demonstrating what it means to affirm the rights of individuals to make the most personal and fundamental decisions of their lives, no matter your income level, race, ethnicity or religion. When it comes to contraception, abortion, and reproductive care, this law puts the decision-making where it belongs: in the hands of women and their doctors.
“The Reproductive Health Act ensures that women’s rights in Illinois do not hinge on the fate of Roe v. Wade, or the whims of an increasingly conservative Supreme Court. In this state, women will always have the right to reproductive health care.”
Treating reproductive health care like any other type of health care, the Reproductive Health Act modernizes Illinois’ outdated law and establishes the fundamental right to make individual decisions about reproductive health care, including contraception, abortion, and maternity care.
The new law ensures regulations reflect current medical standards and requires private health insurance plans in Illinois to cover abortion like they do other pregnancy-related care.
Amid a wave of legislation restricting a woman’s right to choose, Illinois is the only state in the nation to enact legislation that establishes a fundamental right to reproductive healthcare, including abortion and maternity care.
“The Reproductive Health Act sends a clear message that we trust women to make their own decisions,” said Senator Melinda Bush, the Senate sponsor of the RHA. “Women can now rest assured that regardless of what happens at the federal level, they will have access to comprehensive reproductive health care here in Illinois. Thank you to Gov. Pritzker for being a fierce advocate of reproductive rights and for taking this final step in guaranteeing the right to an abortion in the state of Illinois.”
“While all around us opponents are using misinformation and misogyny to justify attacks on bodily autonomy, I’m proud that here in Illinois, we’ve declared unequivocally that we trust patients and doctors to make these decisions safely and privately,” said Representative Kelly Cassidy, the House sponsor of the RHA.
“The law is now clear in Illinois: decisions about reproductive health care are between patients, their family members, doctors and other health care providers,” said Colleen Connell, executive director of the ACLU of Illinois. “Thank you Governor Pritzker for making this policy the law of the land. Thank you to all the legislators who worked to move this measure forward, especially sponsors Senator Melinda Bush and Representative Kelly Cassidy. And, special thanks to the thousands of Illinois residents who spoke up and made their voice heard over the past few months. Your involvement made this victory possible.”
“We are in for the fight of our lives, for our patients’ lives,” said Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. “By signing the Reproductive Health Act into law today, Governor Pritzker has solidified his commitment to guaranteeing patients at Planned Parenthood, and other health care providers across the state, have the fundamental right to the full range of reproductive health care. At Planned Parenthood, we're committing to ensuring that right is accessible, no matter what.”
The law takes effect immediately.
Today, Illinois has gone from a blue state to a black state.
If its a fundamental right right, why isn’t it in the Illinois constitution’s Bill of Rights? Our fundamental rights are God-given and God certainly didn’t grant anyone the right murder unborn and sometimes born babies.
The lying democrats think they can redefine words to create a right. The insane democrats think everything they don’t like must be banned and everything they like is a human right that must be paid for by others. In short, they think they are God…
Your points are well-taken, @LiveFreeOrDie. However, the persons quoted above would say the Constitution is a living document – one that is meant to change with the culture.
Next comes the government says who will have an abortion and when, like communist governments around the world. Commies gotta commie.
Sunday prior to Memorial Day SB25, which was “MHDDC-PSYCHIATRIC EXAM” morphed into the “Reproductive Health Act” (extreme abortion) bill via House Amendment 1. It gutted and replaced the entire bill with only 1 hour notice for the committee hearing, and only one vote + concurrence left to pass both Houses. (Shell-Bill process)
Originally the “Reproductive Health Act” was House Bill 2495. HB 2595 was stuck in committee having had only 1 reading in the House. Witness slip counts for it were:
Proponents: 1,765
Opponents: 22,503
No Position: 112
Witness slips for SB 25 as amended by House Amendment 1
Proponents: 5,217
Opponents: 13,882
No Position: 114
They obviously were not listening to the opinion of the people.
State statutes don’t overrule the Illinois Constitution.
ARTICLE I, BILL OF RIGHTS
SECTION 1. INHERENT AND INALIENABLE RIGHTS
All men are by nature free and independent and have
certain inherent and inalienable rights among which are life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To secure these rights
and the protection of property, governments are instituted
among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed. (Source: Illinois Constitution.)
Babies have a constitutionally protected right to life; per the Illinois constitution the Illinois State Govt must secure those babies right to life. The whole purpose of an abortion is to destroy that unborn baby’s life. Many decades ago now, scientists discovered that a human life begins at the moment of conception, complete with his/her own unique DNA.
The organized crime we call the democrat controlled Illinois state legislature must obey the Illinois constitution. The Illinois state constitution creates the Illinois govt and lays out the laws(rules) they MUST obey. Nowhere in the Illinois state constitution does it grant the Illinois state legislature the authority to ignore the Bill of Rights in the Illinois State Constitution.
The democrat controlled Illinois state legislature is the enemy of we Illinois citizens
ABORTION GOES NOT IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE WOMAN, THEY NEED TO STOP CALLING ABORTION HEALTHCARE. WHAT THESE ABORTIONCRATS DO IS TO DENY BABIES HEALTHCARE
Wake Up & Rise Up Illinois!
We are a state that steals from our property owners by charging the highest real estate taxes in our country robbing all property owners of our net worth and making us tenants to the state on our own property. Our property values and much of our individual net worth is decimated by this.
Our business climate is the worst in the Midwest as we lose jobs by the tens of thousands to more job creation friendly states. Small and midsize businesses as well as the wealthy executives and retirees are leaving as they can all have better odds of survival in other states.
Now to throw fuel on the fire that is the Illinois mass exodus we challenge God Loving people who believe abortion is murder or people who believe lessons are learned by being accountable for your actions. Responsible Taxpayers being responsible for the cost of those less accountable and God Loving, Baby Loving people paying to murder babies will force many others into leaving Illinois.
We need to Wake Up and Rise Up against the craziness that is ruining our once great state.
Those people are liars, the Illinois constitution is a living document in one regard only. And that is the fact that the Illinois constitution may be changed, amended…. by way of ARTICLE XIV. The tyrannical baby murdering democrats can’t lawfully redefine the original meaning and intent of the Illinois constitution. Following is the ONLY lawful way to change, amend the Illinois state constitution.
CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
SECTION 1. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
(a) Whenever three-fifths of the members elected to each
house of the General Assembly so direct, the question of
whether a Constitutional Convention should be called shall be
submitted to the electors at the general election next
occurring at least six months after such legislative
direction.
(b) If the question of whether a Convention should be
called is not submitted during any twenty-year period, the
Secretary of State shall submit such question at the general
election in the twentieth year following the last submission.
(c) The vote on whether to call a Convention shall be on
a separate ballot. A Convention shall be called if approved
by three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority
of those voting in the election.
(d) The General Assembly, at the session following
approval by the electors, by law shall provide for the
Convention and for the election of two delegates from each
Legislative District; designate the time and place of the
Convention’s first meeting which shall be within three months
after the election of delegates; fix and provide for the pay
of delegates and officers; and provide for expenses
necessarily incurred by the Convention.
(e) To be eligible to be a delegate a person must meet
the same eligibility requirements as a member of the General
Assembly. Vacancies shall be filled as provided by law.
(f) The Convention shall prepare such revision of or
amendments to the Constitution as it deems necessary. Any
proposed revision or amendments approved by a majority of the
delegates elected shall be submitted to the electors in such
manner as the Convention determines, at an election
designated or called by the Convention occurring not less
than two nor more than six months after the Convention’s
adjournment. Any revision or amendments proposed by the
Convention shall be published with explanations, as the
Convention provides, at least one month preceding the
election.
(g) The vote on the proposed revision or amendments
shall be on a separate ballot. Any proposed revision or
amendments shall become effective, as the Convention
provides, if approved by a majority of those voting on the
question.
(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
SECTION 2. AMENDMENTS BY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
(a) Amendments to this Constitution may be initiated in
either house of the General Assembly. Amendments shall be
read in full on three different days in each house and
reproduced before the vote is taken on final passage.
Amendments approved by the vote of three-fifths of the
members elected to each house shall be submitted to the
electors at the general election next occurring at least six
months after such legislative approval, unless withdrawn by a
vote of a majority of the members elected to each house.
(b) Amendments proposed by the General Assembly shall be
published with explanations, as provided by law, at least one
month preceding the vote thereon by the electors. The vote on
the proposed amendment or amendments shall be on a separate
ballot. A proposed amendment shall become effective as the
amendment provides if approved by either three-fifths of
those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in
the election.
(c) The General Assembly shall not submit proposed
amendments to more than three Articles of the Constitution at
any one election. No amendment shall be proposed or submitted
under this Section from the time a Convention is called until
after the electors have voted on the revision or amendments,
if any, proposed by such Convention.
(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
SECTION 3. CONSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVE FOR LEGISLATIVE ARTICLE
Amendments to Article IV of this Constitution may be
proposed by a petition signed by a number of electors equal
in number to at least eight percent of the total votes cast
for candidates for Governor in the preceding gubernatorial
election. Amendments shall be limited to structural and
procedural subjects contained in Article IV. A petition shall
contain the text of the proposed amendment and the date of
the general election at which the proposed amendment is to be
submitted, shall have been signed by the petitioning electors
not more than twenty-four months preceding that general
election and shall be filed with the Secretary of State at
least six months before that general election. The procedure
for determining the validity and sufficiency of a petition
shall be provided by law. If the petition is valid and
sufficient, the proposed amendment shall be submitted to the
electors at that general election and shall become effective
if approved by either three-fifths of those voting on the
amendment or a majority of those voting in the election.
(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
SECTION 4. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
STATES
The affirmative vote of three-fifths of the members
elected to each house of the General Assembly shall be
required to request Congress to call a Federal Constitutional
Convention, to ratify a proposed amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, or to call a State
Convention to ratify a proposed amendment to the Constitution
of the United States. The General Assembly shall not take
action on any proposed amendment to the Constitution of the
United States submitted for ratification by legislatures
unless a majority of the members of the General Assembly
shall have been elected after the proposed amendment has been
submitted for ratification. The requirements of this Section
shall govern to the extent that they are not inconsistent
with requirements established by the United States.
(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
Bruce Rauner is proud.
The RHA is a victory for white supremacists and misogynists. Abortion kills more african americans than other cause of death; hispanics are not far behind.
The only thing RHA has achieved is best described by Pope Paul VI “the point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment and no longer as his respected and beloved companion.”
Congratulations leftists on your continued war on women and war against non-whites.
Congratulations leftists on your continued war on women and war against non-whites.
Given the way those groups vote, are we not better off?
To be clear, I think abortion is murder, and I think a woman who kills her own baby is essentially without a soul…but, and it is a big but, decent folks would be overwhelmed and so soundly outvoted by degenerates if not for abortion.
It is indeed bizarre that the governor of this state and his party celebrate a law that determines that it is a “fundamental right” to kill an innocent child for no reason other than the convenience of one of the parents. If that is the principle that our state’s Democratic party deems worthy of celebration then the reasons that I am proud to be a Republican are more clear than ever.