After a long and unusually emotional debate in the Illinois House Tuesday, lawmakers approved legislation aimed at keeping abortion legal in Illinois, regardless of what happens in other states or Washington, D.C.
The legislation would repeal laws that, while not currently enforced, could go back into effect if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns .
With lawmakers in red states passing laws limiting or outlawing abortion 鈥� challenges to Roe 鈥� Illinois Democrats wanted to demonstrate their state is going the other way.
They called their legislation the 鈥� .鈥� It would repeal laws requiring for abortions and doctors if they perform the procedure.
The legislation also requires insurance companies to cover abortions as part of reproductive health care.
Sponsoring state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Democrat from Chicago, says it does little more than codify what鈥檚 already happening in Illinois.
鈥淚t is crucial that our law states that the health of pregnant patients must be paramount,鈥� Cassidy said. 鈥淭he Reproductive Health Act simply incorporates this long-recognized principle so that women are supported in their ability to make the best decisions for themselves, their health and well-being throughout pregnancy.鈥�
The law allows abortions at all stages of a pregnancy 鈥� including after the fetus is viable 鈥� if it鈥檚 critical to health and life of the patient.
Republican lawmakers unanimously voted against the measure. They also pursued an unusual tactic in debate, with most yielding their time to one colleague: Avery Bourne, who represents the town of Raymond and is visibly pregnant.
Bourne questioned the standards for deciding 鈥渉ealth of the mother鈥� 鈥� including but not limited to physical, emotional, psychological and familial factors.
鈥淭hese definitions seem overly broad and I am certain that most doctors, if their incentive is to perform an abortion, would find some kind of loophole here to figure that out,鈥� she said.
Bourne told lawmakers if they don鈥檛 keep track of the reason why abortions are performed, there could be a jump in the procedure after the first trimester.
鈥淔or a woman at my stage in pregnancy, where the baby responds to his dad鈥檚 voice as he reads him books at night, the woman could go to the facility 鈥� the baby is perfectly healthy, but if that woman says 鈥榖ased on my familial health, this is medically necessary,鈥� that is allowed,鈥� Bourne said.
Several Democrats scoffed at that idea.
鈥淚 am disgusted by the propaganda that is out there suggesting that any woman late in her pregnancy 鈥� or even after giving birth, as I鈥檝e heard from some 鈥� and then decide, 鈥楨h, I just don鈥檛 want this child,鈥� and simply end it鈥檚 life,鈥� said Rep. Joyce Mason, from Gurnee. 鈥淚t鈥檚 disgusting and it鈥檚 insulting to women and it鈥檚 insulting to the doctors who taken that hippocratic oath.鈥�
Other Democrats conjured scenes from before abortion was legal.
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, from Chicago, described one doctor鈥檚 working in the septic unit of Cook County Hospital in 1948, when desperate women attempted to perform their own abortions with whatever tool was at hand.
鈥淧aint brushes. Pencils. Knitting needles,鈥� Feigenholtz said. 鈥淗e saw perforated vaginas, untreatable infections and women who hemorrhaged to death.鈥�
Men on the Democratic side of the aisle echoed one another in saying, 鈥淲e trust women.鈥�
鈥淲e fought a civil war because we wanted to keep black bodies chained and enslaved,鈥� said Rep. Maurice West, from Rockford. 鈥淎nd now you鈥檙e asking me, a black man, to put policy chains on a woman鈥檚 body 鈥� on reproductive health.鈥�
After more than two hours of debate, the legislation passed the House on vote of 64 to 50. The Republicans were joined by six Democrats voting against the legislation; four other Dems voted 鈥減resent.鈥�
Reaction from outside the Capitol was swift and 鈥� in some cases 鈥� severe. Liberal groups praised the outcome. But the outspoken Roman Catholic bishop of Springfield, Thomas Paprocki, the House vote 鈥済ravely immoral鈥� and the legislation 鈥渆vil.鈥�
The Reproductive Health Act ( ) still has to get through a vote in the Senate before going to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who said in a statement that he looks forward to signing it into law.
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