Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Lawmakers to Return to Springfield for Special Session to Protect Reproductive Health Care

Chicago, Ill. – On Friday, the United States Supreme Court released the long-anticipated decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion. House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch remains committed to ensuring all people have access to safe abortion care in Illinois.

"Today is a dark day in our nation's history. Today, this Supreme Court told half of Americans they don't have the right to make deeply personal health decisions without government interference. Today, half of Americans are losing their basic human rights and bodily autonomy," said Speaker Welch.

This Supreme Court decisions means each state will determine whether people can access abortion care, and currently 26 states have trigger laws in effect to ban abortions immediately. Thanks to the hard work of advocates and stakeholders, Illinois is not one of those states.

"I'm grateful that in Illinois we’ve prepared for this day. Thanks to strong women and fierce advocates we have codified reproductive health care into law, and we will always trust women to make their own health decisions," said Speaker Welch. "Today our nation is taking an enormous step backward but, regardless of what any conservative judges say, in Illinois we will never waver in our fight to ensure every person has the right to safe, accessible reproductive care."

Governor JB Pritzker called lawmakers back for a special session in the coming weeks to take "swift action to further enshrine our commitment to reproductive health care rights and protections." Speaker Welch fully supports this call and will work in conjunction with his fellow Democrats to ensure a woman's right to choose will remain protected in Illinois.