Melinda Bush: Passage of abortion bill to make Illinois 'a beacon for the country'
SPRINGFIELD - State Sen. Melinda Bush, a Democrat from Grayslake, said she hopes passage of the abortion legislation she sponsored in the Senate will make the state "a beacon for the country."
Backers and detractors agree it will be the most liberal reproductive health statute in the United States. Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has promised to sign the bill which was adopted after about 80 minutes of impassioned debate late Friday night.
From its introduction in February, the Reproductive Health Act drew calls of support from advocates looking to the General Assembly to respond to restrictions enacted by other states, and those of warning from opponents concerned about protections being struck from current law.
"I'm so proud that Illinois is standing up and saying, we're not going back, we're going to continue to fight and we're going to make sure that women are equal here," Bush said. "Their reproductive rights are part of that."
The measure has already cleared the House and in the back of the Senate during the debate were several of its members who stood and joined hands during Bush's closing remarks.
"To have that amazing camaraderie and support and really love for each other; I'm just so proud of all these amazing women," Bush said. "It really felt like a sisterhood."
The measure received 34 Democratic yes votes. Twenty senators voted no, including one Democrat. Three Democrats voted present.
Some of Bush's colleagues asked her to clarify whether women would be able to get an abortion procedure at any point during her pregnancy if the Reproductive Health Act became law - Bush said it would not - and if anyone besides doctors could perform a procedural abortion - Bush said no.
The measure, Bush said, "codified current practices" and repealed parts of Illinois law enjoined by courts.
Sen. Dan McConchie, a Republican from Hawthorn Woods, said if that was all the bill aimed to achieve, it would be one page - not 126.
"We're trying to make sure that we're protecting a woman's fundamental rights, we're trying to make sure that the RHA treats abortion like any other medical procedure under the law and I believe, frankly, that there is a war against women's rights going on," Bush said.
McConchie sought clarification on whether any provisions of the legislation would render toothless the Parental Notification of Abortion Law, which requires a minor to consult her parents before getting the procedure. Bush said no part of her bill would impact that statute.
"This proposal leaves me stunned," McConchie said. "For anyone who wants abortions to be legal and safe, this bill will do exactly the opposite."
The measure creates access to diagnostic testing, contraception, pregnancy benefits and other related health care as a fundamental right, barring the state government from infringing women and men's access to those things. Changes were made to reflect concerns raised by legislators, insurance groups, health care professionals and others.
Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich issued a news release Saturday calling passage of the bill "a sad moment in our history as a state."
"We are resolved to let women and families in the Chicago area know they have alternatives to abortion," he said. "We will continue to provide help during their pregnancies and throughout their journey as parents."