For Immediate Release January 2, 2020
The Illinois National Organization for Women (NOW) staunchly opposes Illinois Congressmen Dan Lipinski (IL3), Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) and Darin LaHood (IL-18) in their support of the June Medical Services v. Gee case that will be heard March 4, 2020 by the US Supreme Court. This case would require Louisiana doctors who provide abortion care to have admitting privileges at nearby hospital and is one of many being brought to the Supreme Court with the end goal of overturning Roe v. Wade.
Illinois NOW strongly believes that every woman has the right to make personal health decisions without the interference of outsiders and restrictive laws. “We have worked tirelessly over the years to ensure that women in Illinois have access to safe and legal abortion. It is clear that the majority in our state believe this as well,” said Laura Welch, President of Illinois NOW. “In supporting this anti-choice case, along with their numerous other votes against reproductive health care, these Congressmen have proven that they are completely out of step with pro- choice voters in Illinois.”
The requirement that abortion providers have hospital admitting privileges is just one of the TRAP laws (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) many legislatures across the country are using to shut down access to reproductive healthcare. An amicus brief filed by the Feminist Majority Foundation, the National Organization for Women Foundation, the Southern Poverty Law Center and Women’s Law Project, states that threats and violence perpetrated by anti-choice extremists cause many hospitals to decide against granting admitting privileges to abortion providers. These laws are not medically justified and, in this case, will lead to only a single provider remaining in Louisiana.
“The National Organization for Women (NOW) Foundation has a long history defending abortion rights before the Supreme Court,” said NOW Foundation President Toni Van Pelt. “…the national climate of violence and fear facing abortion health care providers has a chilling effect that undermines women’s constitutional right to abortion care. We will not let the violent forces of extremism shred Roe v. Wade state by state, clinic by shuttered clinic. Women’s lives depend on our success.”
Illinois NOW and NOW do not endorse federal candidates. The National Organization for Women Political Action Committee (NOW PAC) has endorsed Marie Newman for the Illinois 3rd Congressional district as a candidate who strongly supports women’s personal reproductive decisions.
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