Once again, Illinois stands at the forefront of a national crisis manufactured not by a shortage of medical need but by politics. As federal defunding efforts force Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin to pause abortion services, patients are left scrambling for basic and essential care. Illinois providers are preparing, yet again, to absorb the impact and are stepping up to serve a growing number of people denied care in their own communities.
After the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022 gutted Roe v. Wade, Illinois became a vital haven for reproductive health care in the Midwest and beyond. Our clinics’ extended hours and increased staff and new facilities were added because we knew what was coming. And now, with Wisconsin patients once again at risk of losing care due to the so-called “Defund Provision” buried in the latest federal budget bill, Illinois providers are left to fill the gaps.
This isn’t sustainable. And it shouldn’t have to be this way.
The Defund Provision is a cruel political attack disguised as budget policy. And we should be honest about its purpose: to target Planned Parenthood and other providers who offer abortion care, even though the discriminatory Hyde Amendment prohibits using federal dollars to fund abortions. This provision puts the health of tens of thousands of low-income patients at risk, cutting off their only option for affordable and accessible care.
As the daughter of a physician, fighting for equitable access to health care has always been a priority. I’ve spent my career fighting to make Illinois a refuge in a sea of regressive and discriminatory policies. Illinois is proud to have been the only state that statutorily repealed the Hyde Amendment with the passage of HB40, a bill that I sponsored, to ensure Medicaid recipients in Illinois can access abortion care. Passing both HB40 and the Contraceptive Equity Act served as a lifeline for millions of Illinoisans and residents from other states.
In the wake of Roe’s reversal, we strengthened our state’s shield laws, protecting providers and patients from out-of-state legal attacks. We partnered with advocates and providers to expand our capacity, doing so with the understanding that Illinois would continue to bear the burden of failed policies.
Illinois is preparing for another wave of patients from Wisconsin, many of them low-income and on Medicaid. Planned Parenthood of Illinois and other providers are bracing for up to $7 million in federal funding cuts. Still, our providers are keeping their doors open not because it’s easy, but because it’s the right thing to do.
The people coming to Illinois for care are mothers, daughters, students and survivors. They are making the best decisions they can for themselves, their health and their futures. What they don’t need are politicians inserting themselves into exam rooms, pretending to know better than medical professionals. What they need is compassion, access and safety.
In Illinois, we will never go back. We know that abortion is health care. We understand that every person has the right to make decisions about their own body. And we will not allow anti-choice extremists in Congress to dictate what happens here.
This fight is not over. Congress must act to repeal the Defund Provision. And in the meantime, we will continue to do what Illinois has always done in moments of crisis: rise to the occasion and lead with our shared humanity.
And to the Wisconsin patients that are being turned away: Please know that Illinois is here for you, and we will not let you down.
Sara Feigenholtz is a state senator representing the North Side.
Read more: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/abortion-will-continue-be-legal-illinois-feigenholtz-op-ed