Statement in response to Supreme Court's decision on the Texas abortion ban, SB 8
For Immediate Release: Dec. 10, 2021
Media Contact:
Mary Jane Maharry
[email protected]
Statement attributed to Jennifer Welch, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood of Illinois:
Today, the Supreme Court refused to strike down the Texas abortion ban, leaving pregnant people in Texas unable to exercise their Constitutional rights to access safe and legal abortion. When this Court first failed to dismiss S.B. 8 more than 100 days ago, Planned Parenthood of Illinois began seeing a stream of patients from Texas.
With today’s refusal to block the law, pregnant Texans will continue to face a daunting dilemma: carry a pregnancy to term against their will, travel long distances at great expense, or turn to illegal alternatives. Not everyone has the resources and opportunity to travel for an abortion. Patients who already face immense barriers to health care, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities, people with disabilities, people in rural areas, young people, immigrants, and those having difficulty making ends meet are most affected by the extreme laws and restrictions from states like Texas and Mississippi. Without relief from the Supreme Court, more and more people will be forced to travel to other haven states like Illinois to access essential health care.
In Illinois, we are not waiting for the Court to decide the fate of reproductive freedom. Our doors are open and we are actively preparing for the waves of pregnant Texans fleeing the state. Access to essential health care, like abortion, should not depend on who you are, how much money you make, or your zip code. We will continue to fight for everyone to access the health care they need — no matter what.
# # #