In a narrative that could be readily exploited by the abortion industry for fundraising purposes, the Chicago Sun-Times published an account on Monday that was replete with effusive praise for Governor J.B. Pritzker’s campaign to transform Illinois into a veritable abortion “safe haven.”
In her account, reporter Tina Sfondele begins by noting that since the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade was overturned, Pritzker and the Democrat-led Illinois General Assembly have further expanded abortion rights in Illinois. Their objective is to create a safe haven for patients traveling from states that have banned abortions. Among the numerous initiatives undertaken by Governor Pritzker to expand abortion care in Illinois is the establishment of a new hotline designed to assist patients with hospital navigation, pre-operative testing, and the coordination of payment and transportation.
The hotline, designated the Complex Abortion Regional Line for Access (CARLA), will be managed by the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Rush University System for Health, and the Chicago Abortion Fund.
However, this is merely the initial phase of Pritzker’s campaign to establish Illinois as the abortion capital of the Midwest. Additionally, the governor’s office has issued a request for proposals for a separate abortion service navigation hotline. This hotline will assist patients in locating abortion care in Illinois, including those traveling from states where abortions are prohibited. Funding for this initiative will be sourced from the Health and Family Services Department’s budget and Medicaid dollars.
Warming to the task, Pritzker announced a new $5 million grant program to assist abortion providers in expanding their practices and establishing mobile abortion facilities with the goal of increasing access to abortion. Megan Jeyifo is the executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund. On Monday, she stated that
her organization helps up to 300 people a week access reproductive care and has received more than 10,000 calls in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Her organization saw an increase from 26 hospital-based patients in 2021 to 250 in 2022, with many of those patients coming from 19 states where abortions are banned.
Jeyifo said the nurse-staffed hotline program CARLA will strengthen the working relationships with four major Chicago hospitals and make sure that callers can get access to care as soon as possible
In their efforts to expand abortion, they are neglecting pregnant mothers. Micaiah Bilger wrote. A new study in the journal Cureus found that two-thirds of women seeking abortions would have chosen life for their babies if they had better support.
Illinois has some of the nation’s most pro-abortion laws. Last week, Bilger wrote,
pregnancy resource centers sued the state after the legislature passed a law that could shut down pro-life charities. These organizations offer free pregnancy and parenting help to thousands of Illinois families every year.
In 2021, the state legislature also ignored the public’s wishes and voted to repeal the parental notification law, which required at least one parent to be notified before their underage daughter has an abortion.
That same year, 46,243 unborn babies were killed in abortions, according to statistics from the state health department. The number increased in 2022 after neighboring states enacted laws to protect unborn babies and Illinois leaders began promoting abortion tourism.
Pritzker then proceeded to add his own rhetorical flourish, stating, “However, in the Land of Lincoln, we have intensified our commitment to maintaining and expanding reproductive health access for patients and protecting providers.” This statement is likely to have caused Old Abe to turn over in his grave.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
