Illinois launches new fund to pay for more abortions

The state of Illinois has launched a new abortion fund, despite already heavily supporting abortion, to further promote and support abortion in the already extremist state.

Key Takeaways:

• Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the Prairie State Access Fund in January.

• The new initiative will further expand support and funding for abortion in Illinois.

• It will also partner with private abortion organizations.

The Details:

Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the new initiative in a late January press release.

The Prairie State Access Fund will partner with the Michael Reese Health Trust to strengthen the abortion "ecosystem" across Illinois, though abortion is already well-protected within the state.

“The Trump Administration is leading an all-out assault on abortion and gender affirming care — but Illinois will not let that happen here. In the face of the anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ campaign being waged by extremists, Illinois has taken a leading role in protecting individual freedom and autonomy,” Pritzker said. “The Prairie State Access Fund is an example of true public and private sector partnership in building a more connected and resourced reproductive health ecosystem. Together, we are sending a clear message in our state and across the country: Illinois trusts women to make their own medical decisions.”

According to Capitol News Illinois, the Michael Reese Health Trust will manage the fund, which will partner with abortion organizations like Planned Parenthood, the Red Tent Fund, and the Chicago Abortion Fund.

“Illinois providers and CAF are playing an outsized role in the national abortion landscape, and sustaining that role requires flexible, additive support,” Megan Jeyifo, Executive Director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, said. “The Prairie State Access Fund strengthens a constellation of care that has been meeting this moment for years and reinforces the networks patients rely on to access abortion with dignity and compassion.”

A press release from the Michael Reese Health Trust quoted Adrienne White-Faines, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, who said:

“Illinois is a safe haven for care thanks to the strong commitment of Governor Pritzker and partners like the Michael Reese Health Trust.

Illinois has the highest volume of out-of-state abortion care patients in the nation. Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) continues to see patients from 48 states, while also expanding access statewide to the full scope of sexual and reproductive services, including gender affirming care.

PPIL is proud to stand with our partners as a trusted leader in the commitment to health care access and equity for all.”

Why It Matters:

Illinois is already one of the most extreme pro-abortion states in the country, with a billionaire governor who so enthusiastically endorses abortion that he funds efforts to pass pro-abortion amendments across the nation through his 501(c)(4) "social welfare organization," Think Big America.

In Illinois, there are virtually no restrictions on abortion before "viability." However, the vagueness of that term means women can undergo abortions at any time, for any reason, so long as a doctor is willing to say it is "medically necessary."

Some abortionists have openly stated that just being pregnant and not wanting to be makes abortion a medical necessity, which is why abortion is essentially a free-for-all in Illinois. There is at least one abortion facility committing abortions in the third trimester, well after when a preborn child can survive outside of the womb.

Abortion facilities are also not required to be licensed, and all insurance plans in the state, whether public or private, are required to pay for abortion. The state also protects abortionists at all costs, even if they cause horrific injuries. One recent example is Keith Reisinger-Kindle, who perforated a woman's uterus and left half the baby's body inside of her, and is still allowed to practice in Illinois.

If all this weren't enough, conscience protections are also under attack in Illinois, with amendments passed that attempted to force health care providers to discuss the "benefits" of abortion and refer women to abortionists upon request.

The Bottom Line:

Abortion is already heavily funded and promoted in Illinois; this partnership is just another example of the state sliding deeper into extremism at the expense of taxpayers, women, and preborn children.