Illinois e-News Release

CHICAGO — Following today’s two competing U.S. District Court decisions, a Texas ruling limiting access to abortion medication nationwide and a competing Washington decision maintaining the status quo, Governor JB Pritzker is reaffirming the state’s commitment to providing quality reproductive health care.

“Let me be clear: thanks to the Washington decision, nothing has changed in Illinois. But the Texas court has issued a dangerous decision. For more than 22 years, the FDA has made clear that medication abortion is a safe, accessible way for millions of people to make choices about their own bodies,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “But today, a federal judge in Texas declared – against all precedent and science– that doctors have been doing their job wrong for decades. Despite these attacks, reproductive rights are enshrined in Illinois law and will stay that way. This ruling is a clear and concerted effort by anti-abortion, far-right activists and politicians to dismantle sexual and reproductive health care nationwide. We will not let them win.”

“Attempts to block the rights of anyone threatens the freedom of everyone. The ruling out of Texas aims to challenge a woman’s liberty and the right to make choices for oneself; We cannot and will not let this happen,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Abortion is essential healthcare, and you can still exercise this right in Illinois. We will continue to ensure that our state will always be a partner in the fight and an oasis for reproductive justice.”

In Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled that the Federal Drug Administration erred in approving Mifepristone in 2000, in an attempt to block nationwide access to this medication. The Court stayed its order for seven days to allow the FDA to appeal the decision.

The two-drug combination of Mifepristone and Misoprostol is part of a gold-standard abortion medication protocol in the United States. According to Planned Parenthood, more than half of all documented abortions were medication abortions in 2021.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul along with 11 other attorneys general filed a separate lawsuit against the FDA in a U.S. District Court in Washington state, arguing that Mifepristone has been proven safe and effective and should be available without heightened restrictions. The court in that case also ruled today, in a competing decision, that the FDA must maintain the current availability of mifepristone. This ruling applies to Illinois and all other plaintiff states.

In the months since Roe v. Wade was overturned, Governor Pritzker has worked hand-in-hand with members of the General Assembly to expand protections for patients and providers alike, while neighboring states strip away the right to bodily autonomy and privacy.

In January, the state expanded the pool of abortion providers and eliminated barriers to access, allowing birth centers to provide all reproductive care, and eliminating copays for birth control and abortive medications. In addition, Governor Pritzker is proposing the Reproductive Health Public Navigation Hotline, a centralized resource that patients can call for risk assessments and to find the services that will meet their needs.