In a June 1 statement, the cardinal pledged that the local Church will continue serving women in need and show them that support and help are available, and that they should never feel that abortion is their only choice.
Illinois' Reproductive Health Act – which the state's bishops said is misleadingly named – would declare abortion to be a "fundamental right." It would remove several parts of the state's current abortion laws, several of which are not currently being enforced due to court injunctions.
Among the provisions that the bill would remove are regulations for abortion clinics, required waiting periods to obtain an abortion, and a ban on partial-birth abortion. In addition, it would lift criminal penalties for performing abortions and would prevent any further state regulation of abortion.
The legislation would require all private health insurance plans to cover elective abortions, and eliminate reporting requirements as well as regulations requiring the investigation of maternal deaths due to abortion.
Critics of the Illinois proposal have argued that it is among the most extreme pieces of abortion-related legislation in the country.
In a May 26 statement, the six bishops of Illinois had denounced the rush to push the legislation through at the end of the session, without releasing the final text of the bill or vetting it through public hearings.