Illinois

Illinois Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Setting Fire to Reproductive Health Services Facility

"An Illinois man was sentenced on August 15 for the arson of the Planned Parenthood Peoria Health Center in Peoria, Illinois. "An Illinois man was sentenced on August 15 for the arson of the Planned Parenthood Peoria Health Center in Peoria, Illinois. Tyler W. Massengill, 33, was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $1.45 million in restitution. He previously pleaded guilty on Feb. 16 to malicious use of fire and an explosive to damage, and attempt to damage, the Peoria Health Center. According to court documents and statements…
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GOP megadonor pours millions into effort to hinder Ohio abortion amendment

"New campaign finance records show Illinois Republican megadonor Richard Uihlein is funding the bulk of the campaign aimed at thwarting a constitutional amendment on abortion in Ohio.  Ohio is likely the only state this year to have a measure on the ballot to enshrine abortion access into the state constitution, setting up a test case for how the issue may drive voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. A USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University poll released this week found 58% of Ohioans support a constitutional amendment...."
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Maternal Deaths Are Expected to Rise Under Abortion Bans, but the Increase May Be Hard to Measure

"Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, doctors have warned that limiting abortion care will make pregnancy more dangerous in a country that already has the highest maternal mortality rate among industrialized nations. The case of Mylissa Farmer, a Missouri woman, is one example. Last August, her water broke less than 18 weeks into her pregnancy, when her fetus was not viable. She was at risk for developing a life-threatening infection if she continued the pregnancy. Yet during three separate visits to emergency rooms, she was denied abortion care because her fetus still had a heartbeat. Doctors specifically cited the state’s…
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Emergency contraception could have a home on every campus in Illinois

"Public university students across the state could soon have expanded access to emergency contraception on campus, if a new bill passes through the General Assembly. State Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, is the chief sponsor of a bill mandating that all Illinois public universities have a vending machine that dispenses emergency contraception on campus, in a place that is accessible after hours and on the weekends. HB4247 aims to ease the stress of students who need emergency contraception when the student health center or pharmacies may not be accessible. Kelly Cleland, executive director of the American Society for Emergency Contraception, testified in support…
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Illinois continues to enact abortion protections a year after Roe v. Wade reversal

"Reproductive rights advocates look to Illinois as a Midwestern safe haven for abortion access, while opponents of abortion say the state has gone to extreme lengths to make it the “abortion capital” of the country. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, the abortion battle in Illinois rages on — despite the state previously enacting some of the strongest abortion protections in the country. Since June 2022, Democratic state lawmakers have passed a slew of bills ramping up protections for out-of-state patients and expanding overall access. But a small coalition of GOP legislators has been working…
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Volunteer pilots fly patients seeking abortion and gender-affirming care across state lines

"Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, states have moved to restrict or ban abortion access. Groups and organizations have also popped up in that time to transport people seeking abortion access to states where it’s still legal in their given circumstance. There is a growing group of volunteer private pilots flying people across state lines for abortion access and gender-affirming care. Illinois-based Elevated Access currently has more than 1,500 pilots registered with the organization..."
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