Will County Gazette

This past week, an unprecedented leak to Politico regarding the Supreme Court opinion of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization — a case that seeks to overturn the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision — caused a stir across the nation from Democrats and Republicans alike.

Gov. JB Pritzker took to social media in response to the report where Justice Samuel Alito allegedly wrote, “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled.” 

“Hell no!,” Pritzker tweeted on May 2. “In Illinois, we trust women. We cannot let their most profound and personal rights be violated.” The tweet included a link to the Politico article.

Congressman Bill Foster also responded by Twitter, retweeting Pritzker’s comments and then writing “Illinois stands with women.” He then retweeted Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton’s tweet that said, “Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is healthcare. #RoeVWade”

This has been a polarizing case for Democrats and Republicans, and one that has been a focal point because the Supreme Court has a 6-3 Republican majority.

Jerry Evans is running to represent Illinois’ 11th Congressional District and will face off against a number of GOP challengers in the June 28 primary, including Mark Carroll and Cartalina Lauf; a Ballotpedia report said. The winner will face incumbent Foster, a Democrat, in the Nov. 8 general election.

Evans responded in approval of the apparent overturning of Roe vs. Wade.

“Our Constitution was written to protect our rights and provide equal opportunity for all,” he said in a May 2 Facebook post. “Abortion, by design, eliminates both. The idea this same constitution protects the right to an abortion was always flagrantly wrong, and Roe v. Wade a terrible injustice. This is a historic moment in our fight to protect the unborn. I strongly oppose abortion and will always fight to protect the lives of unborn children in Illinois and across the nation.”

Roe vs. Wade was decided 49 years ago and guaranteed women’s rights to have an abortion. CNBC reported that the official ruling of Dobbs vs. Jackson is expected in June. 

Chief Justice John Roberts remarked that the leak will be investigated.

“Court employees have an exemplary and important tradition of respecting the confidentiality of the judicial process and upholding the trust of the Court,” he said in the CNBC report. “This was a singular and egregious breach of that trust that is an affront to the Court and the community of public servants who work here.”

While some 13 states have “trigger laws” set in place that will immediately ban abortion if Roe vs. Wade is overturned, Illinois does not; and abortion would not be illegal or restricted if the federal ruling is struck down, a Wednesday Chicago Tribune report said. The state has some of the most relaxed abortion laws in the country, and thousands of women from surrounding states go to Illinois for abortions yearly. In 2020 more than 36,000 Illinois women had abortions and 10,000 from out of state, with that number up 29% from the previous year.