Chicago City Council Referred to the Committee on Health and Human Relations
April 27, 2022
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE CITY'S COMMITTMENT TO THE PROTECTION AND
EXPANSION OF ABORTION RIGHTS FOR ALL CHICAGOANS AND OUT OF STATE VISITORS SEEKING SAFE AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO LOST ABORTION SERVICES
WHEREAS, In 1973, the historical ruling in Roe v. Wade established the nation's right to abortion when the U.S. Supreme Court held the fundamental value of reproductive autonomy and health care access was constitutionally protected as a matter of privacy guaranteed by the Due Process clause of the 14th Amendment; and
WHEREAS, Nearly five decades following Roe, opponents continue to increasingly challenge the legality of abortion rights, and as of 2021, in an alarming manner; and
WHEREAS, However, until recently, no opponent has threatened to entirely dismantle the nation's reproductive protections by calling for states to exclusively hold abortion power; and
WHEREAS, A majority of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices have declined to interfere with the Texas law banning abortions after six weeks, the Justices have signaled readiness to revisit the legality of abortion by agreeing to rule on the 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi that explicitly calls for Roe to be overturned; and
WHEREAS, If overturned, abortion will be—illegal or extremely limited-in more than 20 states; and particularly harmful within marginalized communities already vulnerable to discrimination due to poverty, race, gender identity, disability and/or intersections thereof; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, individuals especially facing poverty and/or limited logistical opportunities will also endure the burden related to traveling out of state for an abortion, thus, likely find themselves targeted for further suffering, instead of protected; and
WHEREAS, States across the nation are currently preparing to provide abortion access to out of state visitors who have lost such protections; specifically, Planned Parenthood...
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