Supreme Court Overturns Roe v Wade, Planned Parenthood v Casey Decisions; Pritzker, Bailey Response

The U.S. Supreme Court has voted to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade and 1992 Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey abortion decisions.

Justice Alito authored the opinion of the Court, overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Justice Alito was joined by Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett. Chief Justice Roberts authored a concurring opinion saying that he agreed that the viability standard had no basis in the Constitution and that it should be discarded, but he did not vote to overturn Roe Casey. Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan jointly authored a dissent to the opinion.

In the conclusion of the opinion, the High Court washes its hands of the abortion issue and sends it to the states to address.

“We end this opinion where we began. Abortion presents a profound moral question. The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We now overrule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives.”

Illinois Governor J.B Pritzker issued a statement on the Supreme Court vote and concerning Illinois laws on the issue of abortion. Here is the governor's statement:

"In Illinois, we trust women. Despite the action of the Supreme Court today overturning Roe v. Wade, the right to safe, accessible reproductive health care is in full force in Illinois – and will remain so. In Illinois, we’ve planned for this terrible day, an enormous step backward and a shattering loss of rights. We passed the Reproductive Health Act, enshrining choice as the law of the land in Illinois. We removed the trigger law that would have prohibited abortion in Illinois with the overturning of Roe v Wade. We expanded health care so that finances are not a barrier to receiving reproductive care. In Illinois, we are a state committed to expanding access to reproductive health care including abortion care, contraception access, fertility treatment, and gender-affirming care. We’ve made it clear that we trust people to make the best decisions for themselves about their own reproductive health. In Illinois, we will hold firm to these rights and continue to work with stakeholders to expand them. To that end, I am calling the General Assembly into special session in the coming weeks, with the support and consultation of House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon. Together, we are committed to taking swift action to further enshrine our commitment to reproductive health care rights and protections."

Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) termed the decision, "A joyous victory for Life! The end of Roe is the beginning of a new chapter, where we embrace a culture of life with a reverence for all of God's children."

Here's what gubernatorial candidate and St. Sen. Darren Bailey had to say about the decision: "Today's Supreme Court decision is a historic and welcomed moment. Unfortunately, billionaire J.B. Pritzker is an abortion extremist — out of touch with the overwhelming majority of Illinoisans. He continues to push a radical agenda from taxpayer-funded abortion, late-term elective abortions and removing parental notification. The fact J.B. Pritzker advocated for and signed legislation to allow a 12-year-old to get an abortion without their parents knowing is egregious. As I have consistently stated for several months, as Governor, I will work to remove taxpayer-funded abortion and restore parental notification in Illinois. I will also work with the legislature, civic groups, and nonprofits to support women during and after pregnancy, to make adoption easier, and abortion unnecessary."

St. Rep. Adam Niemerg of Dieterich called the Supreme Court decision "historic".

“This is a great day for the pro-life movement,” declared Niemerg. “But this is now a states’ rights issue and we have more work to do in Illinois.”