East Central Reporter

Describing it as a state obligation to pay for the murder of infants, Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) condemned House Bill 40 and its passage in his chamber on Friday.

The bill passed on a vote of 62 to 55.

“I know people of faith can disagree on public policy, but my faith tells me that abortion is murder, and I will always fight for the innocent and defenseless in our society,” Halbrook said. “Today’s bill to expand access to abortions and pay for them with our public dollars is offensive and wrong."

The measure would ensure that abortion remains legal in Illinois if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn its landmark Roe v. Wade decision. It would also extend Medicaid coverage and state worker insurance plans to cover the procedure.

"We cannot even pay for women’s shelters, seniors’ meals-on-wheels, or college grants for students, yet we apparently can obligate the unfunded, nonexistent budget for a projected $60 million to kill an additional 30,000 babies," Halbrook said. "This is a sad day in Illinois.”

Halbrook based $60 million figure on information from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services regarding the cost and frequency of abortion procedures, as well as data from the Guttmacher Institute indicating that 75 percent of women who have abortions have income near the threshold for Medicaid coverage.