East Central Reporter

The House ignored moral and financial concerns when it passed House Bill 40 on Tuesday, Rep. David Reis (R-Ste. Marie) said a day after a 62-55 House vote in favor of sending the bill to the Senate.

The measure would ensure that abortion remains legal in Illinois if the landmark Roe v. Wade decision is overturned. It would also expand Medicaid and state insurance coverage to include the procedure.

“I am a proud pro-life legislator,” Reis said. “I have stood on this House floor many times before in defense of the rights of the unborn and will continue to do so. Our taxpayer dollars should not be used in this way. The people of Illinois should not be forced to subsidize the termination of the innocent lives of the unborn.”

Reis also pointed to data from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget that estimated that the bill could trigger an additional $60 million in Medicaid spending.

“I found it incredibly sad that on ‘Women’s Day’ in Springfield, this kind of bill was debated,” Reis said, referring to an Illinois Women March on Springfield on Tuesday. “There was no recognition by the sponsors of this bill or the marchers that millions of women’s lives were never even begun because abortion ended their lives. As a society, we are called to protect the most vulnerable among us. I believe to my core that protecting unborn children is of the highest of callings.”