Illinois Steps Back from Abortion Ballot Measure Push as States Prepare for November Vote

Abortion rights advocates are gearing up for several state-level initiatives this November, but legislators in Illinois seem content with their current laws and want other states to take center stage instead. With some of the least restrictive abortion laws in the country that allow termination through viability and exceptions granted by health reasons extending to postviability scenarios as well, there appears no sense of urgency among lawmakers like Democratic state Rep. Kelly Cassidy regarding enshrining reproductive rights into Illinois’ constitution at this time.
Illinois boasts a solidly blue legislature with Democrats holding majorities in both chambers and the governor’s office occupied by J.B Pritzker, who has previously endorsed ballot measures as part of his commitment to promoting abortion freedom since his 2023 inauguration address that touted Illinois’ stance on women’s rights while condemning attempts at curtailing them in other states.
The state legislature must refer any proposed constitutional amendments six months before the election, and with a May 5 deadline for the upcoming general elections approaching fast, it seems unlikely that restrictions to abortion will be imposed anytime soon. The ballot measures being considered across various US territories could make an appearance in key swing states such as Nevada and Arizona where proponents aim to codify a right to abortion up until fetal viability with any future modifications restricted to the state legislature’s purview only.
The current wave of initiatives follows closely on the heels of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which returned control over abortion laws back into individual states in 2021 after nearly five decades under federal jurisdiction.