New reproductive health laws championed by U of I students signed

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Gov. JB Pritzker signed two new laws into effect protecting reproductive healthcare in Illinois at the U of I’s University YMCA on Friday.

One of the laws protects providers from discipline for prescribing FDA approved abortion pills. The other will require the pills and other forms of contraception to be available at public colleges’ health centers.

“There’s so much at threat, the criminalization of providers,” said Sen. Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago). “It’s the state of Illinois backing up the students who are already doing the heavy work on campus to make sure that this referendum was put on a ballot.”

But, not everyone is on board. Illinois Right To Life put out a statement about the new laws.

“This bill places the health and safety of young women at risk and turns institutions of higher learning into abortion facilities,” the organization said.

The law requiring public universities to have abortion pills available for students started as a smaller student project by members of Planned Parenthood’s Generation Action chapter at the University of Illinois.

“She approached me and she was like ‘what if we get Plan B in the vending machine,’ and I was like ‘that’s a really good idea because we need more accessibility,'” said Grace Hosey, a member and author of the referendum. 

Hosey’s plan expanded from there. She and her friends wrote another referendum taking inspiration from a California law providing college students with access to abortion pills.

“The governor’s office saw the work we were doing, and they were like, okay, this is awesome,” Hosey said. “We’re gonna put this in the state of Illinois. Do you want to be there for the journey?”

That journey turned her bill into a law in Illinois. It will be put into effect this upcoming academic year.

Individual colleges will decide how to purchase and distribute abortion medication.