Prairie State Wire

Leading GOP gubernatorial candidate State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) is decrying efforts by Illinois Democrats to find abortions for those coming from out of state.

Bailey, a family man himself and a man of faith, stands to protect the rights of the unborn.  

“It is not enough for Planned Parenthood that Illinois pays for abortions for Illinois residents,” Bailey said in a statement. “Now they want to expand taxpayer-funded abortions to anyone coming to Illinois to have abortions.”

Bailey questioned the interest behind the state and Planned Parenthood's program.

“Planned Parenthood, of course, stands to benefit financially from this proposal. If Planned Parenthood is so concerned about ensuring access to abortion services regardless of ability to pay – why doesn’t Planned Parenthood offer their services for free? Why is up to taxpayers to pay for these services – especially those of us who have serious, moral concerns about abortion? A state that cannot even pay its bills in a timely manner does not need to fleece taxpayers to pay for abortion,” he said.

Illinois Family Action, Illinois Right to Life, Illinois Federation for Right to Life and Lake County Right to Life have all backed Bailey. Bailey, a well-known conservative Republican, has said that families in Illinois are his first focus. 

“Today, there is a political class that is ignoring our values and harming American families. Illinois needs a leader that is one of us,” Bailey said on his campaign website.

In recent years, Illinois abortion facilities have increased their capacity in anticipation of an influx of patients seeking abortions. In recent years, Planned Parenthood has opened a slew of new abortion clinics along the state's border with Republican-controlled states. Abortion providers estimate a five-fold increase in abortions, according to the organization, Prairie State Wire reported.

Since 2014, Illinois has seen a steady increase in the number of out-of-state women seeking abortions. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health 7,534 non-residents received an abortion in Illinois in 2019, an increase of more than 150% over the five-year period, according to Block Club Chicago. The increase of non-residents seeking abortions in the state is in part thanks to nonprofits like the Chicago Abortion Fund that fund out-of-state abortion seekers.

The City of Chicago recently pledged $500,000, particularly for minorities, to access abortion, NBC 5 reported. Mayor Lori Lightfoot earmarked the funds for organizations including the Chicago Abortion Fund and Midwest Access Coalition. 

“So we've got to be ready, and we've got to step up,” Lightfoot said of a pending U.S. Supreme Court opinion that is expected to overturn Roe v. Wade.