South Central Reporter

State Representative Blaine Wilhour marked the second anniversary of the overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision, stating, "thank you to all who work to educate everyone on this important issue!" He made the statement in a Facebook post on June 24.

"Today is the 2nd Anniversary of the overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision," said Blaine Jacob Wilhour, according to Facebook. "There is still much work to do here in Illinois to protect innocent life. Thank you to all who work to educate everyone on this important issue!"

On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court issued an opinion on the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Justice Alito wrote the opinion, with Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh filing concurring opinions. Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan filed a dissenting opinion. Chief Justice Roberts filed an opinion concurring on the judgment, according to SCOTUSBlog.com. The 6-3 decision stated that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Additionally, "Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey are overruled; the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives," according to SCOTUSBlog.com.

Screenshot of Rep. Blaine Wilhour's June 24 Facebook post | State Representative Blaine Wilhour's Facebook page.

Ahead of the first anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, CBS News Chicago reported that abortion remains legal in Illinois. In 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a law making reproductive healthcare (including abortion) a human right. This law enhanced a 2017 law signed by Governor Bruce Rauner, which codified abortion as a legal procedure in Illinois.

Illinois facilities that provide abortions have seen an increase in procedures for women coming from out of state. Some clinics have added entire days to their schedules for procedures. Planned Parenthood of Illinois has reported a 21% increase in out-of-state patients since the Dobbs decision was issued; it is now at 25%, compared to 4% before the decision, according to WTTW.

The director of Planned Parenthood of Illinois said they have seen patients at varying stages of pregnancy and have behavioral health staff, navigators to help patients, and other resources and programs for individuals seeking reproductive care but facing barriers such as travel expenses, lodging costs, inability to take time off work, and other issues.

Rep. Blaine Wilhour has served the people of the 110th District since 2019. He is a lifelong Illinois resident who served in the Illinois Army National Guard from 1999-2005 and deployed to Europe in 2002 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, according to his official biography. His political career includes a term on the Fayette County Board. He is also a managing partner at his family’s post-frame construction company in Effingham County.