SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – With women’s reproductive rights under threat in states across the country, state Rep. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, supported a resolution Thursday in the House that underscores the need to keep and strengthen the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case.
“I believe a woman should be the one to make personal decisions about her body, not extreme politicians,” Walker said. “Since 1973, Roe v. Wade has established that it is a fundamental right in our country to have safe and legal abortions. I’m worried that this health care right is under attack, and a lot of women are going to get hurt if we don’t stand up. ”
Walker served as a chief co-sponsor of House Resolution 790 on Thursday, which supports the Roe v. Wade decision and notes that judges and legal scholars on all ends of the political spectrum have repeatedly affirmed the case. It underscores the current threat to the decision by anti-choice activists and right-wing politicians, and emphasizes the need for Illinois to take steps on the state level to protect a women’s right to choose. House Resolution 790 also points out that the right to privacy underpinning Roe v. Wade protects not just abortion rights, but birth control and other rights we now regard as fundamental.
Walker on Thursday also voted for and was a chief co-sponsor of House Bill 1464, which would clarify state law to ensure that the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) does not take disciplinary action against doctors and medical professionals based solely upon their license being revoked or disciplined in another state for an abortion-related act that otherwise is legal in Illinois.
“This month was Women’s History Month, which reminds us of the struggle and sacrifice that so many have had to go through to advance women’s rights in this country,” Walker said. “We can’t go backwards, we have to move forward and ensure that all women have access to the reproductive health care they deserve.”