Southern Illinois News

State Sen. Terri Bryant, a Republican from Murphysboro, reaffirmed her position about abortion in Illinois earlier this month in a post on Facebook.

Bryant shared a link to Capitol Fax in the Facebook post, which detailed a press release from Gov. JB Pritzker that outlined a 20% increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates for abortion providers. The governor’s release noted that Illinois is one of just 16 states with Medicaid coverage for abortion services, and the state has 98 clinics that have provided services to more than 150,000 patients over the last two years. The release also said that Title X-funded services generally benefit patients, 80% of whom fall below the federally noted poverty line. 

“More of your hard earned money being spent to provide abortions for anyone that wants one,” Bryant said in the Facebook post. “Remember in Illinois all pregnant woman REGARDLESS of income, QUALIFY for Medicaid. That means 100% taxpayer funded abortion.”

Pritzker, in a recent press release, noted that since Roe v. Wade was overturned, Illinois abortion providers have been working hard and require support as they shoulder the new burden, and the increase will allow them to focus on their work without the issues of cost of services or supplies. 

Moreover, the governor also noted in the release that by getting rid of the Medicaid denial requirement, patients who qualify for Medicaid and Medicare—many of whom have disabilities—can get access to needed services without dealing with the bureaucracy of a review. 

The recent Facebook post wasn’t the first time Bryant railed against abortion on social media.

After the Supreme Court made its decision to overturn Roe, Bryant said it “actually means nothing changes in Illinois,” a June Carbondale Reporter release said. She maintained in the release that abortion would still be available in the state and it would be funded by taxpayers, with patients not required to show any income verification.