Suit Challenges Illinois Law Allowing Public Funds to Be Used To Cover Abortions

Last week, various Illinois right-to-life groups and several Illinois legislators filed a taxpayer lawsuit in state court challenging House Bill 40 which is scheduled to go into effect on January 1. The bill eliminates the prior ban on coverage for abortions by the state employees' insurance program and by the state's Medicaid program.  The law also eliminates a prior provision in state law that declared that an unborn child is a human being from the time of conception.  The complaint (full text) in Springfield Right to Life v. Norwood, (IL Cir. Ct., filed 11/30/2017) contends that funds cannot be expended on abortions because no appropriation has been made, and challenges the effective date of the law.  Thomas More Society issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit.