With abortion stopped in Wisconsin, Midwest states where it's legal say they can be an access 'beacon' but need support for influx of demand
With all abortions immediately halted in Wisconsin following Friday ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, providers and government officials in neighboring states where the procedure is still legal vowed to be a haven for traveling patients.
Leaders shared few specifics about plans to beef up clinic capacity but underscored their willingness to help the tens of thousands of pregnant people expected to cross state lines to obtain abortions in Illinois and Minnesota.
The nation's highest court overturned its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which protected the right to an abortion across the nation for nearly 50 years. In Wisconsin, an 1849 law outlaws abortion in most cases, and while there is sure to be litigation over its legality, providers announced Friday that they would immediately pause all procedures.
Planned Parenthood of Illinois staff have said they expect 20,000 or more people to travel to the state for abortions from other states where it is now or soon will be banned. State lawmakers there passed legislation in 2019 to codify abortion access protections. Abortions are legal in Illinois up to about 24 weeks of pregnancy.
In a Friday news conference, Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois Action, said the organization has already taken steps to expand telehealth access to abortions and add physical infrastructure — such as a clinic they opened in Waukegan, Ill., about 11 miles from the Wisconsin border.
She asked local and state leaders to provide more funding and cut red tape for abortion providers so that they're able to serve more patients.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced in May that the city would spend $500,000 on abortion access for people in neighboring states in anticipation of Roe's disappearance. On Friday, she said that dollar amount was a "down payment."
She said she plans to ask the city council to approve more funding for travel, lodging, child care and security at clinics, and said there need to be conversations across the state about how Illinois can more effectively promote itself as as safe haven.
"We will continue to be an oasis, a beacon in the surrounding area and across our country to make sure that people who need access to reproductive health care can get it in our city, in our state," Lightfoot said.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, said Friday he will call state lawmakers into special session to address reproductive rights and "address the challenges posed" by the ruling.
Douglas Laube, former chairman of the obstetrics and gynecology department at UW-Madison, said in May that he and other doctors who provide abortions were considering opening a clinic just over the Wisconsin-Illinois border, potentially in Rockford. Laube was not able to be reached Friday to discuss whether plans have moved forward.
Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood clinics in Minnesota are expecting up to a 25% increase in out-of-state patients seeking abortions following the ruling. In addition to Wisconsin, abortions are now or soon to be illegal in North and South Dakota. Abortion has been constitutionally protected in Minnesota since 1995 and is legal up until the point that the fetus could survive outside the womb.
“We intend to continue to be the good neighbor that we have always been to other surrounding states," Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said in a Friday news conference. "We will be welcoming people here in Minnesota to have the health care that they need."
Four of Minnesota's 18 Planned Parenthood clinics perform abortions, each relatively close to the Wisconsin border. Dr. Sarah Traxler, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood North Central States, said plans to add the procedure to more clinics are not immediately on the horizon but that the organization has increased the number of appointments and providers at those clinics.
To effectively serve the influx of out-of-state patients, Traxler said the clinics will also need additional staffing — from patient navigators to physicians. Many doctors from states like Wisconsin where abortion is now banned are stepping in to help, Traxler said.
“I have received multiple reach-outs from many doctors from around the country who are willing to come and help provide abortion care if we need them,” she said.
As in Illinois, Planned Parenthood North Central States expanded access to medication abortion for Minnesotans, Traxler said. They are also increasing training for miscarriage management.
Madeline Heim is a Report for America corps reporter who writes about environmental challenges in the Mississippi River watershed and across Wisconsin. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or mheim@gannett.com.
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