Lori Lightfoot vows Chicago will be an 'oasis' for abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned
The Dem mayor says the Windy City will be an 'island for reproductive freedom,' a 'safe haven' in the Midwest
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is vowing that her city will be an "oasis" for abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
On Monday, Lightfoot announced a "Justice For All Pledge" dedicating $500,000 towards access to abortion care in her city including transportation and lodging for women coming in from out of state, declaring Chicago an "island of reproductive freedom" and a "safe haven" in the Midwest.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This comes one week after a Supreme Court draft opinion signaled the overturning of the decades-long precedent that legalized abortion on a federal level, which if reversed could prompt "trigger laws" in various states that would automatically ban abortion, including some of Illinois' closest neighbors.
Appearing on MSNBC, Lightfoot called on mayors across the country to join her pledge.
"Fundamentally, it reaffirms Chicago as a welcoming city, a city that doesn't discriminate and a city that's going to stand with women," Lightfoot said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Chicago's Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a science initiative event at the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. July 23, 2020. (REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski)
When asked if $500,000 would be enough to support women who come in from out of state, Lightfoot asserted that the price tag is a "down payment" to address the "immediate hurdles" for frontline workers.
The mayor also claimed there was previously an "exponential increase" of calls to local helplines following abortion restrictions that were passed in Texas last year in addition to the response to the leaked Supreme Court opinion.
DAVE PORTNOY VOWS TO VOTE DEMOCRAT IF ROE V. WADE IS OVERTURNED: ‘THIS IS LIKE GOING BACK IN TIME’
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"If you look around Chicago, we've got a number of states that have the so-called trigger laws that would ban abortion upon the reverse of Roe. So we've seen a substantial increase already," Lightfoot said. "And we're expecting, frankly, an explosion of new cases from women in Wisconsin, Missouri, potentially Michigan, Indiana. I think the list is long. And Chicago is going to be an oasis in the Midwest, and we've got to be ready."
"So this is a start and not an ending, but it is absolutely a time for us to rally together and make sure that we are reunited and not turning back the clock on women's lives," the mayor added.
Protestors gather outside the Supreme Court to protest abortion rights (Fox News Digital)
In response to the arson attack of the pro-life group Wisconsin Family Action in the neighboring state, Lightfoot said "we can never, ever sanction any kind of violence… regardless of what the motivation is."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She continued, "Our democracy is imperiled when people believe, for whatever reason, that they have the right to take up arms or violence against people with whom they disagree… What we can do is rally and organize and use the tools of our democracy to make sure that we're safeguarding the rights of all of us. That's why this Justice For All Pledge is so critically important for us as a city."