Illinois Right to Life

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mary Kate Zander
EMAIL: [email protected]
PHONE: 815-768-9632

Chicago Tribune Declares “Pro-Life Victory” Over Illinois Abortion Constitutional Amendment

SPRINGFIELD, IL — In a major development for the future of abortion policy in Illinois, the Chicago Tribune has declared a “rare pro-life victory” following news that Governor JB Pritzker and legislative leaders are not advancing a constitutional amendment on abortion rights for the 2026 ballot.

The decision comes after months of sustained advocacy led by Illinois Right to Life, which warned that such an amendment would permanently enshrine abortion—and other sweeping “reproductive freedoms”—into the Illinois Constitution. If adopted, a constitutional amendment would have made Illinois’ abortion policies significantly more difficult to change through future legislation.

Illinois Right to Life’s concerns were confirmed earlier this year through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed with the Pritzker administration. After a weeks-long process, the administration released records showing internal discussions about a potential “single-vote amendment” combining abortion rights with broader LGBTQ-related provisions.

“These weren’t hypothetical concerns—these were real internal discussions happening at the highest levels of state government,” said Mary Kate Zander, President of Illinois Right to Life. “The public deserved to know what was being considered.”

Following the release of those records, Illinois Right to Life launched a targeted advocacy campaign to raise awareness and encourage public engagement.

In a matter of weeks, more than 11,000 emails were sent by supporters to Governor Pritzker and members of the Illinois General Assembly, urging them not to introduce the amendment. The outreach came during the critical legislative window in which such a proposal would have needed to advance in order to appear on the 2026 ballot.

The Chicago Tribune’s coverage characterized the outcome as a “rare pro-life victory,” pointing to the broader political significance of the decision and the role of organized opposition in shaping the debate.

With no amendment brought forward as the May 5 deadline arrives, the opportunity to place a constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot has effectively passed.

“This shows that, even in Illinois, the pro-life movement is not dead... quite the contrary, we’re just getting started,” Zander said. “These initiatives by the abortion industry are defeatable with the right strategy and resources. We’re not going anywhere.”

While Illinois Right to Life is welcoming this development, the organization indicated it will continue monitoring for future amendment efforts and remains engaged on related policy discussions in Springfield.

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Take us back 😍 It’s been one week since thousands gathered in Springfield, IL to proclaim the goodness of LIFE at our state capitol! We are so grateful to everyone who made the journey to be a voice for the voiceless. It’s hard to be pro-life in Illinois, but the day of the Illinois Pro-Life March is the day it’s EASY! We love babies, yes we do! We love babies, HOW BOUT YOU??



Photo credit to
Glory credit to GOD!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mary Kate Zander, President
EMAIL: [email protected]
PHONE: 312-422-9300

Illinois Right to Life Files FOIA Complaint as May 5 Deadline Looms for Possible Constitutional Amendment

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Illinois Right to Life filed a formal transparency complaint Monday after the Governor’s Office missed the statutory deadline to release records related to a potential constitutional amendment that could appear on the 2026 ballot. The organization filed a Request for Review with the Public Access Counselor in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General regarding the Governor’s Office’s failure to comply with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

The FOIA request sought records related to a potential constitutional amendment concerning so-called “reproductive freedom.” Under Illinois law, public bodies are required to respond to FOIA requests within five business days unless a timely statutory extension is invoked.

Despite the passage of that statutory deadline, the Governor’s Office did not produce the requested records. After notifying the administration that the request had become overdue and providing an additional opportunity to comply, Illinois Right to Life filed a formal complaint with the Public Access Counselor seeking review of the apparent violation.

The request was submitted amid growing concerns that the Governor’s Office is preparing a constitutional amendment that would expand Illinois’ “reproductive freedom” rights and potentially include provisions related to gender-affirming medical interventions for minors.

Illinois Right to Life believes such an amendment could mirror language adopted in Missouri in 2024 and currently under discussion in Virginia, where broadly written “reproductive freedom” provisions have raised concerns among legal analysts that the language could extend beyond abortion policy to encompass gender-related medical interventions for minors. Linked here is a legal analysis of Missouri’s amendment language.

Concerns about a potential amendment in Illinois stem from several public signals from the Governor’s office. During his 2023 inaugural address, Governor JB Pritzker promised to pursue a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights in Illinois. In more recent public remarks, the Governor has begun referring to “abortion and gender-affirming care” together, grouping the issues in a way that has raised questions about whether a future constitutional proposal could encompass both. One such example appears in the Governor’s announcement of the Prairie State Access Fund.

Questions about whether such an amendment would be introduced have circulated in Springfield for more than a year. A March 2024 article in the Chicago Tribune examined whether Illinois Democrats would pursue a ballot amendment and noted that legislative leaders felt the timing was not right.

“Our concern is simple: if the administration is preparing a constitutional amendment that could potentially affect parental involvement in medical decisions for their minor children, the public deserves transparency,” said Mary Kate Zander, President of Illinois Right to Life. “In 2023, the Governor promised a constitutional amendment. During the 2024 election cycle, this amendment was strategically delayed. We are calling for transparency from his office as the window for public discourse on a 2026 amendment continues to shrink.”

The timing of the potential amendment and the national conversation surrounding parental involvement in minors’ reproductive health decisions has heightened concerns. For a constitutional amendment to appear on the 2026 ballot, it must pass both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly by May 5, 2026. If introduced in the coming weeks, that deadline would leave only a short window for public debate on a significant constitutional change.

The complaint filed with the Public Access Counselor requests a determination regarding whether the Governor’s Office violated the Illinois Freedom of Information Act and asks that responsive records be produced without further delay.

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RELEASE: Illinois Right to Life Files FOIA Complaint as May 5 Deadline Looms for Possible Constitutional Amendment — Illinois Right to Life FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Information:  Mary Kate Zander President Illinois Right to Life P: 312-422-9300 E: [email protected]  RELEASE DATE: March 9, 2026   ILLINOIS RIGHT TO LIFE FILES FOIA COMPLAINT AS MAY 5 DEADLINE LOOMS FOR POSSIBLE CONSTITUTIONAL AM

Our president, Mary Kate Zander, is printed in First Things today. Read her commentary on Senator Durbin’s “personal evolution” on abortion below.

How Sen. Durbin Shifted on Abortion - First Things On January 17, 1982, a young and not-yet-elected Richard J. Durbin served as the master of ceremonies for the Springfield Right to Life committee’s annual March for Life event...

Thank you to our friends at Live Action!

Pro-abortion Senator Dick Durbin receives award from Chicago archdiocese | Live Action Cardinal Blase Cupich has announced that he will present staunch abortion supporter Senator Dick Durbin with a lifetime achievement award.

Thank you to our friends at LifeNews.com for covering this story.

Catholic Cardinal Will Give Pro-Abortion Senator Dick Durbin a Lifetime Achievement Award - LifeNews.com Cardinal Blase Cupich, head of the Archdiocese of Chicago, plans to honor radically pro-abortion Senator Dick Durbin with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the “Keep Hope Alive” Benefit on November 3. The award is prompting fierce backlash from pro-life advocates who decry the decision as a betray...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Information:
Mary Kate Zander
President
Illinois Right to Life
P: 312-422-9300
E: [email protected]


RELEASE DATE:
September 17, 2025

ILLINOIS RIGHT TO LIFE RESPONDS TO CHICAGO ARCHDIOCESE PLANS TO HONOR PRO-ABORTION SENATOR DICK DURBIN


(CHICAGO, IL) - - On Thursday, September 17, Illinois Right to Life responded to news that Cardinal Blase Cupich, on behalf of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity, plans to present Senator Dick Durbin with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming ‘Keep Hope Alive’ Benefit on November 3, 2025.

“The Church emphasizes that human beings are integrated persons and that we cannot live in spiritual harmony if we are denying even one aspect of the truth of the faith,” said Illinois Right to Life President Mary Kate Zander. “Presenting Dick Durbin with an award – and from the Office of Human Dignity, no less – is an explicitly inconsistent and un-Catholic choice by Cardinal Cupich. Not only does it cause scandal among the faithful by creating confusion, it also puts the Senator’s soul at risk by failing to hold him accountable for his refusal to oppose abortion in the U.S. Senate.”

Senator Durbin’s voting record since his election to the U.S. Senate in 1997 consistently opposes pro-life principles. He has voted against key pro-life legislation, including:

- The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, which prohibited late-term abortion procedures.

- The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which sought to ban abortions after 20 weeks, when unborn children may feel pain.

- The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would have mandated life-saving care for infants born alive during failed abortions.

Additionally, Senator Durbin supported the Women’s Health Protection Act, which aimed to codify Roe v. Wade, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling that it was unconstitutional.

Senator Durbin also displayed incongruence with Catholic doctrine in comments he made to then-Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett during her confirmation hearings in 2020. In one exchange, Senator Durbin suggested that Catholics who refer to themselves as “orthodox” do so to separate themselves from mainstream Catholicism. He then asked Coney Barrett whether she considered herself to be an “orthodox Catholic” and inquired as to whether she wears a rosary on her person.

The following year, the Senator – who is a self-proclaimed Catholic – was barred from receiving Holy Communion in his home diocese of Springfield, IL as a result of his senatorial votes. Bishop Thomas Paprocki presides over the Diocese of Springfield.

Cardinal Cupich has a history of toeing the line when it comes to the issue of abortion. In August of 2024, he accepted an invitation to offer the opening prayer at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) held in Chicago. Support for abortion has appeared in the Democratic National Committee’s party platform since 1980. The Cardinal’s predecessor, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, was invited to speak at the DNC in 1996, but he declined.

Illinois Right to Life is urging Catholics in the state to contact the Archdiocese of Chicago's Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity Director Jose Coronel or by calling the Archdiocese at 312.534.8200 to express their disapproval of the decision to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Senator Durbin.


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🚨 ACT NOW: Two dangerous chemical abortion bills are headed to Gov. Pritzker’s desk.

📍 HB3709 forces universities to dispense abortion pills
📍 Another bill lets IL ignore FDA warnings if the WHO approves them

📞 Call the Governor: 217-782-0244

🎥 Watch Sen. Neil Anderson’s powerful floor speech:

Anderson stands against HB 3709 The attached/enclosed photos/videos are the property of the State of Illinois. Pursuant to Illinois State Statute, such property shall not be used in connect...

Victory Alert 🚨: https://illinoisrighttolife.org/victory-in-springfield-physician-assisted-suicide-bill-defeated/

Contact your House Representatives and tell them to vote NO on HB3709 which would make public university campuses abortion drug dispensers!

Also, join Illinois Right to Life’s President, Mary Kate Zander, today at 4 PM to learn how to oppose these drugs!

This Friday, May 30th at 4pm - tune in to discover the growing danger of chemical abortions that are threatening our families and neighbors in all 50 states...

See how Coalition Life is using a new strategy to save lives after these abortions begin. Hear incredible true stories of lives saved on the front lines in 3 states.

Attend the online event at: live.coalitionlife.com