Anti-abortion advocates made their initial appearance in a Springfield courtroom yesterday.
They’re challenging a new Illinois law that will allow state money to pay for some abortions. It applies to women who have health insurance through state employment, as well as those on the Medicaid program. Lawyer Peter Breen says their case is about how state tax money is spent — not whether abortion is right or wrong.
“We don’t have a moral argument in the court," he said. "We certainly have a moral argument in the court of public opinion. But here we’re just looking at the misuse of taxpayer funds to pay for these abortions before this bill is effective and without available revenues."
He says because the legislation was signed after the budget was passed, there’s no legal authority to use state money for abortions. Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office is defending the law in court, and says it'll file a motion to dismiss the case. Lawyers agreed to more fully present their cases before the judge near the end of the month.
