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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has joined other state and national leaders in responding to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin's recent veto of the Right to Contraception Act. This legislation was intended to protect Virginians' access to contraceptives if federal protections are diminished by the U.S. Supreme Court. The bill, identified as HB 609 and SB 237, sought to ensure the right to use various forms of contraception, including condoms, IUDs, and birth control pills.
Pritzker remarked, "Glenn Youngkin’s veto is shameful but predictable – just like a former president who brags about ripping away abortion rights, a governor who promotes an abortion ban was never going to stop there."
He continued, "MAGA extremists like Youngkin and Donald Trump have made it clear -- they're coming after abortion, they're coming after contraception, they're coming after IVF, and they're coming after women.”
The timing of the veto coincides with former President Donald Trump's recent comments about considering state-by-state restrictions on contraception, raising concerns among reproductive rights advocates about future access to contraceptives nationwide.
Supporters of the Right to Contraception Act argue that the legislation is essential for ensuring that Virginians retain access to contraception, even if landmark Supreme Court cases like Griswold v. Connecticut and Eisenstadt v. Baird are overturned. They emphasize that access to contraception is essential for couples planning their families.
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