Dupage Policy Journal

State Rep. Terra Costa-Howard (Lombard/Glen Ellyn) has not returned calls for comment on her party's legislation to legalize third-trimester abortions and repeal parental notification laws.

During her 2018 campaign, however, Costa-Howard promised to "oppose any effort to limit Illinois women’s access to reproductive health care."

Following the lead of their New York counterparts, Democrats in Illinois’ state legislature have filed several controversial abortion bills. One piece of legislation would legalize abortion at any time during pregnancy. The bill also removes right-of-conscience protections and would allow abortions to be performed by non-doctors (House Bill 2495).  

Also filed is a companion bill to repeal the Parental Notification Act of 1995, which requires a family member to be notified when a minor is seeking an abortion (House Bill 2467). 

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has promised to make Illinois the “most progressive state in the nation” on the issue of abortion. His promise was delivered during a press conference at which he issued an executive order to enforce House Bill 40, a bill signed by former Gov. Bruce Rauner. HB 40 allowed women to pay for an abortion using a state insurance plan or Medicaid coverage.

If the proposed bills pass in the legislature, Pritzker has publicly vowed that they will be signed into law. 

Costa-Howard also owes her ascent to the enormous in-kind support she received from pro-abortion group Personal PAC during her 2018 race against St. Thomas More Society attorney Peter Breen. 

After the March primary, Personal PAC President Terry Cosgrove went so far as to say, "We are going to spend the amount of money that it takes to educate the voters of the 48th District."