The controversial HB 4247, which would not require that students have a prescription or physician approval before taking the pills, has passed in the House and is now before the Senate.
Laurie Higgins, cultural issues writer for the Illinois Family Institute (IFI), believes lawmakers' focus should be on more pressing issues.
"You look at the problems Illinois has -- fiscal insolvency, crime in the cities -- and our lawmakers take time to require state universities to provide emergency contraception," she summarizes.
The bill, introduced by Democrat Representative Barbara Hernandez of Aurora, requires that at least one vending machine be available on all Illinois public college and university campuses. But the true nature of pills like Plan B and EllaOne often goes unadvertised, which means many young women have no idea that the drugs may cause an early abortion.
IFI submits that "these vending machine pharmacies are removing healthcare from the hands of professionals and putting it into the hands of scared, inexperienced young women" with no oversight or special instructions on what to expect.
"How is that the job of the universities to provide at minimal costs easily accessible Plan B … vending machines -- at least one on every state university campus," Higgins wonders.
Because the state legislature is heavily controlled by Democrats, Higgins expects the measure will pass in the Senate and be signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker (D).
