IL wants taxpayers to foot bill for abortions

The Thomas More Society is looking to a higher court to hold the state of Illinois accountable to its own constitution.

The legal organization filed suit asking for an emergency injunction after a new Illinois law forces the state's taxpayers to fund a minimum of 20,000 more abortions per year.

“Even though taxpayer-funded abortion is the substantive issue, really it’s about spending taxpayer dollars wisely,” insists Peter Breen, Thomas More Society special counsel. 

Breen alleges the Illinois General Assembly acted outside the confines of the state Constitution, which requires a balanced budget showing revenue availability and special appropriations for taxpayer funding. 

“The attorney general's office instead took the argument and said that the people of Illinois can't enforce the Constitution in the courts,” explains Breen. “So in other words, we are powerless to hold the General Assembly of Illinois accountable. Then the court agreed in a sweeping first-time ruling on this point.” 

The lower court decision has given the General Assembly a pass, Thomas More claims, on following the Illinois Constitution.

Thomas More Society is confident, since filing an appeal, that the higher court will reverse the ruling to make the state Constitution relevant in the case.