Dawn Fitzpatrick, president of the March for Life Chicago board of directors, told PJM the pro-life movement in Illinois had some setbacks in 2017 ‐ most recently, the passage of House Bill 40, which is expected to result in tens of thousands more taxpayer-subsidized abortions."It was just devastating," Fitzpatrick said. "Of course, we are all very upset about that."
Still, Fitzpatrick described her mood and that of other pro-life advocates as "hopeful" as they prepare for the 2018 March for Life Chicago on Jan. 14. The annual event is expected to draw more than 6,000 people, Fitzpatrick said, which would make it the most massive pro-life rally in the Midwest.
"I think that we will have more people than ever because of (HB 40)," she said, "as we stand in the public square and band together to show we love life and are not afraid to stand up for that."
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that House Bill 40 makes sure that abortions remain legal and available in Illinois even if the U.S. Supreme Court should overturn Roe v. Wade. The legislation also lets women covered by Medicaid or state-employee insurance to use their coverage to pay for abortions.