More women coming to Illinois for abortions, state report says

A report from the Illinois Department of Public Health says more women have been crossing state lines to get abortions in Illinois.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the findings released this week show more than 5,500 women from other states traveled to Illinois last year for the procedure, up from about 4,500 women in 2016.

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland spokeswoman Becca Lee says increasing abortion restrictions have forced women to incur additional expenses in order to access a safe, legal abortion procedure.

Timna Axel is a volunteer with Midwest Access Coalition, a Chicago nonprofit that helps offset such traveling costs. Axel has hosted women from Indiana and Wisconsin in recent years.

Illinois Right to Life Executive Director Mary Kate Knorr says the increase is a sign of Illinois’ “regressive” approach to protecting pre-born children.