JB Pritzker reaches out to disaffected Floridians after abortion ban: ‘IL welcomes you’
Julia Johnson
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After Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed a controversial six-week abortion ban Thursday night, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) reached out to disaffected residents of the state, encouraging them to make Illinois home instead.
The Heartbeat Protection Act prohibits most abortions in Florida after six weeks of pregnancy.
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DeSantis said the law “expands pro-life protections and devotes resources to help young mothers and families.”
In response to an article on the bill’s signing, Pritzker tweeted, “To those seeking care and safe refuge: IL welcomes you.”
https://twitter.com/JBPritzker/status/1646883513671483394?s=20
“Ron DeSantis knows stripping thousands of Floridians of their rights is shameful — that’s why he did in the dead of night,” said the Illinois governor. “It’s the furthest thing away from the freedom he claims to fight for and it puts people in danger.”
In Illinois, abortion is legal up until the point of viability. Viability is determined by “the professional judgment of the attending healthcare professional.” When a child in the womb is viable is still debated but is generally understood to be approximately in 24 weeks of pregnancy.
In January, Pritzker signed a sweeping omnibus bill that addressed both abortion rights and transgender care for minors. In particular, the bill prevents other states from attempting to summon or extradite people who seek abortions or gender reassignment procedures in the state.
However, he isn’t the only Democratic governor criticizing DeSantis.
“In the dead of the night DeSantis strips women of their fundamental freedoms,” wrote Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on Twitter of the new law.
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The California governor has been a vocal opponent of DeSantis, but he recently brought the rivalry to the next level. Last week, Newsom traveled to the Sunshine State, where he met with students at the New College of Florida, which has faced a shake-up on its board of trustees under DeSantis’s administration.
The trip was a part of his “Campaign for Democracy” in several red states across the U.S.