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Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, and
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, announced last
month, after the U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion, there
would be a special session but stopped short of announcing the
date.
Since then, there have been other high-profile issues surface,
including how to address mass shootings.
Monday, Welch’s office announced four working groups to address
abortion, guns and other issues surrounding those topics.
Welch’s office said that Democratic lawmakers would collaborate
with stakeholders and community advocates on reproductive
health, firearm safety, mental health awareness and resources,
and combating the rise of online extremism.
“Illinois has done a lot of important work to ensure we remain
an outlier in the Midwest in protecting reproductive health and
shielding our citizens from the nationwide scourge of gun
violence,” Welch said in a statement. “But after the extremist
Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision and
the tragedy that took place in Highland Park, it is apparent
that we have more work to do. I have created these working
groups to take a balanced and research-driven approach to
meaningfully reform our laws in Illinois.”
Welch’s announcement did not feature Republican members on any
of the working groups. A message to a House Republican
spokesperson was not immediately returned.
A separate Public Safety Working Group will continue working on
issues of public safety, Welch’s office said
Greg Bishop reports on Illinois government and other
issues for The Center Square. Bishop has years of award-winning
broadcast experience and hosts the WMAY Morning Newsfeed out of
Springfield.
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