Gabel Fights to Protect Reproductive Health, Fund Education Adequately

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – After voting to enact a balanced budget and protections for women during the final days of legislative session, state Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, released the following statement:

“Over the past months I’ve watched states across the country enact extreme restrictions on abortion, rolling back fifty years of hard-fought progress. The ultraconservatives in Washington DC have made it clear that they will do everything possible to repeal Roe vs. Wade. I worked to pass the Reproductive Health Act, which will enshrine a women’s right to choose in Illinois law. No person will have to resort to an unsafe, illegal abortion in our state – no matter what happens at the federal level.

“This session I voted to make Illinois a leader in the nation when it comes to gun safety by passing the ‘Fix the FOID Act’ through the House. It’s long past time for mandatory fingerprinting and universal background checks. By giving law enforcement more tools to check an applicant’s criminal history and resources to revoke guns from dangerous people, I truly believe we can reduce the number of tragic shootings. Although it’s disappointing that this legislation stalled in the Senate last week, I’m dedicated to putting these protective measures into law next year.

“The historic effort to put a Fair Tax Amendment on the 2020 ballot passed the General Assembly

, which will give Illinois residents the opportunity to implement a graduated tax system and raise the funds we need to stabilize our economy while providing relief to those who need it most. This new revenue will be necessary to finance the Evidence-Based Model of public school funding adequately – as this year’s budget did – ensuring all schools have the resources they need to provide the quality education that every child deserves.

“In addition to these groundbreaking initiatives that establish Illinois as a progressive leader in the nation, I passed legislation that will improve access to education and job opportunities in our community. The Illinois Higher Education Savings Program Fund will expands the ability of parents to save for their children’s futures, and a new firefighters apprenticeship job pipeline will provide good-paying job opportunities while ensuring that more of our newly-hired first responders have experience handling these dangerous situations.

“I’m looking forward to having conversations over the summer with my colleagues in the legislature, advocates and most importantly residents of the 18th District about the work we can do next year to reduce carbon emissions, limit climate change, care for the children in our DCFS system and make healthcare more affordable for all.”