Fairview Heights

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade last June, clinics in the Metro East that offer abortions have become a destination for thousands of patients seeking the procedure. Abortion providers at Planned Parenthood in Fairview Heights think legislators will make more attempts to regulate reproductive health.

St. Louis residents who’ve purchased recreational marijuana at Metro East dispensaries say the convenience of having local shops and lower taxes will make Missouri locations more attractive.

In the months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, providers in southern Illinois are working overtime to absorb dozens of abortion patients each day who come from states that banned the procedure.

The clinic is adding 10 extra hours a week to meet the increase in patients from Kentucky, Louisiana and other states that banned abortions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Abortion providers are bracing for an expected U.S. Supreme Court ruling that would strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion. If that happens, states would be able to ban the procedure. Hope Clinic and other providers in the southern Illinois are preparing to assist tens of thousands of new patients from across the country.

Illinois will continue to be a haven for those seeking abortions as other states restrict access to the procedure after the U.S. Supreme Court's expected ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said during a visit today to the Planned Parenthood clinic in Fairview Heights.

The 1.7-mile pathway will extend from Illinois Route 161 to Sullivan Drive in Belleville to Frank Scott-Parkway in Fairview Heights.

The call center in Planned Parenthood’s Fairview Heights clinic will help arrange travel logistics and connect patients with resources and support organizations in all 50 states.

The Illinois Department of Public Health runs a legitimate COVID-19 testing site at St. Clair Square, but another site popped up without permission.

Abortion rights leaders say they’re prepared for Illinois to assume an even larger role as a national point of access.