Illinois abortion bill sparks division between Republicans, pro-life
advocates
[February 18, 2026]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – A controversial abortion proposal from State Sen.
Neil Anderson, R-Andalusia, is drawing sharp reactions across Illinois,
exposing divisions among Republicans and advocacy groups over how far
the state’s pro-life movement should go.
Anderson’s bill, SB3572, would treat harm to or the death of an unborn
child the same as that of a born person under Illinois homicide and
assault laws, applying the same criminal standards and potentially
allowing murder charges, at a prosecutor’s discretion.
The Illinois Family Institute supports the bill, with executive director
David Smith saying it reflects the belief that life begins at conception
and deserves full legal protection.
“If we believe that life begins at conception, and if we believe that
all human life deserves human rights protections, then we need to fight
for the life of the baby — the rights of the baby,” Smith told TCS. “If
somebody intentionally and with malice of forethought aborts human life
in their womb, then they need to be held accountable for that.”
Smith rejected claims that the proposal is politically reckless or
motivated by personal ambition, arguing instead that it reflects moral
clarity rather than electoral calculation.
“What we’re trying to do is not necessarily politics,” Smith said. “I
have a 75-year-old friend who works in ministry with post-abortive
women. She has had four abortions in her lifetime, and she told me that
if abortion had been illegal when she first faced that decision, she
never would have had her first, let alone the others.”
Some Republicans don’t agree. Former Republican attorney general
candidate Tom DeVore publicly criticized the bill, calling it extreme
and warning it could damage broader pro-life efforts.
“Regardless of one’s position on the abortion topic, this fringe bill
teeters on the edge of lunacy,” said DeVore in a social media post.
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Groups opposed to abortion rally outside the Illinois State Capitol
in Springfield. Photo: Greg Bishop / The Center Square
David Smith framed SB3572 as a response to what he described as
increasingly extreme abortion legislation advanced by Democrats.
“Illinois will allow an abortion doctor who lost their license in
another state to come here and practice,” Smith said. “In fact, of
the 100,000 abortions in Illinois, about 35,000 are from
out-of-state. So, we’re not only ending the lives of Illinois-born
unborn children, but also those from elsewhere, including, in some
cases, pregnant illegal alien mothers.
DeVore argued the proposal pushes Republicans to the fringe and
gives Democrats ammo, making consensus on supporting women and
families harder.
“We lose when singular out of touch legislators rush to file bills
to satisfy some personal self-serving interest which does not
remotely align with the overall values of the Republican Party. Sen.
Anderson is on an island of his own with this preposterous bill
which will fortunately never see the light of day,” DeVore stated on
social media.
Smith dismissed that criticism as misguided, accusing opponents of
prioritizing political comfort over moral conviction.
“This is the right response to extremity,” Smith said. “The shedding
of innocent blood is not something that just goes unnoticed.”
SB3572 has been filed but has not yet advanced in the
Democratic-majority General Assembly, where its prospects remain
uncertain.
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