Washington lawmakers are trying to advance drastic and draconian steps to defund Planned Parenthood through cuts to Medicaid, a move that could close 1 in 3 health centers nationwide and cost taxpayers nearly $300 million. More than 1.1 million people could lose access to birth control, wellness visits, sexually transmitted infection tests, gender-affirming care, cancer screenings and abortion care. We cannot leave people behind — and yet, this is what has happened in the halls of power in Washington.
Recently, Planned Parenthood leaders and other Chicago health care organizations met with U.S. Rep. Jesús G. “Chuy” García, D-Ill., to discuss how Illinois residents would greatly suffer under the proposed cuts to Medicaid and the provision to defund Planned Parenthood.
In Illinois, over 40% of Planned Parenthood of Illinois patients use Medicaid to cover the cost of their health care, which includes birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, prenatal care, gender-affirming care and abortion services.
If defunded, almost 30,000 Planned Parenthood of Illinois patients would not be able to access essential health care services. The nonprofit would need $16 million annually to continue providing services at its current level. This amount could not be covered consistently by private donations, and Planned Parenthood of Illinois would be forced to make deep cuts, including possibly closing more health centers and increasing costs for its patients. As the largest provider of sexual and reproductive health care in the state, reducing Planned Parenthood of Illinois’ services would have dire implications for the health and wellness of patients in Illinois.
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At Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which operates the Fairview Heights Health Center in Illinois, nearly 20% of its patients use Medicaid. At its health centers in Missouri, staff has seen firsthand the devastating effects when patients — especially people of color, people with low incomes, women and LGBTQ+ people — cannot access urgently needed care because of a defund.
Patients in Illinois deserve more access to care, not less. Defunding Planned Parenthood is an attempt by lawmakers to strip away autonomy over the bodies, lives and futures of Illinoisans. Planned Parenthood health centers proudly provide quality sexual and reproductive health care for anyone, regardless of their income, insured status or ability to pay, and will continue to stand against efforts to take away their access.
From Illinois to the halls of Congress, we urge our representatives to choose their constituents over extremism and to protect health care access for all before it’s too late.
Tonya Tucker, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, and Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Violence will dissipate when people are valued
When we talk about violence in Chicago, it often feels hopeless. But violence isn’t inevitable, it’s a symptom of something deeper. The real issue isn’t violence; it’s value.
This isn’t about communities lacking values. It’s about what we, as a city, choose to value. For decades, institutions have neglected entire neighborhoods, failing to recognize their worth. That neglect comes at a price, paid by those communities and by all of us.
When people grow up unseen, unheard and unsupported, they get the message that they don’t matter. And when someone feels worthless, it’s hard for them to see value in themselves or others. That’s where the harm begins, often culminating in a single, irreversible act on our streets.
But this isn’t just about personal choices. It’s about a society that puts things, money, property, status, above people. We spend more on punishment than prevention, more on incarceration than on inspiration. Violence is what grows in the vacuum left when schools lose funding, housing is unstable, mental health care is unavailable, and jobs vanish.
If we want to end violence, we must stop treating it solely as a safety issue. It’s a value issue.
We need to invest in people. That means providing youth with mentors, jobs and safe, nurturing spaces. It means making mental health support widely accessible. It means teaching resilience and emotional regulation in schools. We need restorative justice approaches and reliable funding for community organizations that truly understand local needs. Most importantly, we need to create real, tangible opportunities — not just empty promises.
We also need to rethink how we define safety. Real safety isn’t measured by police presence. It’s about stable housing, caring relationships, healing and a strong sense of belonging and purpose. It’s about showing people their lives matter, that they are worth protecting and have something to live for.
Chicago has everything it needs: grit, heart and people who care. What’s missing is a shift in what we choose to value.
When we start truly valuing people, we’ll begin to see less violence, not because it disappears overnight, but because we’ll be building something better in its place: connection, dignity, hope and joy.
Chicago can heal. We just have to believe it’s worth it.
Johnny Page, executive director, ConTextos
Why hide behind masks, ICE?
First and foremost, let me start by saying that I am a proud retired Chicago police officer. The vast majority of those in law enforcement do their jobs and make their departments proud. As I saw news outlets last week report on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducting raids and arrests wearing masks, I thought, “Why are they hiding their identity?”
If a department wants to allow wrongdoing, they might allow officers to wear masks and have the wrong names and badge numbers on an outer shirt or vest and not be identified by facial recognition. This is most definitely not the time and environment for this stuff.
Joseph Battaglia, Clearing