In February 2026, a bill straight out of The Handmaid’s Tale made its way onto the floor of the Illinois Senate when Neil Anderson, a Republican state senator from Andalusia, introduced perhaps the most extreme anti-abortion bill in recent years. Under SB3572, also referred to as the Abolish Abortion Illinois Act, fetuses and embryos would be officially categorized as legal persons under the law. This means, in Illinois, abortion would be classified as first-degree murder. As if that alone is not severe enough, Anderson simultaneously moved to reinstate the death penalty for first-degree murder in his state. This means Anderson was openly, proudly, and actively fighting for the potential for women seeking abortions to be executed for getting what many consider to be a medical procedure.
Thankfully, and perhaps surprisingly, even Anderson’s fellow Republicans thought his propositions were too radical. Not a single other senator supported the bill, with Republican Senate Leader John Curran even labeling the move as “anti-woman.” Critics of the bill argued that such extreme measures do not actually support their pro-life agenda and could lead to more loss of life of women too fearful to seek medical care. To see such chaos within the Republican party in an era in which the conservative side of politics seems to present a united front was shocking.
Anderson’s reaction to the legislature’s response was unapologetic and sprinkled with religious reasoning and insufficient rationalization of his actions. He argued that his proposals were never meant to result in the imprisonment or execution of women. Instead, he claimed that “the important part of this bill is deterrence. Every good law is a deterrent away from something that is heinous.” Even though Anderson presented as unapologetic, he did end up resigning from leadership and was immediately removed from all committees one week after he proposed the controversial bill.
As a young woman whose political views skew very proudly liberal, the existence of the Anti-Abortion Illinois Act was horrifying. It felt less like a political proposal and more like a violent attack on women. The fact that women are still fighting for the right to their own bodily autonomy in 2026 is infuriating and exhausting. Men have been trying their hardest to make decisions on women’s lives and bodies without our consent since the beginning of time, but the concept of criminalizing such a vital aspect of feminine healthcare in our modern era is beyond comprehension. Even though SB3572 did not gain traction in the legislature, it gave a voice to a subgroup of people who want to take away our reproductive freedom and punish us (potentially with death!) for exercising our rights to our bodies. The bill may have been struck down by the Senate, but entities like the Illinois Family Institute stood proudly behind the bill’s intentions.
The Institute’s director, David Smith, argued that the bill’s goal of protecting unborn children was more important than any other political outcome or backlash. His support was based entirely upon the religious reasoning that life begins at conception and argued that seeking an abortion “intentionally and with malice of forethought” is morally equal to murder and should be punished accordingly.
For men in positions of power to speak so freely on the topic of women’s bodies shows how little they understand and care about our rights and lives. In addition, for any level of their rationalization to be based on religious ideas, in a country founded on the separation of church and state, is alarming and should automatically invalidate their claims. For me, and for all women attached to their bodily autonomy, we must view extreme political proposals as a call to action. Our reproduction rights are just one item on a list of freedoms we have already fought for that could be stolen from us. It is important we stay vigilant, informed, and angry enough to stand up for our rights.