Countdown to Election Series: Birth Control on the Ballot

Illinois voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on more than just their choice of candidates during the upcoming midterm elections. The Illinois State Legislature has placed a referendum on the November ballot asking voters whether insurance providers should be required to cover contraceptive drugs. While Illinois law has covered contraceptive prescriptions since 2003, proponents argue that the ballot measure, if backed by the majority of Illinois voters, will provide the public support needed to counter any future attacks against the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the birth control mandate. Here, the Chicago Policy Review breaks down the top three things to know about the ballot measure:

1. The effects of the Hobby Lobby Supreme Court Case

The recent Supreme Court ruling in the Hobby Lobby case dealt a blow to the birth control mandate. Supporters of the ballot measure argue that, if passed, it provides a public show of support for the current Illinois law mandating that prescription drug plans also cover contraceptives. Proponents are keen to rack up public support to demonstrate that all employees should have access to birth control no matter where they work.

2. The ramifications of this referendum

Opponents of the initiative argue that the non-binding referenda on the midterm ballot, of which the birth control measure is one of five, are simply a means for Democrats to get their supporters to the polls in order to detract from the real issues and retain power. Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine) called the measures a “stunt” and a way to “gin people up over issues that really don’t exist.” Critics of the birth control mandate also cite religious objections, arguing that it impinges on their freedoms.

3. Stances of Congressional candidates

The birth control mandate is a critical issue in some of the most hotly contested congressional races in the state. While the ballot initiative is an advisory question with no impact on state laws, some candidates have been quick to take a stance on the mandate. In the suburban 10^th District, Incumbent Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider has backed legislation seeking to undo the effects of the Hobby Lobby case, while his opponent, Republican Bob Dold, made clear that while he believes in a woman’s right to health care, he also strongly believes in preserving “the constitutional right to religious liberty for all Americans.”

While it remains to be seen whether the ballot measures will increase voter turnout in the midterm elections, there is no doubt that voters will face a rare opportunity to weigh in on a record number of key issues this year—available state records reveal that no more than three referenda have appeared at a single time on the ballot since 1970. Whatever the reason, if passed, the birth control measure could go a long way towards fending off potential future attacks against the mandate.

Feature Photo: cc/(Bryan Calabro)