THROWBACK! On this day 5 years ago, we celebrated at the signing of House Bill 40 (HB40) in Illinois. This piece of legislation that would allow for state health insurance and IL Medicaid coverage of abortion. It would come to dramatically shift our capacity to both be able to offer support to 100% of our callers the following year AND to expand our clinic partnerships out-of-state as we supported our neighbors in accessing care in their communities. This is what happens when the expertise of abortion funds and those who have had abortions are centered. This is what happens when we take bold steps to expand access to basic healthcare, and don’t take no for an answer. Swipe to see then-CAF ED Brittany Mostiller and and current CAF ED Megan Jeyifo stand behind former Republican Governor Rauner at a press conference that day — and swipe again to see this amazing abortion funding duo at a roundtable where CAF led a conversation between Chicago repro organizers & advocates and Vice President Kamala Harris, IL Governor JB Pritzker, IL Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Illinois AG Kwame Raoul, U.S. Congressman Danny Davis, and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. September 30th, two days from now, marks 45 years under the Hyde Amendment, a policy that prohibits federal funding from being used for abortion care. Although the joint federal-state Medicaid program covers every other pregnancy-related service, the federal government and many states have enacted restrictions on Medicaid funding for abortion. States have the right to fund more than federal law permits, but not fund less — meaning that ending Hyde would create a pathway increase abortion access for millions of people, just like it did for Illinoisans five years ago. Abortion funders are powerful! Abortion storytellers are powerful! The relationships we build doing this work are powerful! We are always learning from our wins of the past, and pushing forward to keep making abortion access a reality for ALL people. #BeBoldEndHyde #AbortionJustice