Gov. JB Pritzker is calling for a constitutional amendment to protect access to abortion.

National trends related to abortion “demand” that Illinois protect reproductive rights, the governor said during his inauguration speech Monday in Springfield.

“The right to privacy and bodily autonomy demand that we establish a constitutional protection for reproductive rights in Illinois,” Pritzker said. “The extremists still want to take away a woman’s right to choose, and I don’t intend to let them.”

To amend the state’s constitution, Illinois law requires that both chambers of the General Assembly approve a joint resolution by a three-fifths vote. The amendment is then placed on the next general election ballot, where it must receive either a three-fifths majority of those voting on the question or a simple majority of all votes cast in the election.

Along with reproductive healthcare, Pritzker in his speech highlighted several healthcare proposals passed during his first term, including nursing home rate reforms and the overall response to the COVID-19 pandemic.