{"id":172138,"date":"2017-09-20T14:48:10","date_gmt":"2017-09-20T18:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=172138"},"modified":"2017-09-21T10:23:37","modified_gmt":"2017-09-21T14:23:37","slug":"while-illinois-faces-debt-crisis-gov-rauner-sign-bill-to-fund-all-abortions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/while-illinois-faces-debt-crisis-gov-rauner-sign-bill-to-fund-all-abortions\/","title":{"rendered":"While Illinois faces debt crisis, Gov. Rauner now says he may sign bill to fund all abortions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Oregon recently became the first state<\/a> to require taxpayers to fund any and all abortions<\/a>, at any stage of pregnancy, on citizens and non-citizens alike. With a wavering Gov. Rauner, Illinois is now looking to follow the example, all while facing a debt and budget crisis.<\/p>\n

Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, who has donated to Planned Parenthood and signed pro-abortion legislation into law before, initially said he would veto<\/a> HB 40. A spokesperson’s statement<\/a> acknowledged that “Gov. Rauner is committed to protecting women\u2019s reproductive rights under current Illinois law. However, recognizing the sharp divisions of opinion of taxpayer funding of abortion, he does not support HB40.”<\/p>\n

As Politico reported Tuesday morning<\/a>, however, Rauner is now undecided, with a spokesperson saying he “hasn\u2019t made up his mind.” The bill, which will pay for all abortions covered by Medicaid and for state employees, for any reason and throughout all nine months of pregnancy, has already passed the House and Senate. It is on a “procedural hold” in the Senate.<\/p>\n

READ: Oregon Governor signs bill offering free abortions to citizens and undocumented immigrants<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rauner also has past promises held over him. Personal PAC, whose motto is “Pro-Choice. No exceptions,” is one of the groups behind the bill<\/a>. As Politico reported:<\/p>\n

Personal PAC\u2019s Terry Cosgrove <\/b>told us last week that Rauner wouldn\u2019t get the bill until he publicly stated he\u2019ll sign it as is<\/u><\/a>. Rauner is pro-choice, and in the general election, he and Diana Rauner vowed he did not have a social agenda. Rauner also made an election promise to Personal PAC that he would support legislation just like HB40.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Politico had previously reported on Rauner<\/a>, who, although not pro-life, had promised he would not push a social agenda:<\/p>\n

The best timing for politically-minded Democrats is sending it to the governor\u2019s desk right now, forcing him to choose between angering pro-life Republicans or angering suburban women who supported Rauner because of a no-social-agenda promise.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One could make the case that signing legislation to force taxpayers to fund abortions is, in fact, the very definition of a social agenda.<\/p>\n