Abortion bill is hot potato for Gov. Rauner
The bill is House Bill 40, a measure that in part is intended to protect abortion rights in the state in the event the
Proponents of the bill believe Rauner must sign the measure to live up to statements he made during his campaign for governor to uphold abortion rights in the state.
Opponents view it as a test of Rauner's conservative credentials and living up to a statement he made after the bill passed, promising to veto it.
For his part, Rauner isn't saying now what he plans to do with it.
"The bill has not been sent to my desk," Rauner said last week. "I am meeting with advocates and legislators on both sides, both who support the bill and who are against the bill and we are assessing."
Indeed, while the bill got final approval in the legislature in May, it has never been forwarded to Rauner's desk. It is being held in the
The bill has two major provisions. One removes "trigger" language in current state law that says if Roe v. Wade is overturned,
The other major component provides that Medicaid and state employee health insurance can be used for abortion services.
After the bill passed the House in April, Rauner's office issued a statement saying the governor "is committed to protecting women's reproductive rights under current
Rep.
"He should affix his signature to this," she said. "He's already had a lot of time to think about it."
Moreover, Feigenholtz said, when Rauner was running for governor, he filled out a questionnaire from the pro-choice Personal PAC about abortion rights.
"It was my understanding all along that
"This is make or break for the governor," Caprio said. "Ultimately, he will be evaluated on what he does. If he does not veto the legislation, in my opinion the governor's chances of re-election are zero."
That's probably also the chances for the bill if Rauner does issue a veto. While it passed both the
The bill presents something of a no-win situation for Rauner, said
"Do you send it to the governor now, so he has a problem before the primary, or do you hold onto it until after the primary and closer to the general election, where it can have an impact," he said.
Feigenholtz and Sen.
"I am not playing that game," Steans said. "We may ultimately just send, whether he vetoes it or not. I'd like to see it become law. It was truly my understanding he supported this."
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