ABORTION- BILL LIMBO
Sponsors want to know gov’s plan — but he wants to see the legislation first
It’s a classic Catch- 22. Or in this case, a Catch- HB 40. Sponsors of a bill to ensure abortion remains legal in Illinois if Roe v. Wade is overturned say they refuse to send the measure to Gov. Bruce Rauner until he lets them know whether he plans to sign or veto it.
But the governor won’t say what he will do — until he can actually see the bill on his desk.
The legislation, House Bill 40, would remove a “trigger provision” that would make abortions illegal in Illinois should the U. S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade. It would also allow women with Medicaid and state- employee health insurance to use their coverage for abortions.
“I just want to know what he’s going to do. We are trying to assess that,” bill sponsor state Sen. Heather Steans, D- Chicago, said this week. “I think the fact that he’s not going around saying he’s going to veto it, I think we may be making progress.”
Steans said she’s looking for word, whether it be from Rauner himself, his administration or advocates, on whether he’ll sign it before it’s sent over.
“It matters a lot to many women, and I think the growing sense of that is really getting fully understood. So I’m hoping we can actually have HB 40 become law,” Steans said.
The governor’s position on the measure seemed crystal clear in April when he announced he didn’t support it because of “sharp divisions of opinion of taxpayer funding of abortion,” with his administration also offering that he’s “committed to protecting women’s reproductive rights under current Illinois law.”
But just this week, Rauner told reporters he’s “assessing” the bill: “I am meeting with advocates and legislators on both sides, both who support the bill and who are against the bill. And we’re assessing,” Rauner said.
And the governor refused to say which way he is leaning until he sees the bill.
“The bill has not been sent to my desk,” Rauner said. “I think it’s a reasonable question to find out why.”
House sponsor state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D- Chicago, says she’s remaining optimistic but believes the political pressures of the thorny subject are taking over.
“I thought that Bruce Rauner, based on his [ candidate] questionnaire and some things he has done in his personal life with [ first lady] Diana [ Rauner] were indicative of him being a pro- choice partner,” Feigenholtz said. “And, sadly, politics must have prevailed over everything else. He did flip- flop, but you know what? Maybe he’ll change his mind again. ... I would petition him, with humility, to try and put politics aside and think about the promise he made and to try to fulfill it.”
Feigenholtz said an amendatory veto — vetoing just the Medicaid portion of the bill — isn’t good enough.
“It’s dead if he does an amendatory veto. He’s vetoing the bill. If he doesn’t sign the bill, he’s vetoing the bill. That’s how I see it. Dead,” Feigenholtz said. “He’ll wear the jacket. If he does anything but sign that bill, that’s his way of saying Illinois women are on their own.”
And state Rep. David McSweeney, R- Barrington Hills, who did not vote to support the bill, said Rauner must “take a stand and stick by it on issues that are important.”
“I respect people on both sides, but you have to take a stand,” McSweeney said. “Either you’re for it or against it.”
“I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT HE’S GOING TO DO. WE ARE TRYING TO ASSESS THAT. I THINK THE FACT THAT HE’S NOT GOING AROUND SAYING HE’S GOING TO VETO IT, I THINK WE MAY BE MAKING PROGRESS.” STATE SEN. HEATHER STEANS, on Gov. Rauner’s plans for HB 40