McHenry Times

Gov. Bruce Rauner spat in the eyes of his supporters when he signed a bill to force Illinois taxpayers to fund abortions, Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) said in a statement. 

“Bruce Rauner looked us in the eye in April and said that he would veto HB 40, the bill which grants public funding for abortion in Illinois, Reick said in the statement. "Today, he spat in our eye. His decision to sign that bill is a betrayal fueled by political expediency and nothing more. Any trust which he may have earned on this issue or any other is gone.”

Medicaid recipients and state employees may now receive abortions for any reason at any time in their pregnancy until the last day. The legislation makes Illinois the first state to use taxpayer money for abortions.

Rep. Steven Reick (R-Woodstock)

Rauner had vowed to veto the bill in April, and his signature at the end of September was a heel turn. Many religious groups and anti-abortion organizations as well as Republican lawmakers felt betrayed.

“To change one’s mind on an issue is not a sin, so long as the reason for change is honestly held and is clearly communicated to those to whom you’ve given your word,” Reick said in his statement. “There are a million clichés about change; there are many reasons why changing one’s mind about this position or that is valid. Political expediency is not one of them.”

As disappointed as Reick is with Rauner’s change of heart, he acknowledged that he was not surprised by the decision, calling it symptomatic of the administration.

“I guess this day has been a long time coming,” he said in his statement. “We saw it with the staff purge in July. Since he’s been Governor, he’s treated the General Assembly like employees of a company he just bought whom he wouldn’t have hired in the first place if he’d had the chance. The only difference is that he can’t fire us.”

Reick concluded that Illinois needs a strong leader and not someone who tests the air to see where the “political wind” is blowing.