* The Illinois Review closely parses Gov. Rauner’s appearance on WBEZ last week…

Before the measure was voted on in the Illinois House, Rauner’s spokeperson Allie Bovis wrote Illinois Review in an email on April 14, “Governor Rauner does not support HB40 and will veto the bill if it reaches his desk.” […]

Rauner told Sarabia’s caller Friday that he was proud of Illinois being “progressive” on the issue of abortion.

“We’re one of the more progressive states,” Rauner said. “I support that. I want to protect that. But the bill goes further and expands taxpayer funding in a way that only two other states have. That’s very divisive, it’s very controversial. That part, I don’t think makes sense to do now.”

It doesn’t make sense to do “now”? That comment raised concern among conservatives about just how committed Rauner is to abortion and how far he is willing to go to alienate pro-lifers that trusted pro-life leaders. Leaders that placed their reputations on the line, encouraging conservative Republicans to support Rauner in 2014 against Quinn, assuring them he couldn’t be “as bad” as Quinn on the issue.

Rauner has, in effect, bought up Republican organization support with token checks to county and township groups - and appears to be either tone deaf or obstinate on the state Republican Party’s platform and its importance to grassroots voters.

Well, the governor did say that the reason he was vetoing HB 40 was because it’s divisive and the General Assembly needs to instead “focus” right now on a budget and economic reforms. That statement didn’t preclude signing it if the state gets a budget and economic reforms. And that could be one reason why the Democrats put a parliamentary hold on the bill and kept it from getting to the governor right away.

Of course, they’ll have to pass a budget and economic reforms, but if they do (still a big “if”), the governor might find himself in yet another trick bag.