Question of the day
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Yesterday, when a reporter and the governor were sparring a bit over SB 1, the reporter mentioned that the Senate President claims he isn’t sending Gov. Rauner the bill because he’d threatened to veto it. The governor’s response…
How many bills have they sent to my desk that I was gonna veto? That doesn’t stop ‘em. That doesn’t stop ‘em.
Well, one bill that springs to mind immediately is HB 40.
* A quick refresher from Crain’s…
The divisive legislation, which passed [the Senate on May 10th] in a 33 to 22 vote, aims to protect abortion rights in Illinois should the U.S. Supreme Court strike down or change Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that made abortion legal in the U.S. It also prevents insurers from denying coverage of abortion services to women on Medicaid and state workers on the Illinois health insurance plan.
As Rauner prepares to seek re-election, the passage of this bill puts the governor, a Republican, in a tough spot between pro-choice suburban women and pro-life downstate voters.
Sen. Don Harmon filed a motion to reconsider shortly after the floor vote and it hasn’t moved since.
* With the governor under fire for hiring a bunch of staffers from the economic and social right wings, Rauner also had this to say yesterday…
And to be crystal clear, I am a strong advocate for women’s reproductive rights.
But, as you’ll recall, Rauner has said he’s against HB 40, even though he told Personal PAC in 2014 that he favored everything in it…
Gov. Bruce Rauner is casting his promise to veto legislation that’s become known as the “abortion bill” as a matter of timing rather than philosophy.
“I have always been and will always be a strong supporter and protector of women’s reproductive rights,” Rauner said Friday. “We in Illinois have good existing law.”
Rauner said however that “expending taxpayer funds is a very divisive issue. A very controversial issue” and right now “we need to focus” on jobs, property taxes, term limits and school funding.
Needless to say, signing that bill would go a very long way toward dispelling claims that he’s lurching even further rightward in the wake of his budget veto overrides. And vetoing it now would likely help burnish arguments that he is, indeed, moving right.
* The Question: Should Sen. Harmon send Gov. Rauner HB 40 now or wait? Click here to take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
- cover - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 2:51 pm:
I voted “wait”, the Dems likely will want the Governor to twist in the wind separately over education funding and abortion.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 2:54 pm:
I voted yes, the timing is perfect now that he’s surrounded himself with some pro-life zealots to show the new team how independent he is. This is the perfect opportunity for Governor Rauner to firmly establish that he is his own man. Let him have it, good and hard.
- Boone's is Back - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 2:58 pm:
Call his bluff on being “crystal clear.” Send that sucker.
- Juvenal - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:00 pm:
I vote for “Send him the bill!”
On Wednesday. Then hold press conferences every day of special session urging him to sign it, so that reporters can call Ms. Carl for comment.
- Retired Educator - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:00 pm:
Send it to him. He says sitting on a bill is wrong. Let him make a choice. This is a no win bill. No matter the outcome he will anger many. I guarantee he will hold it, and not put his name on it. He has no credibility, no morals, and no guts to make the hard decisions. Let him twist in the wind.
- Porgy Tirebiter - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:03 pm:
47th ward X 2
- cdog - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:07 pm:
Send it now.
House and Senate Dems need to quit over-thinking all this timing nonsense. It’s just another strategy in their game of Gotchya.
Get on with it.
- cdog - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:09 pm:
And, send SB1 from the Senate, same day/same time as HB40.
No wonder this state is so dysfunctional. Make a prudent decision already, and deal with the consequences.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:12 pm:
I voted “wait”
“Why?”
If Diana and Bruce are going to go full phony from now on, might as well maximize the timing to when people are paying attention.
Diana is in a digital ad today.
Ok, that’s how they want to go about all this…
… you “wait” and maximize the hypocrisy of them both.
- Earnest - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:22 pm:
I voted “send it.” Send SB 1 too. I don’t think further delay is going to change whatever the governor’s actions will be, and, politically, they can always try to pass more bills in the spring if they want them as election issues.
- ste_with_a_v_en - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:31 pm:
I voted send it, only cause if he veto’s it nothing changes. We still have protections for women
- blue dog dem - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:39 pm:
I voted yes for Mrs Blue. Her and the wolfpack have completed their Novena.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:42 pm:
I’m fine with Send it now. And veto it. For the reasons listed above in his response. I’m pro life to begin with and paying for this with public money is wrong IMO.
Our system is also beyond broke. Adding cost in general is a bad idea. Even many Pro Choice people draw a line at public funding.
- DuPage Bard - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:44 pm:
It’d be real interesting if they send it. With JB, Kennedy and Biss all slashing him about not liking women it would be interesting to see the new Diane commercial about his veto but how he really cares. Or if he doesn’t veto it and signs it’s a big opening for a GOP candidate to run against the Gov’s right flank.
- Roman - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:46 pm:
Something for the Dems to ponder:
If they send it to Rauner now, he’ll veto it to protect his right flank. But if they send it to him after the primary in March (or in November if no conservative files) Rauner will sign it to reach out to moderate women in the General. The former achieves a political goal, the latter achieves a policy goal, with a political cost.
- Last Bull Moose - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 3:50 pm:
I voted to send it.
Make the Governor act one way or the other.
- Dave King Kong Kingman - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 4:04 pm:
Send it!!! Then hold him to his veto or signing the bill. Either way he goes, big, re-election land mines await.
- Trapped in the 'burbs - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 4:08 pm:
Wait until closer to the election. Let him veto it and explain that he has no social agenda. Also, they should pass a recreational marijuana bill so he can veto that too. Illinois clearly doesn’t need the tax revenue from that or a Chicago casino for that matter. Rauner and his “democrat” wife are being exposed for the frauds that they are. He has no plans other than to keep us in gridlock. We went another $10 BILLION in debt with no gains to the state. Let’s see if he can go all 4 years without answering legitimate questions or proposing a way to achieve any of his talking points. I’m still waitin’ for him to step up.
- sleepy - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 4:33 pm:
Roman has it.
- Lucky Charms - Tuesday, Jul 25, 17 @ 10:30 pm:
I voted wait because Dems could keep it until right before election to galvanize the vote. Doing it now just means it gets lost in all the others negative press his administration is getting.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jul 26, 17 @ 11:09 am:
Audacious Perfidy