[Note from Rich Miller: Experienced Statehouse reporter Hannah Meisel’s position was recently and abruptly eliminated, so I asked her to do some work for me during the closing weeks of spring session.]

By Hannah Meisel

* JB Pritzker made two public stops in Springfield Monday, first touring a local business incubator, then heading to the AFL-CIO headquarters to sign Personal PAC’s pledge to keep HB40 — the expanded abortion access law — on the books and untouched until at least 2023.

Personal PAC CEO Terry Cosgrove issued the challenge to both Pritzker and Gov. Rauner last week…

Several lawmakers in the General Assembly have filed three different proposals meant to repeal the law, but none were assigned to a committee for further consideration. Personal PAC, a Chicago-based pro-choice group, and some lawmakers said they want the guarantee that these don’t get approved by the future governor. The group plans to send Rauner and Democratic candidate J.B. Pritzker a pledge to establish this guarantee.

* Pritzker accused Rauner of waffling on HB40, which he ultimately signed in September after having reportedly told Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich that he wouldn’t…

“He was against it, then he was for it. Then he was against it. He lied. He lied to the Cardinal. This is a governor who can’t be trusted, and certainly can’t be trusted to stand up for women’s rights, and a woman’s right to choose.”

* Sen. Heather Steans was also on hand and warned of bills filed to repeal HB40…

“Here in Illinois, we truly are a haven. And it’s very scary to think what would happen to not just Illinois women, but so many women even from surrounding states have to come here to get their fundamental rights protected.”

Steans also described the uncertainty that surrounded the abortion bill for months last year.

“It was a total roller coaster. We never quite knew what was going to happen with the bill. The governor was for it, then he was against it, then he was for it. There was a lot of flip-flopping going on.”

* Mark Maxwell’s piece on the pledge…

“Rauner’s campaign refused to engage in the back-and-forth on the issue that has, for them, proven a political minefield. Many of the governor’s own staff members oppose abortion, and shy away from discussing the matter on the record. State legislators in the social conservative wing still hold lasting grudges with a governor who, according to them, leaves little space between his views on abortion and the Democrat running to replace him. “

* Most recent poll data I could find on public opinion of abortion in Illinois…

“In a February 2016 poll by Southern Illinois University’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, 36 percent of Illinoisans said abortion should be legal in all circumstances, compared with 29 percent in a nationwide Gallup poll last May. In the same polls, 44 percent in Illinois said abortion should be legal only in certain circumstances, compared with 50 percent who said that nationwide. And 15 percent of Illinoisans told the pollsters that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances — compared with 19 percent of Americans.”

(Public radio March 2017)

“73% percent of Illinois voters believe abortion should be a private decision between a woman and her doctor versus 20% who do not, making the margin of difference 53%. 7% were not sure.”

(from Personal PAC poll last April, shortly after Rauner said he would not sign HB40.)

* Meanwhile, Pritzker’s campaign this morning sent out a of Rauner dodging a direct question asking whether he’d sign the Equal Rights Amendment…

Rauner: “I’ve made my position clear. I support equal rights for everyone.
Reporter: “But that’s not the same thing as supporting the bill.”