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Fact check: Did Gov. Bruce Rauner flip-flop on abortion bill?
Gov. Bruce Rauner
November 1, 2017
By Amée LaTour
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) recently signed House Bill 40 (HB 40), which authorized public funding of abortion through Medicaid and state employee health insurance. In response, state Sen. Dan McConchie (R) claimed that Rauner had made a "public commitment...to veto this bill,” adding, “His flip-flopping on this issue raises serious questions on whether the Governor's word can be trusted on other matters."[1]
Did Gov. Rauner make a public commitment to veto HB 40?
At least three times before the governor signed the bill, his staff asserted Rauner’s opposition to HB 40.[2][3] One of those statements reportedly specified that the governor would veto the legislation if it passed the legislature in April.[4][5] Subsequently, Rauner spoke out against consideration of HB 40 because of the need for the legislature to focus instead on balancing the budget, among other priorities. “What we should not do is take on controversial divisive issues right now,” he said.[6]
Background
Bruce Rauner was elected governor of Illinois in 2014. As a candidate, Rauner stated support for expanding public funding for abortion on a questionnaire from Personal PAC, which describes its mission as "protecting and advancing reproductive rights.” His questionnaire response stated: "I dislike the Illinois law that restricts abortion coverage under the state Medicaid plan and state employees' health insurance because I believe it unfairly restricts access based on income. I would support a legislative effort to reverse that law."[7][8]
Dan McConchie was appointed to the Illinois State Senate representing District 26 in April 2016 after Dan Duffy (R) resigned, and he won the seat in the general election seven months later.
HB 40
HB 40 amended the State Employees Group Insurance Act and the Illinois Public Aid Code to expand publicly funded coverage of abortion for Medicaid recipients and state workers. The bill also eliminated a provision of the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975 that would have halted abortions in the event that (1) the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision, or (2) the U.S. Constitution was amended to allow states to ban abortion.[9]
The legislation passed the House on April 25 by 62 to 55.[10][11][12] It passed the Senate on May 10 by 33 to 22.[13][14][15]
Prior to the passage of HB 40, Illinois was one of 17 states that provided Medicaid coverage for abortion in cases other than rape, incest, and life endangerment.[16][17] Illinois was also one of nine states in which state employee health insurance plans only funded abortion if it was deemed necessary to preserve a woman's life.[18]
Rauner on HB 40
As evidence for his claim that Rauner publicly committed to veto HB 40, McConchie referred Ballotpedia to an Associated Press article from April 14. The article cites the following quote from a statement issued by Rauner spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis: "Governor Rauner is committed to protecting women's reproductive rights under current Illinois law. However, recognizing the sharp divisions of opinion of taxpayer funding of abortion, he does not support HB 40."[19][2]
In addition, Ballotpedia documented other statements from the governor and his staff regarding HB 40.
Also in April, an editor of Illinois Review, which describes its mission as "provid[ing] the people of Illinois a conservative perspective on Illinois news and information," emailed the governor's press secretary at the time, Allie Bovis, inquiring about Rauner’s position on the bill.[20][5] According to a copy of the reported email exchange provided to Ballotpedia by Illinois Review, Bovis on April 14 replied, "Governor Rauner does not support HB 40 and will veto the bill if it reaches his desk."[4]
On April 19, spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski responded to criticism of the governor for not supporting HB 40 by saying that Rauner "supports current law that allows for (Medicaid coverage of) abortion in cases of rape, incest and for health and life of the mother ... This legislation is beyond that, which he doesn’t support."[3]
On April 21, Rauner sought to set the legislation aside, arguing that the state’s budget crisis warranted the legislature’s full attention. He told reporters: "Expanding taxpayer funding [of abortion] is a very divisive issue. ...We need to focus on jobs...reducing property taxes...education funding...getting term limits on elected officials. … What we should not do is take on controversial, divisive issues right now when we don't have a balanced budget."[6][21]
Rauner announced that he would sign HB 40 on September 28 (the day he signed it).[22]
Ballotpedia contacted Rauner's press office for comment but did not receive a response.
Conclusion
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) recently signed House Bill 40 (HB 40) into law, which allows public funding of abortion through Medicaid and state employee health insurance coverage. In response, state Sen. Dan McConchie (R) claimed that Rauner had broken a "public commitment...to veto this bill."[1]
At least three times before the governor signed the bill, his staff asserted Rauner’s opposition to HB 40. One of those statements specified that he would veto the legislation if it passed in April.[2][3][4] Subsequently, Rauner spoke out against consideration of HB 40 and urged the legislature to focus instead on getting a balanced budget, reduced property taxes, and lawmaker term limits.[6]
See also
- Federal policy on abortion, 2017-2020
- Fact check: Public opinion on abortion
- Fact check: Is Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner correct that many Chicago public schools are objectively inadequate?
Sources and Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dan McConchie, "McConchie: 'Profound disappointment' over Rauner's decision to force taxpayers to pay for abortions," September 28, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Associated Press, "Rauner Opposes Bill Allowing Taxpayer-Funded Abortions," April 14, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The State Journal-Register, "Group: Rauner deceived Illinois voters on abortion stance," April 20, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Illinois Review, "Breaking: Rauner to Veto Abortion Bill Facing Vote on House Floor," April 14, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Illinois Review shared an email with Ballotpedia that the editor said was from Allie Bovis, former press secretary for Rauner. Amee LaTour, "Email communication with Fran Eaton, Illinois Review editor," October 22, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The State Journal-Register, "Rauner: Expanding abortion coverage too controversial," April 21, 2017
- ↑ Personal PAC, "2014 Illinois Gubernatorial Candidate Questionnaire," accessed October 13, 2017
- ↑ Personal PAC describes its mission as "protecting and advancing reproductive rights for all women by recruiting, electing, and holding accountable pro-choice candidates to state and local office in Illinois." Personal PAC, "About Personal PAC," accessed October 13, 2017
- ↑ The Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision established that states could ban abortion only after the point of fetal viability unless the procedure is necessary to preserve a woman's life or health. See Supreme Court of the United States, Roe v. Wade, January 22, 1973
- ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "House Roll Call, House Bill 40," April 25, 2017
- ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Current House Members," accessed October 16, 2017
- ↑ All "yea" votes came from Democrats; 50 "nay" votes came from Republicans and five from Democrats.
- ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "House Bill No. 40 Third Reading," May 10, 2017
- ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Current Senate Members," accessed October 16, 2017
- ↑ All "yea" votes came from Democrats and "nay" votes from Republicans.
- ↑ The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, "Coverage for Abortion Services in Medicaid, Marketplace Plans and Private Plans," January 20, 2016
- ↑ In 1994, an Illinois court ruled that state funds must be used to cover abortion under Medicaid if the procedure is determined to be medically necessary for a woman's health, a broader allowance. McCurdy, Holly. "PPACA Abortion Restrictions and Illinois Policy," Annals of Health Law 24 (2014): 87-101. (Pages 95-96)
- ↑ Coverage of abortions has been available through an add-on provision at additional cost to state employees. Guttmacher Institute, "Restricting Insurance Coverage of Abortion," October 1, 2017
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email communication with Dan McConchie," October 13, 2017
- ↑ Facebook, "Illinois Review, About," accessed October 26, 2017
- ↑ Due to recent budget conflicts, Illinois began fiscal year 2018 on July 1 without a budget. Rauner and the Democratic-controlled legislature were unable to agree on a budget during the regular session, which ended on May 31. Rauner called a special session in June, but no agreement was reached. On July 6, the legislature passed a budget by overriding Rauner's vetoes of a $5 billion tax increase and $36 billion spending plan.
- ↑ YouTube, "Gov Rauner's Statement on Why He's Signing HB-40," September 28, 2017
Launched in October 2015 and active through October 2018, Fact Check by Ballotpedia examined claims made by elected officials, political appointees, and political candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. We evaluated claims made by politicians of all backgrounds and affiliations, subjecting them to the same objective and neutral examination process. As of 2025, Ballotpedia staff periodically review these articles to revaluate and reaffirm our conclusions. Please email us with questions, comments, or concerns about these articles. To learn more about fact-checking, click here.
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