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| RAUNER: How can he win? |
But this won’t be the only issue where the governor will face a dilemma; in fact, he may well take a bigger body blow from abortion. And this is one where Democratic political operatives are eager to make the governor squirm more than a little bit!
FOR
THE STATE Senate on Wednesday gave its approval to a measure the Illinois House
of Representatives already has signed off on – a measure related to abortion
and its public access.
Specifically,
it deals with the fact that back when the Supreme Court of the United States issued
its early 1970s ruling that struck down various state statutes that
criminalized the termination of a pregnancy, the Illinois Legislature passed a
law that included a clause saying that abortions would automatically become an
illegal act in this state if the courts were to ever change their stance.
Now
I know some legal experts have said the clause is so vaguely worded and
convoluted in concept that it is highly unlikely to ever be implemented into
state law.
But
we’re in the Age of Trump where the conservative ideologues of our society
think they’re entitled to push for measures that real people find despicable,
and where Trump talks as though he’s inclined to grant them their wishes.
WHICH
HAS SOME of the activists who fight for a woman’s legal right to end a
pregnancy concerned that something could happen. And that motivated Democrats
in the Illinois Legislature this year to push for a measure repealing the
clause that supposedly reinstates abortion as a criminal act automatically
without further government activity.
It
got mixed into a bill that brings up other points – such as removing restrictions
on Medicaid and state employee health insurance programs covering abortion. And
in fact referring to abortion as just one of several options related to pregnancy-related
care for a woman.
The
Democratic majority that runs the General Assembly’s two chambers had little
problem passing this measure, which now goes to the governor.
And
where Rauner has made statements previously indicating that his veto pen is
eagerly awaiting the chance to reject this measure.
THIS
COMES ABOUT even though Rauner in the past has been a financial contributor to
Planned Parenthood and other groups supporting women's issues, and generally has tried to avoid engaging in rhetoric about
abortion that would infuriate people.
Rauner
wants us to think he’s not an ideologue and that his conservative leanings don’t
go farther than wanting to mess with organized labor and the unions that
represent state government employees.
But
now, Democrats are putting the Republican governor in a spot where he’s either
going to have to support them or else risk their wrath come Election Day. Heck,
this issue could be the one that infuriates certain voters to turn out and cast
ballots against him come next year’s election cycle.
Then
again, if he doesn’t take the conservative political stance and reject the
issue, he could have many of the Republican interests deciding that his
re-election isn’t worth their time or hassle.
IT
WILL BE interesting to see just how low-key a manner Rauner handles this issue –
hoping that his action somehow goes unnoticed. Perhaps he’ll get a day when
there’s so much government activity taking place that this issue will get lost in
the shuffle.
The
last thing he’s going to want to do is to make a big deal about it. He stands
to lose, no matter what.
He
also has 60 days from the point in time the bill formally arrives in his
office.
Which
makes mid-to-late July to be the key point in time to watch the governor – even
though I’m sure he’d rather you plan your vacation for that time period or find
something else to preoccupy your time.
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