Terry Cosgrove, CEO of Personal PAC, on April 19, publicly released the candidate's questionnaire then-gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner filled out in 2014 that said Rauner would respect womens' reproductive healthcare and access to safe and legal abortions.
Rauner said, however, on April 14, that he would veto HB 40, legislation sponsored by state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz ( D-Chicago ), that would, among other components, nullify a 1975 "trigger law" that would be activated should Roe v. Wade be overturned by the United States Supreme Court. Under that law, abortions would become illegal in the state; the new HB 40 law would ensure that does not happen. HB 40 also addresses Medicaid funding of abortions in the state, which Rauner said is his principal objection to the bill.
But Cosgrove said the veto amounts to a "betrayal" of the trust Illinoisans placed in their governor.
"I have been active in Illinois politics for over 40 years, most of it spent advocating on behalf of access to reproductive health care for all women," Cosgrove said in a statement. "It takes a lot to shock me."
Cosgrove highlighted several quotes from Rauner on the questionnaire. Among them, Rauner said, "I fundamentally believe that abortion should be a woman's private decision…and that this decision should not be impeded by government."
Rauner also noted, "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."
Cosgrove said he was "shocked" at Rauner's reversal.
"Because this means, that then 2014 candidate Rauner lied to the voters, lied to friends, and lied to colleagues about his position on reproductive rights," Cosgrove said. "On Friday, Governor Rauner placed himself squarely on the side of putting women's health and women's lives at risk. And on the wrong side of history."
He added, "The only ethical way for Governor Rauner to move forward as the leader of this great state is to honor his 2014 commitment to the voters of Illinois and publicly state today that he will sign HB 40 when it reaches his desk."