Republicans in Illinois are furious over the decision by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner to sign a bill forcing Illinois taxpayers to pay for abortion — after directly promising to GOP lawmakers (and the Archbishop of Chicago) that he wouldn’t do that. Several GOP lawmakers have already said that they will not support Rauner’s reelection.
“The Rauner experiment is over,” state Rep. Peter Breen, a Republican from Lombard, told me after Rauner signed the bill. “He lied to us, he lied to the people, he even lied to Cardinal Cupich. And now, as far as re-election, I don’t think he has a chance. It’s done.”
Breen is not alone. From the moment Rauner with his long sad expression said he would sign the bill, Republicans were calling him out for betrayal and saying they could not support his re-election.
One is state Sen. Tim Bivins, R-Dixon.
“Several months ago he (Rauner) promised over 23 legislators he would veto the bill,” Bivins said in a statement. “Today he said he has to stand by what he believes is the right thing to do. Today I will also stand on what I believe is the right thing to do. I will not support this governor for re-election.”