Less than a month after Gov. Bruce Rauner signed House Bill 40, which covers elective abortions for those on state insurance, Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) has introduced a bill to create the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act to block the controversial measure.
“The number one issue that constituents have been discussing with me as I travel the district is the travesty and unprecedented – first in the nation – taxpayer-paid abortions,” Davidsmeyer said in a press release. “I morally cannot justify why taxpayers should be forced to cover the cost of abortions in our state.”
Illinois could spend $30 million to $60 million covering abortions through Medicaid, Davidsmeyer said. More than 35,000 abortions were performed in Illinois in 2015. House Bill 4114 is similar to the federal Hyde Amendment, which allows for abortions to be covered only in cases of rape or incest and when the mother’s life is threatened.
C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville)
“I have a fiscal and moral obligation to fight to ensure that taxpayers will not be forced to pay for abortions, especially when Illinois has a $15 billion backlog of unpaid bills,” Davidsmeyer said. “Abortion is wrong and I hope (House) Speaker (Mike) Madigan calls this legislation for an immediate vote during veto session later this month.”
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