For 36 years, the State of Illinois has prohibited the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortion; except in the cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. This has also been the policy of the federal government since 1975.
The ethics of abortion have been debated across the United States and here in Illinois for decades. While I believe more and more Americans will continue to embrace a culture of life as this debate moves forward, in the meantime, we must address what is at stake with House Bill 40. The issue with this bill is specifically whether taxpayer dollars should be used to pay for elective abortion, meaning termination of a pregnancy for any reason other than rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother.
According to the most recent data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, there are nearly 40,000 abortions performed in the State of Illinois each year. Currently, there are abortions happening under the above referenced exceptions. House Bill 40 would expand the eligibility for patients covered by the state’s Medicaid program by forcing taxpayers to pay for elective abortions as well. This bill would also add full abortion coverage to state employees’ insurance plans that taxpayers would then have to pay.
The Department of Healthcare and Family Services and a study from the Legislative Reference Bureau approximate that expanding taxpayer-funded abortions could cost the state’s Medicaid program as much as $60 Million.
This is more spending in a time when taxes have been increased in an attempt to pay down some of our burgeoning debt. We do not need to add extra costs with morally controversial initiatives in a time of our state’s severe debt crisis.
Action:
Contact Governor Rauner, thank him for his promise to VETO HB40.
Please affirm that he still intends to do so.
Click here to contact Governor Rauner.
Click here for more information on this bill.
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