On Nov. 30, a petition for leave to file a taxpayer action to restrain and enjoin the disbursement of public funds was filed by Illinois Right to Life Action. The petition was filed against Felicia Norwood, director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services; Michael Hoffman, director of the Department of Central Management Services; Michael Frerichs, treasurer of the state of Illinois; and Susana Mendoza, comptroller of the state of Illinois.
The petition filed by IRLA is against HB40, a legislation that provides state health insurance and Medicaid coverage for abortions. The legislation was signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner (R-Chicago) on Sep. 28.
Regina D’Amico, who is the program manager at Illinois Right to Life Action, spoke with Chicago City Wire about the petition.
“Illinois Right to Life Action (IRLA) lobbies at the state Capitol to work to protect women and unborn babies from abortion.” D’Amico said. “We are required in our efforts to play by the rules and deadlines of the general assembly and the laws of our state. Working within those rules means we may lose or win on legislation. Those legislators who opposed our efforts also need to work with the rules and laws. This was not done as it relates to HB40, in our opinion.”
D’Amico feels that taxpayers should not have to pay for abortions.
"When Gov. Rauner signed HB40, he initiated massive taxpayer funding of abortions, which is in violation of the Constitution since it did not have valid appropriations approved by the general assembly,” D’Amico said. “Illinois taxpayers were thrown under the bus by this law, and our lawsuit will bring this to the forefront. Illinois Right to Life Action wants to protect already overburdened Illinois taxpayers from the Rauner administration's egregious effort to force them to pay for tens of thousands of elective abortions every year, when the funds have not been properly allocated in the budget.”
D'Amico also feels that the effective date for HB40 should be later than the currently scheduled date.
“We believe that at minimum, the effective date for HB40 should be June 1, 2018, not Jan. 1, 2018.” D’Amico said. “Taxpayers in this state will then not have to pay for abortions for those five months. Additionally, we believe the general assembly should decide whether to appropriate the funds for the abortions or not and the people of our state, including our members, should weigh in on this important debate.”
If HB40 is passed and made effective, Rauner would be the first governor in America to initiate state taxpayer funding for abortions, according to political analysts.
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