Governor Bruce Rauner's decision to sign House Bill 40 may have political implications for him in next year's election.
Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Interim Director Jak Tichenor says the abortion issue is a 'hot-potato':
"Well, the anti-abortion members of his party are going to be extremely unhappy with him. You might even see a primary opponent emerge in the next few weeks or so. Some of them have called signing that bill a suicide note for the governor. I'm not so sure about that, but while there might be a lot of heartburn right now, those voters aren't going to find so much for them on the Democratic side of the ledger in next year's election."
Tichenor says while voters may not choose to switch parties, they could choose to stay home in next year's contest - which could also spell political disaster for Rauner.
Tichenor's comments came as a part of "On Topic," a new collaboration between WSIU and the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. You can watch the segment right after the weekend News Hour on WSIU TV, Saturdays at 5:00pm.
