The new fiscal year state budget being negotiated in the final scheduled days of the 2018 spring legislative session will be the first budget requiring public tax dollars for abortion. Legislation mandating taxpayer funding for abortion under the state’s medicaid program and state employee health insurance was contained in House Bill 40, signed into law last September by the Governor. State Senator Kyle McCarter says while the medicaid program is typically a 50/50 deal with the federal government, in the case of abortion funding Illinois taxpayers are on their own.
Senator McCarter says it remains to be seen how abortion funding will be dealt with in the final budget deal—whether it will be clearly listed or hidden. But, he says regardless he will vote no.