On Thursday, September 28, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner—almost a year before the state’s 2018 gubernatorial election—signed a bill to legalize abortion on the state-level. Should Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide, be overturned, Rauner’s recent action insulated Illinoisans from the action. In addition, the bill increases the use of taxpayer money to pay for abortions statewide.

Written by Democratic State Representative Sara Feigenholtz, the bill—H.R. 42—was approved by the Illinois House of Representatives with a 62-55 vote in April. When Rauner announced his intention to sign it, he was surrounded by powerful women, including former Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Corinne Wood.  By Rauner’s side, Wood said, “We have a governor who is standing up for the right thing for all the women of Illinois.”

The law expands abortions subsidized by Illinois taxpayers for women who are covered by Medicaid and state employee insurance. Previously covering only abortions in the cases of rape, incest, and/or threat to health/life of the mother, Illinois will now expand the Medicaid coverage to a wider breadth of circumstances. Estimating that this law could bring 12,000 more abortions every year, Illinois Right to Life—a pro-life organization—opposed the bill.

“I personally am pro-choice,” Rauner said.  “I always have been. I have not and never will change my views.” With this, Rauner underscored how he breaks strongly with many other members of the Republican party. This stance angered members of the state house, including Representative David Sweeney and Senator Dan McConchie. “I’ve had a front-row seat to a governor that is unable to adequately and competently administer Illinois government,” Representative Peter Breen said.  “He is lying to us. And so at that point, I can’t support someone like that.”