Will County Gazette

Mickey Straub doesn't see the advantage Gov. Bruce Rauner thinks he was gaining by forcing Illinoisans to pay for abortions.

“I like and admire the governor and think this was one of worse things he could have done,” Straub told the Will County Gazette. “Anyone who is faith-based and centered in this state probably feels the same way. There a lot of people upset with the governor now that won’t show up to vote. This move was calculated, but I think he’s getting bad advice from advisers. You have to fire up the base, and this won’t do that.”

The Burr Ridge mayor, who recently announced his campaign to unseat Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) in the 82nd District, isn’t sure whether he will support Rauner's re-election efforts now.

Mickey Straub

“I guess it will be decided by who his opponent is,” Straub said. “I’m a pretty hard 'R,' and at the end of day I will support the governor if he is the only Republican on the ballot.”

House Bill 40, which Rauner signed into law Sept. 28, forces Medicaid and state insurance to pay for abortions at any time and for any reason up to the last day of pregnancy.

“It’s a bad decision for two reasons: It makes abortion more readily available through public funding, and second, it’s wrong for anyone morally against representation to have pay for it,” he said. “It’s almost like taxation without representation.”

HB40 provides for Illinois residents on Medicaid and state workers to receive free abortions for any reason until the last day of their pregnancy. Rauner is the first governor to sign off on such legislation.

Straub said that he became motivated to run for office when lawmakers, including some Republicans, banned together in early July to override Rauner’s veto and enact a state budget that brought a 32 percent income tax hike.

On the Burr Ridge village website, Straub lists his goals for the town as “preserving the quality of life, preparing for the future and provoking prosperity."

The 82nd District covers parts of Cook, DuPage and Will counties, including Darien, Homer Glen, Lemont and Willowbrook.