Anderson Out of Senate GOP Leadership Over Abortion Bill Furor
Sen. Neil Anderson (R-Andalusia)
Sen. Neil Anderson (R-Andalusia) has resigned from Senate Republican leadership following a dust-up in the caucus over a bill that criminalizes abortion.
A spokesperson for Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) confirmed Anderson resigned from his position as Caucus Chair and has, we’re told, also been removed as Republican spokesman of two Senate committees.
The bill, SB3572, is referred to as a “personhood” bill that essentially categorizes the abortion of a fertilized egg to birth murder. The bill was filed without the knowledge of Senate GOP leadership, we’re told.
The real flap inside the caucus was Anderson’s introduction of SB299, which would reinstate the death penalty in the state. Numerous Senate Republicans believed it would stick candidates with attacks that a woman receiving an abortion would be sentenced to the death penalty.
“That will play well in the suburbs,” one Republican lawmaker sarcastically quipped Monday.
Anderson doubled down on his support of the bill at a news conference at the Capitol Tuesday.
