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IL Lt. Governor Fails to Derail Senate Resolution on Abortion/Breast Cancer Link

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, May 24, 2001 (RFM NEWS) On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood testified before the Senate Executive Committee in an effort to derail a Senate Resolution that would call for the creation of a five member task force that would study the possible link between abortion and breast cancer.  The measure was introduced by state Senator Patrick O'Malley [R-18, Palos
Park].

Wood, who later claimed a moral victory in her attempt to have the Senate Resolution set aside, in actuality, had little effect on the committee lawmakers.

"If this was a fishing expedition to test her political viability in a bid for the gubernatorial nomination in a head to head race against O'Malley, it failed miserably," said an Illinois legislator who preferred to remain anonymous.

O'Malley unofficially announced his intentions to replace incumbent Governor George Ryan on the Republican gubernatorial ticket last month at a meeting of the Illinois Forum in Champaign.

After Wood's testimony in front of the Senate Executive Committee, one Republican changed his vote, but only Dick Klemm [R-32, Crystal Lake] readjusted his yes vote to a declaration of present. Vince Demuzio [D-49, Carlinville] changed his yes vote to present as well, saying he didn't want to get in the middle of a Wood/O'Malley feud and that, in reality, he supported the Resolution, which eventually passed by a vote of 7 to 4.

"Corinne Wood has never expressed one concern about this Resolution in the past," said Karen Hayes, Illinois State Director of Concerned Women for America, the largest pro-family public policy women's organization in Illinois. "I'm amazed that she, a cancer survivor, decided to oppose a resolution which could help women make informed choices about their health," Hayes added.

Wood came under increased fire when Karen Malec, coordinator of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, and a cancer survivor herself, challenged Wood's testimony with a riveting statement questioning why the Lt. Governor would not want an investigation into the abortion/breast cancer link and why she would not want women to be informed of the overwhelming scientific information available on the subject.

Senate President "Pate" Philip [R-23, Wood Dale] will appoint three members and Minority Leader Emil Jones [D-14, Chicago] will pick two individuals for the task force.

Some political insiders see this rejection of Wood as a reflection of George Ryan's waning influence on the GOP faithful. Other seasoned observers of Illinois' political landscape are calling Wood's failure to head off O'Malley's Resolution as an attempt by Gov. George Ryan to use Wood as a Trojan horse to test O'Malley's political largesse as a gubernatorial opponent for the 2002 Republican primary. Ryan, who had received great national notoriety in the mainstream press concerning his call for a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois, has come under withering criticism and low public approval ratings in his own state for possible legal and ethical problems before and during his current reign as Governor.