Last year, a divided City Council signed off on a $5.5 million subsidy to Illinois’ largest Catholic health system, in spite of Presence Health’s anti-abortion policy, after an emotionally charged debate that focused on the volatile issues of race and a woman’s right to choose.
The 31-to-18 vote was one of the closest votes of retiring Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s eight-year administration.
Now, AMITA Health is literally walking away from that subsidy without explanation, giving Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot a small but unexpected windfall to spend on more pressing needs.
The decision to forfeit the $5.5 million subsidy comes just two weeks after the Chicago Board of Ethics slapped Ald.