By John Dempsey, WLS-AM News

(CHICAGO)  Illinois Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, who is already trying to heal a rift with conservatives, has ignited new anger on the right after revelations that he officiated at a same-sex wedding last month.

The Chicago Sun Times says Rauner married the male couple, Mark Cozzi and his partner James Goeke, June 30th at a private club in Chicago.   Cozzi was appointed by the governor to serve on the State Universities Retirement System Board of Trustees in 2017, and is also a former board member for Equality Illinois.

The Sun Times says Cozzi posted a photo of the governor at the wedding on his Instagram account.

The head of the conservative Illinois Family Institute is blasting Rauner.    The group’s executive director David E. Smith tweeted “Keep poking social conservatives in the eye Bruce.   You are doing a yeoman’s job of alienating the base.”

Rauner angered conservatives by signing a bill to expand taxpayer funded abortions in Illinois, prompting a primary challenge from conservative State Representative Jeanne Ives.    Rauner won that race by just three percentage points.

Meanwhile Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, tells the Sun Times that Rauner’s decision to officiate at the wedding shows “love is love and that people are recognizing that.”

Read the entire Sun Times story here:

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