JG-TC.com > News > S. Ill. lawmakers to push IDOT move with Quinn

TODAY'S HEADLINES

SPECIAL SECTION

ONLINE POLL

ONLINE EXTRAS

Shop Smart, Shop Local

SITE TOOLS

OTHER LINKS

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 9:46 PM CST
S. Ill. lawmakers to push IDOT move with Quinn

By MIKE RIOPELL, JG/T-C Springfield Bureau

SPRINGFIELD — Two southern Illinois lawmakers said Wednesday they’d like to see at least part of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s plan to move some state workers from Springfield to Southern Illinois remain intact.

Gov. Pat Quinn has said he’s reviewing the controversial idea, which would send about 140 Illinois Department of Transportation jobs to Harrisburg.

State Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, represents Harrisburg and said he hasn’t yet talked to Quinn about the issue at length.

“No,” Forby said. “But I’m planning on it.”

Quinn appears to be reviewing a number of Blagojevich initiatives, including the proposed closure of Pontiac Correctional Center.

Forby said he plans to ask Quinn to consider locating some jobs in Harrisburg, even if the result isn’t identical to Blagojevich’s proposal.

State Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, agreed. He said the area could still use the jobs, even if the full move doesn’t happen.

“We’d be happy to get half of that,” Phelps said Wednesday.

Forby added that any new plan shouldn’t harm workers in Springfield.

“Maybe he’ll go for it and maybe he won’t,” Forby said.

Even if Quinn eventually supports the idea, it could face hurdles.

The state’s largest employees union and Springfield officials filed a lawsuit to block the move. And Attorney General Lisa Madigan would have to sign off on the state’s purchase of a former Wal-Mart building intended to house the workers.

Blagojevich, who was removed from office last month, originally proposed the move as one that could save the state rent costs on the Springfield office and help deal with Southern Illinois’ high unemployment rate.

Contact Mike Riopell at mike.riopell@lee.net or 789-0865.

Add your comments

*Member ID:
*Password:
Remember login? (requires cookies)
	Forgot Your Password?

Not already registered?
Then click Here.

Comment policy:

JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.

In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.

We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.

No comment may contain:

* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.

If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.

291953 wrote on Feb 12, 2009 6:19 AM:

" I am originally from southern Illinois. While ANY jobs coming to that area would be welcome, the thought of moving a state agency such as the DOT to a remote far southern part of the state is dumb.

We as a state were unhappy when blago all but moved the capitol to Chicago, so what difference would it be if we moved part of the government to the far southeast instead of the far northeast? Very little.

Instead of moving the entire department there, open a "regional office" there. The state of Illinois has a "regional office" for the Department of Revenue In NEW JERSEY; why not open a state regional office here in the state? "

pointb wrote on Feb 12, 2009 1:36 PM:

" 291953 I agree with you. Every decision that our former gov. made appears to be colored by what it personally or politically offered him... this should be examined carefully. "

christya wrote on Feb 13, 2009 12:46 AM:

" Im sorry but your wrong. The IDOT move is a great idea! "

Harry Potter wrote on Feb 14, 2009 6:52 AM:

" Eliminating jobs in one part of the state to create jobs in another part. Oh yeah, that make sense. "

291953 wrote on Feb 14, 2009 11:52 AM:

" Christya; how is it a great idea? Why don't we move the entire state government out of Springfield then? Some of it could go to Galesburg, some to Cairo, some to Rockford, and the rest to Chicagoland? NO!! The capital of Illinois is SPRINGFIELD, not Chicago, Harrisburg, or anywhere else. Let's have the state government there. "