19 Apr 2010

Governor Quinn Breaks Ground on New Mississippi River Bridge Project

By Andrew Mason

Project will Ease Congestion; Create More than 2,200 Jobs

ST. LOUIS - April 19, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at the Eads Bridge in St. Louis to break ground on the new Mississippi River Bridge project. The project is expected to create more than 2,200 jobs, provide congestion relief and will spur approximately $25.3 billion in regional economic activity over the next 45 years.

"A new bridge joining Missouri and Illinois will greatly enhance safety and relieve congestion in the St. Louis metro area," said Governor Quinn. "This project will also boost the local economy of both of our state by creating thousands of jobs for the region."

The project is a joint undertaking by the Missouri and Illinois Departments of Transportation. Construction of the new bridge is expected to result in 2,200 direct and indirect jobs being created in the greater St. Louis Metropolitan area, with 1,200 anticipated to be Illinois-based jobs.

"St. Louis has been the center of commerce and transportation on the Mississippi River for 200 years, and this bridge will be a strong link in that vibrant network," Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said. "Coupled with the announcement last month that development of the high-speed rail corridor to Chicago is on a fast track, St. Louis is well-positioned to thrive as a key transportation hub of the Midwest."

The Mississippi River Bridge will provide congestion relief across the region, especially on the Poplar Street Bridge. The new bridge will be a four-lane, cable-stayed structure that will relocate Interstate 70 from the Poplar Street Bridge, which now carries I-55, I-64 and I-70. The main span contractor is a joint venture of Massman Construction, Traylor Brothers and Alberici Constructors.

"We are very excited to take part in building the first new bridge in more than 40 years to connect downtown St. Louis and southwestern Illinois," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "As work on the new Mississippi River Bridge advances, Illinois will continue to work diligently to ensure the success of the project."

The estimated $667 million dollar project is funded through a combination of federal and state funds, which includes funds from the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, or SAFETEA-LU.  The funding includes $313 million from Illinois, $115 million from Missouri and $239 million in federal appropriations. The project is expected to be completed by 2014.

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15 Apr 2010

Governor Quinn Signs Historic Illinois Public Pension Reform Bill

By Andrew Mason
New Law Saves Taxpayers Billions, Provides Retirement Protection for Illinois Workers
SPRINGFIELD - April 14, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today signed into law the most significant public pension reform bill in our nation's history that will save taxpayers billions of dollars while protecting the retirement of state workers.
"From the moment I took office, I have worked to overhaul Illinois' pension system to provide relief to taxpayers while protecting the savings of Illinois retirees. This effort was realized when the General Assembly passed a major and unprecedented public pension reform bill, and I am proud to sign it into law. I congratulate House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton for their leadership on this crucial issue. I also commend members of the General Assembly for their bi-partisan support and for helping to bring in a new era of greater fiscal responsibility and accountability to Illinois," said Governor Quinn.
The new law will save taxpayers more than $200 billion over nearly 35 years, stabilize current employee pensions and provide new state workers with an attractive pension plan.
Senate Bill 1946 was sponsored by Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) and House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago). The legislation caps pensionable salary at $106,800 and raises the retirement age for full benefits to 67 with ten years of service. Employees will be eligible for reduced benefits at age 62.
The changes apply to new hires only and take effect on January 1, 2011.
The new law eliminates the 3 percent annually-compounded cost-of-living rate increase and replaces it with simple interest raises of half the consumer price index (CPI) or 3 percent, whichever is lower. The legislation also forbids the practice of pension "double-dipping," where someone receives a public pension while drawing a salary from a different public system.
The new law is being hailed by lawmakers and public servants who applaud the state's effort to reign in spiraling public pension obligations and restore the state's financial integrity now and in the future. (See attached quote and background sheets).
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13 Apr 2010

Governor Pat Quinn Names Julie Hamos To Lead Healthcare and Family Services Agency

By Andrew Mason
New Director to Boost Illinois' Quality of Care, Support Initiatives

CHICAGO - April 9, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today named State Representative Julie Hamos as Director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS). As agency director, Hamos will focus on expanding access to healthcare while improving patient safety.

"Julie has served our state with professionalism and integrity for many years and is a longtime champion of improving access to healthcare," said Governor Quinn. "In this new role, she will continue to be a strong advocate for families in need of better, more efficient and patient-centered healthcare. Julie will also be instrumental in the Illinois implementation of President Obama's ground-breaking healthcare reform plan."

Hamos has served in the Illinois House of Representatives since 1999 and represents the 18th District. Previously, she worked as the legislative counsel and policy advisor to then-State's Attorney Richard M. Daley, before being appointed director of the Child Support Division, which overseas more than 300,000 child support cases each year. Hamos earned a Bachelor's degree from Washington University and a law degree George Washington University. (See attached background sheet.)

"I am honored to serve the people of Illinois as Director of Healthcare and Family Services and thank Governor Quinn for this opportunity," said Hamos. "I am a longtime advocate for expanding access to healthcare and believe in improving the quality of healthcare for Illinois families and protecting patients."

In 2003, Hamos worked to enact the Consumer Guide to Health Care Act, which requires hospitals and outpatient surgical treatment centers to disclose data on key measures for 30 medical procedures - part of a national movement to help consumers make comparisons based on quality healthcare data.

In 2005, Hamos sponsored legislation that created the Electronic Health Records Taskforce, and this year she is sponsoring the Illinois Health Information Exchange and Technology Act. That Act will establish a public-private Health Information Exchange Authority to work in conjunction with the Governor's Office of Health Information Technology to enable providers throughout Illinois to securely share patient health information, and it is a step toward the adoption of statewide electronic health records.

"Just a few weeks ago, President Obama signed historic legislation into law that will reform the healthcare system in our country," said Hamos. "I look forward to working on the frontline to carry out that reform throughout Illinois." 

Hamos succeeds former HFS Director Barry Maram, who is assisting in the leadership transition. Her position is effective April 16, 2010.

HFS provides affordable healthcare coverage for adults and children who qualify. The department also provides free child support enforcement services to help ensure that Illinois children receive financial support from both parents. For more information on HFS, please visit www.hfs.illinois.gov.
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25 Mar 2010

Pension Legislation-Statement From The Office of the Governor

By Andrew Mason
SPRINGFIELD - March 24, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today issued a statement on the passage of Senate Bill 1946 by the House of Representatives:
"I applaud the Illinois House of Representatives for voting in favor of public pension reform. I am a longtime advocate for pension reform and believe it is crucial for our state to get its public pension costs under control to help save Illinois taxpayers' money now and in the future. The proposed pension reform will stabilize the system, protect current state employees and provide attractive pension benefits to future state workers.  I look forward to the Illinois Senate taking up this important issue and making pension reform a reality in Illinois."
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22 Feb 2010

Governor Quinn Announces More Than $13 Million to Improve Broadband Access in Northern Illinois

By Andrew Mason

$1.3 Million State Grant and $11.9 Million Federal Grant will Boost Economic Development, Create Jobs

CHICAGO - February 19, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today announced more than $13 million to improve broadband access in northern Illinois. The funding includes $1.3 million in Illinois Jobs Now! capital funds for the DeKalb Advancement of Technology Authority (DATA), which will leverage $11.9 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding.

"Access to affordable high-speed internet is critical in today's economy. Unfortunately, too many people in Illinois are being left out of the broadband revolution," said Governor Quinn. "This important funding will expand broadband access to communities throughout northern Illinois and help ensure no one is left out."

The DATA is a consortium of public and private entities created to support high-speed, low-cost broadband infrastructure solutions in the DeKalb region. The grant will go toward providing broadband access to schools, colleges and universities, municipalities, medical facilities and other community agencies that will serve as a link to the larger community. The DATA plan will potentially serve more than 3,600 businesses and 34,000 households with fiber or low-cost broadband services.

According to the DATA, construction of the fiber-optic cable network is expected to create more than 20 construction jobs over the next two to three years. As the network expands, it is expected to add up to 30 highly technical jobs in the DeKalb area to support it. The proposed network will cost approximately $14.8 million to build over the next two years.

The federal funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). The State of Illinois has designated a total of $50 million in state funds as a match for exceptional projects that are awarded federal BTOP funding. In addition to providing the matching grants, the state provided technical grant writing assistance to Illinois-based ARRA applicants.

A long-time advocate of improving the state's broadband access, Governor Quinn has taken many steps to ensure connectivity in all areas of Illinois. Illinois recently received $1.8 million in funding for broadband data collection, mapping and planning activities. For more information on the state's broadband efforts, visit www.broadband.illinois.gov.

Governor Quinn was joined at today's announcement by Lawrence E. Strickling, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, NTIA, U.S. Department of Commerce; U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.); State Sen. Brad Burzynski (R-Clare); State Rep. Robert Pritchard (R-Hinckley); Ruth Ann Tobias, Chairman, DeKalb County Board; and Herb Kuryliw, Network and Technology Architect, Northern Illinois University.

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18 Feb 2010

Governor Quinn Announces $100 Million in Recovery Funds for Rail Projects in Illinois

By Andrew Mason
$100 Million for CREATE Program; Investment to Create 1,087 Jobs
CHICAGO- February 17, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn announced today that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) along with the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program partners has received a $100 million TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This federal investment is expected to create 1,087 jobs.
"Illinois has received the most TIGER funding in the Midwest. This investment will create 1,087 jobs and bring economic growth to our communities," said Governor Quinn. "With this grant and dedicated partnerships like CREATE, Illinois continues to work to ensure our rail industry is moving forward and our state remains one of the nation's major rail hubs."
Across the nation, 1,400 applications were submitted for TIGER Grant funding and 50 projects were awarded. Here in Illinois, three applications were awarded totaling $128 million. The funds include $100 million for CREATE, $6 million for Tri-City Port District in Granite City and $22 million for the Normal Multi-modal transportation facility.
"Throughout the country, we have huge bottlenecks that restrict the flow of freight and passengers at a cost to the United States of an estimated $200 billion a year," said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). "The TIGER grant program is a coordinated, comprehensive effort to identify and fund nationally significant transportation projects that will improve safety, spur economic development, reduce congestion and create thousands of good paying jobs across the country. I thank Secretary LaHood and Governor Quinn for their leadership on this issue and commend local leaders throughout Illinois for their efforts."
"These federal funds will have a tremendous impact on Illinois' economy by creating more jobs," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "This is another major step in the right direction to improve livability, sustainability and safety across the state."
The grant funding will be targeted to six projects benefiting 13 Illinois communities. The projects will range in scope from rail line and viaduct improvements to a highway-rail grade separation. The completion of these projects by 2012 will support an estimated 1,087 jobs.
CREATE is a first-of-its-kind partnership, bringing together IDOT, the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Association of American Railroads (AAR). It is comprised of 71 critically needed rail and highway infrastructure improvements in Northeastern Illinois, aimed at improving the quality of life of Illinois residents, and increasing the efficiency of freight and passenger rail service throughout the region.
For more information, log onto www.recovery.illinois.gov or www.createprogram.org.
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01 Feb 2010

Governor Quinn Announces Capital Funding For Quad Cities Passenger Rail

By Andrew Mason

State Invests $45 Million in Rail Passenger Service and Jobs

MOLINE - January 30, 2010. Gov. Pat Quinn today visited Moline to announce $45 million in state capital funds to establish passenger rail service from Chicago to the Quad Cities. The new service will result in up to 825 new jobs, including 440 construction jobs.

"This week, we were happy to receive $1.2 billion in federal money for high-speed rail that will take travelers between Chicago and St. Louis," said Governor Quinn. "Now we want to make sure people can travel from Chicago to Moline and beyond. This new line is going to connect Chicago to the western part of our state, create jobs and bring more visitors to the Quad Cities."

The Quad Cities have not had passenger rail service since the late 1970s. Under the new service, two daily round trips will transport passengers to and from the Quad Cities in just over three hours. The Chicago-to-Quad Cities project is one leg of a planned passenger train service extension that would connect west to Iowa City, Iowa and on to Omaha, Nebraska.

"It is important that we continue to invest in our state's rail system," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "We hope to get this project started this year and are very excited about what the future holds for passenger rail in Illinois."

The Quad Cities project was developed in cooperation with the state of Iowa as a "green" demonstration project, in which various environmentally-friendly initiatives in construction, operations and local development will be used.

These initiatives include running the trains using biofuels, using recycled materials where possible in construction, using organic foods and environmentally friendly packaging in food services, installing "green" station upgrades to lower utility costs and increase efficiencies and encouraging pedestrian-friendly development around rail stations to reduce vehicle trips, among other improvements.

Federal officials announced Thursday that Illinois will receive $1.2 billion through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to begin track and signal upgrades for high-speed passenger rail service between Chicago and St. Louis.

The funding for this passenger rail project is part of Illinois Jobs Now!, a job generation and capital improvement program that will revive the state's ailing economy by creating and retaining over 439,000 jobs over six years.

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01 Feb 2010

Governor Quinn and U.S. Senator Durbin Announce Plans for High Speed Passenger Rail Investment

By Andrew Mason

$1.2 Billion Award will Fund Chicago to St. Louis Corridor; Create 6,000 Jobs

CHICAGO - January 29, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin kicked off a series of announcements in Chicago today to discuss details about Illinois' $1.2 billion federal award to bring high-speed passenger rail service to Illinois by 2014. Illinois is among only three states to receive at least $1 billion for high-speed passenger rail, which will make the trip between Chicago and St. Louis faster than driving and will provide new train equipment.

"Illinois was one of only three states in the country to receive over $1 billion for high speed rail. We appreciate the confidence of President Obama to bring high-speed rail to Illinois," said Governor Quinn. "Thanks to hard work and perseverance, our vision to have Illinois serve as the nation's high speed rail hub is becoming a reality, bringing jobs and economic growth to our communities."

The Obama Administration announced the competitive awards Thursday as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) program. The investment from the federal government is expected to create approximately 6,000 jobs in Illinois. Illinois received the third largest award among 31 states chosen to share in the $8 billion made available nationwide for high-speed passenger rail. Thirty-seven states applied for funding.

"Investing $1.2 billion into improving our rail system is going to mean more jobs - jobs for today and jobs for the future," said Senator Durbin. "Today's announcement assures that Chicago, already a major rail hub of the nation, will soon become the major high-speed rail hub of the Midwest and nation.

"Today, President Obama's vision is bringing high-speed rail to Illinois and the rest of the United States," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.  "This groundbreaking program will put many people back to work in Chicago and across the country, and it will also help transform transportation for the entire Midwest region."

Illinois' high-speed rail signature route, Chicago to St. Louis, will receive $1.1 billion for corridor improvements. Improvements to this 284 mile route will allow passenger rail service to operate at speeds up to 110 mph, reducing the total trip time from Chicago to St. Louis by over an hour. The improvements include an overhaul of track, signal systems and existing stations as well as the implementation of state-of-the-art train control technology that will improve train safety. In addition, Illinois will receive $1.25 million to complete an environmental impact study for a second track along the same route.

The award for Illinois includes $133 million to build the Englewood Flyover on Chicago's South Side, a Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) project which will clear one of the largest rail bottlenecks in the nation. The improvement will eliminate significant delays for commuter trains, Amtrak trains and freight trains.

"This is great news for Illinois and the Midwest," said Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "I commend President Obama, Governor Quinn, Senator Durbin and the entire Midwest region for their leadership and commitment through a long and competitive process. I also want to express my gratitude to the staff at the Illinois Department of Transportation who have remained focused and dedicated on efforts to make high-speed passenger rail a reality in Illinois."

Thanks to multi-state steering group formed by Governor Quinn, Illinois will benefit from awards to several other neighboring states that make up the Chicago Hub Network. The region received a total of $2.6 billion - more than any other regional network. The network is designed to connect cities throughout the region to Chicago with reliable high-speed and conventional intercity rail service.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) received 259 grant applications from 37 states and the District of Columbia requesting nearly $57 billion in funding - far exceeding the initial $8 billion available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In total, 79 applications from 31 States were selected for funding.

For more information on the awards to Illinois and the other Midwestern states for high-speed rail, go to MidwestRail.org.

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28 Jan 2010

DURBIN, QUINN WELCOME HIGH-SPEED RAIL INVESTMENT IN ILLINOIS

By Andrew Mason
CHICAGO, IL, January 28, 2010 - Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement with regard to the announcement that Illinois has been awarded more than $1.2 billion in federal funds for high-speed rail:

In the face of fierce competition from states across the nation, Illinois' high-speed rail proposal received a strong vote of confidence from the White House today. Illinois was one of only three states to be awarded more than one billion dollars in funding from the federal government's total nationwide investment of $8 billion. This is a massive investment into the future of transportation. It is seventeen times more funding than the federal government has invested into passenger rail over the last ten years combined.

"We're thrilled with the strong support we received for the first phase of funding and look forward to both getting the projects moving and getting Illinoisans back to work. In the coming months and years, Illinois see a significant increase in economic activity with the creation of thousands of good-paying jobs in the region from this investment. And we know that rail passengers will be excited to have over an hour cut from the travel time between Chicago and St. Louis. Today's announcement assures that Chicago, already a major rail hub of the nation, will soon become the major high-speed rail hub of the Midwest and nation."

"We would not be here today, on the cusp of making high speed rail a reality in Illinois, if it weren't for the strong leadership of President Obama, Transportation Secretary LaHood and the support of the entire Midwest region. This historic investment in high speed passenger rail will begin to fulfill the President's vision of rebuilding America and revitalizing the Midwest, while relieving congestion and improving energy conservation.'

Nationwide, there was great demand for high-speed rail with approximately $50 billion worth of applications for an available $8 billion in funding. In addition to improvements on the current Chicago to St. Louis corridor to increase train speeds to 110 miles per hour, the funding awarded today will allow completion of an Environmental Impact Statement for building a second track along the route as well as construction designed to eliminate significant delays for trains coming into and out of Chicago.
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26 Jan 2010

Governor Quinn Announces 1,200 New Jobs At Illinois-based Ford Motor Co. Plants

By Andrew Mason

The Next-Generation Ford Explorer to be Made in Chicago

CHICAGO - January 26, 2010. Governor Quinn today joined with Ford Motor Company to announce the addition of 1,200 new jobs at Chicago-based manufacturing facilities to produce the next-generation Ford Explorer SUV. The auto maker will invest $400 million to launch the project.

"The production of the new Ford Explorer will create 1,200 new jobs in Illinois and make way for a brighter economic future," said Governor Quinn. "I want to commend Ford for investing nearly $400 million in its Chicago-area manufacturing facilities to increase production and staff."

Ford's $400 million investment includes approximately $180 million in manufacturing investment at the site and approximately $220 million for launch and engineering costs. In addition, Ford will be making significant investment in supplier tooling to support next-generation Explorer production.

The auto company is benefiting from Governor Quinn continuing effort to create and maintain jobs in Illinois. On December 14, Governor Quinn sign into law the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credit for auto manufacturers. That EDGE tax credit enables the auto industry, which is among Illinois' largest employers, to retain employee income tax withholdings as an alternative to current EDGE corporate tax credit and reinvest those funds into operations that generate greater employment.

"Governor Quinn immediately understood the importance of helping Ford by proposing and passing legislation that provides us with an alternative way to claim and secure these important tax credits," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas. "We are grateful for his support of Ford and auto manufacturing in Illinois and want to thank him for his leadership in this area."

"The Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credit that I put the full weight of my Administration behind and signed into law will provide much-needed relief to our State's ailing automotive industry and prove to be a necessary incentive for one of our nation's leading car companies to stay and thrive in the Land of Lincoln," said Governor Quinn.

The new Explorer will deliver at least 25 percent better fuel economy than the current model.  The vehicle will feature unibody construction, Ford's EcoBoost engine technology, a six-speed transmission and lightweight materials. Ford will unveil the new Explorer later this year.

Since taking office, the Quinn Administration has assisted in putting together more than 55 business investment packages, which have led to companies expanding and creating and retaining jobs in Illinois. In total, these projects will create more than 3,000 jobs, retain more than 8,800 jobs and leverage nearly $1.32 billion in private investment.

For the complete "Illinois Economic Recovery Plan: Jobs for Today and Tomorrow," please visit: Illinois.gov/gov.

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