CHICAGO - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will join U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), U.S. Secretary of the Army John McHugh and other officials at the Rock Island Arsenal to tour its Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center and discuss the Arsenal's future. The meeting has been initiated by Sen. Durbin, who chairs the Senate defense appropriation committee.
Simon chairs Illinois' Interagency Military Base Support and Economic Development Committee (IMBSEDC) and is overseeing the state's comprehensive economic impact analysis of active military bases in Illinois. The study will calculate the economic impact of the state's military installations and provide the data needed for Congressional, state and business leaders to protect Illinois' military economy at a time of federal cuts.
Simon also initiated House Bill 3939, sponsored by Rep. Eddie Lee Jackson (D-East St. Louis) and Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake), which was signed into law this summer. The new law brings Illinois into alignment with 47 other states by allowing military students to enter the same grade level at their new schools, retain previously-earned credit, and have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities.
As chair of the IMBSEDC, Simon helps coordinate the state's activities and communications relating to current and former military bases in Illinois. Simon is committed to protecting the state's military operations, installations, and the families of those who selflessly serve our state and country.
DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 7
TIME: 11:45 a.m.
LOCATION: Ben Butterworth Parkway on Great River Trail (on the river near Radisson Hotel, 1415 River Drive), Moline, IL
NOTE: The meeting and tour will be closed to press with a media availability to follow.
###
