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HR1040 |
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LRB094 19958 RSP 57342 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The capital construction program proposed by the |
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| Governor is estimated to generate 230,000 new living wage jobs |
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| across Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, The proposed program intends to invest over $6 |
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| billion in capital projects that would build critical roads, |
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| improve mass transit, and construct and maintain the quality of |
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| school buildings; and
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| WHEREAS, This program would provide a needed avenue to |
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| provide employment for disadvantaged job seekers and the |
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| opportunity to improve State and federally funded training |
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| programs that ready job seekers for skilled placements; and
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| WHEREAS, Access and placement into living wage jobs is one |
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| of the main challenges faced by low-income and disadvantaged |
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| individuals and families; over 71% of participants surveyed at |
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| Illinois Workforce Investment Board Act programs in Chicago |
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| asked for assistance with job search and job leads, the most |
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| requested service; and
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| WHEREAS, Women and minorities continue to be |
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| underrepresented in the construction industry workforce and |
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| face barriers that limit access and retention in such jobs; and
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| WHEREAS, Families transitioning off of welfare are having |
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| difficulty accessing jobs, with almost half of the surveyed |
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| families in Illinois not finding employment in 2003; ninety |
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| percent of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families caseload |
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| who did find work remained in poverty; and
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| WHEREAS, Even for families with working members, income is |
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| oftentimes insufficient for self-sufficiency; in Illinois, the |
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| wage needed for a family of four to be self-sufficient ranges |
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HR1040 |
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LRB094 19958 RSP 57342 r |
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| from $36,408 to $43,704; and
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| WHEREAS, While finding and maintaining employment is |
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| crucial for ex-offenders re-entering society, employment and |
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| job placement continues to be a serious challenge; studies of |
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| ex-offenders in Illinois indicate that only 28% of those |
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| surveyed in 2005 had some form of employment a year after their |
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| release; and
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| WHEREAS, Jobs generated through the capital construction |
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| program offer Illinois an opportunity to provide employment |
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| with sufficient wages to populations that need employment the |
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| most by expanding job opportunities for disadvantaged and |
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| underrepresented populations; and
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| WHEREAS, In order to connect individuals with jobs |
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| generated by the capital construction program, a greater pool |
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| of skilled applicants is necessary; training opportunities |
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| need to be made available to disadvantaged and underrepresented |
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| populations to contribute to expanding the qualified |
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| workforce; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
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| the Governor and the General Assembly establish goals and |
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| mechanisms that will increase the participation of |
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| disadvantaged and underrepresented groups in the workforce and |
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| ensure that the benefits of the capital construction program |
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| will reach all populations in Illinois; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
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| presented to the Governor of the State of Illinois, the |
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| President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the Director |
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| of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and the Secretary of |
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| Transportation.
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