HJ0048 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0048 LRB098 13897 GRL 48431 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In 2009, Governor Pat Quinn signed into law a 6-year, $31 billion construction program that invests in Illinois' infrastructure; the program provides for the building and repairing of roads and bridges, education and higher education facilities, and economic development; and

WHEREAS, Included in the program was $50 million to renovate the west wing of the State Capitol Building; the renovation prioritized steps to make the building compliant with health/life safety and Americans with Disabilities Act rules and regulations, as well as asbestos removal and upgrades to HVAC systems and structural elements to ensure the integrity of the historic building is not compromised; and

WHEREAS, There is no doubt that the Capitol Building, as a National Historic Landmark, should be preserved for future generations; however, unnecessary expensive renovations that go beyond upgrading the building's infrastructure have been revealed; and

WHEREAS, The most outrageous expenditure is the replacement of the west outside entrance glass doors to the Capitol, which have been replaced by large wooden doors coated with copper to match historical references to the original doors of the Capitol at a cost of nearly $670,000; and

WHEREAS, The State simply cannot afford to be spending money on costly ornamental features in the Capitol Building, especially with $5 billion in unpaid bills at the Comptroller's Office and a public pension system with nearly $100 billion in unfunded liabilities; and

WHEREAS, Our spending priorities must be placed on restoring economic prosperity to the State of Illinois by creating jobs and investing in our public education system; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the Architect of the Capitol to remove the new copper doors from the Capitol Building's west side entrance and to auction them off or sell them to the highest bidder; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Architect of the Capitol to direct the revenue from the sale of the copper doors towards Illinois' public education system or to pay down unpaid bills; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to members of the General Assembly, Governor Pat Quinn, and the Architect of the Capitol.