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91_HJ0020
LRB9106543CBcbB
1 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, During recent budget negotiations, President
3 Clinton called for two additional rounds of defense base
4 realignment and closure (BRAC) in Fiscal Years 2001 and 2005;
5 Illinois has four military bases in danger of being closed;
6 the shutdown of any of these four military bases would have
7 extremely adverse economic and social effects upon the local
8 communities around the bases and to the State of Illinois as
9 a whole; and
10 WHEREAS, Scott Air Force Base, located in St. Clair
11 County in Southwestern Illinois, is the seventh largest
12 employer in the bi-state St. Louis metropolitan area and one
13 of the largest employers in downstate Illinois; nearly 40,000
14 individuals are connected with Scott Air Force Base, as
15 either military or civilian personnel, their dependents, and
16 retirees; the loss of these individuals and their families
17 and retirees would have an adverse impact upon the
18 communities in Southwestern Illinois; a recent Air Force
19 analysis has estimated the annual impact of Scott Air Force
20 Base is over $1 billion; the closure of this base would have
21 a devastating economic impact upon the region and the State
22 of Illinois as a whole; and
23 WHEREAS, The Charles Melvin Price Support Center, located
24 in Madison County, is in the process of being declared excess
25 property and State support is needed to keep this base from
26 closing; if efforts to keep this base open are unsuccessful,
27 State support is needed for successful redevelopment to
28 assist the local community with environmental remediation of
29 the site and infrastructure improvements to the site in order
30 to improve the economic situation in this area; and
31 WHEREAS, The Rock Island Arsenal, located in Rock Island,
32 Illinois, is the second largest employer in the Quad City
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1 region; the base was originally built in 1816 and is a
2 National Historic Landmark; 28,110 individuals are directly
3 affected by the Rock Island Arsenal, including personnel,
4 their families, and retirees; the Department of Commerce and
5 Community Affairs estimates that the annual economic impact
6 of this base to be $548 million to the Quad Cities and the
7 State of Illinois; the closure of the Rock Island Arsenal
8 would have a dramatically negative effect upon the Quad
9 Cities area and the State of Illinois; and
10 WHEREAS, The Great Lakes Naval Training Center, located
11 North of Chicago, is an important economic and social
12 influence on the surrounding communities; 28,500 individuals
13 are tied to the base, as either military personnel, family
14 members, or civilian employees; the Training Center also
15 includes the 139 bed Great Lakes Naval Hospital; the
16 termination of the Great Lakes Naval Training Center would
17 have an adverse effect upon the surrounding community, the
18 City of Chicago, and the State of Illinois; and
19 WHEREAS, Other states have made a significant effort to
20 protect and retain the military bases in their respective
21 states; last year Mississippi spent nearly $50 million to
22 take steps to protect its military bases; New York will spend
23 nearly $2.5 million to protect its Air Force Base in Rome,
24 N.Y.; states in the Southwestern region of the United States
25 have banded together in a joint effort to protect and retain
26 their bases; and
27 WHEREAS, Governor George Ryan and members of the General
28 Assembly representing the areas most directly affected by
29 potential base closures are taking a leading role to enlist
30 State assistance to help local communities, as other states
31 have done; all four military bases are vital economically and
32 important to the community life in the surrounding areas, as
33 well as, a benefit to the entire State of Illinois;
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1 therefore, be it
2 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
4 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the General Assembly
5 and the Governor to make the effort of saving the bases a top
6 priority by having the Department of Commerce and Community
7 Affairs be the lead agency to coordinate and assist local and
8 State efforts to save Illinois' military bases; we urge the
9 State to provide financial assistance to State agencies,
10 local government, and other local entities, subject to
11 appropriations, to help the effort to save the bases; and be
12 it further
13 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
14 delivered to the Governor, the Speaker of the Illinois House
15 of Representatives, and the President of the Illinois Senate.