Mitchell: Governor should say no to Obama Library push

Posted on October 28, 2017
State Rep. Bill Mitchell has co-sponsored legislation seeking to prevent the state from spending $100 million on the Obama Presidential Library. (Photo courtesy YouTube)

By RFD Radio/WFMB

SPRINGFIELD – Talk of spending millions on the future Obama Presidential Library on Chicago’s South Side has surfaced at the State Capitol.

State Rep. Bill Mitchell, Forsyth, said he’s hearing House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton may seek a nine-figure sum during the just underway veto session to help get the project off the ground.

“Never in our country’s history have we used state funds for a presidential library, but Madigan and Cullerton are trying to urge the governor to provide that $100 million that should go to roads,” Mitchell said.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has been partially funded by the State of Illinois since it opened in 2006.

Mitchell said concerned voters shouldn’t wait by the sidelines.

“I would urge people to call Governor Rauner’s office at 782-6830 and urge the governor to resist Madigan’s and Cullerton’s pressure to use our road money for the Obama library,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell has co-sponsored legislation seeking to prevent the state from spending $100 million on the library project. His co-sponsors are State Reps. David Reis, C.D. Davidsmeyer, Terri Bryant and Charles Meier.

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