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Local road improvements announced
More than $21.7 million has been
allocated for road and bridge improvements in the 44th Senate
District during fiscal 2006.
The six-year plan also includes an
additional $90.2 million for roads and bridges.
While it is good that work on these
important projects is proceeding, it is important to note that in
his first two years, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has diverted more than
$1.24 billion in road funds to help pay the state's day-to-day
bills. These are funds that should have been spent on repairing
roads and bridges, building new roads to reduce traffic congestion,
and providing road construction jobs. He is also proposing a $541
million diversion of road funds for the coming fiscal year.
Fiscal 2006 road projects for the
44th District include the following:
Logan
County
- $820,000 for bridge replacement
on Old Illinois 121 over Kickapoo Creek, 0.2 mile north of
Lincoln.
- $650,000 for traffic signal
modernization on Illinois 10-Illinois 121 at Old U.S. 66-Lincoln
Parkway in Lincoln. Includes right-turn lane, median removal and
median barrier.
- $410,000 for culvert replacement
on Old Illinois 121 over levee ditch, 0.1 mile south of Kickapoo
Creek.
- $75,000 for land acquisition for
a project on Illinois 10-Illinois 121 at Old U.S. 66-Lincoln
Parkway in Lincoln.
- $25,000 for utility adjustment
for a project on Illinois 10-Illinois 121 at Old U.S. 66-Lincoln
Parkway in Lincoln.
McLean
County
- $305,000 for rehabilitation of
8.51 miles on Old U.S. 66, from south of Morgan Street in McLean
to south of County Highway 34 in Shirley.
- $50,000 for landscaping and tree
replacement on Interstate 55 at the Business I-55 interchange
northeast of Normal.
Sangamon
County
- $928,000 for resurfacing 4.96
miles on Old U.S. 36, from I-72 to East Washington Street in
Riverton.
- $500,000 for bridge
rehabilitation on Old U.S. 36 at the Seventh Street ramp on the
south edge of Riverton.
- $250,000 for land acquisition for
a project on Illinois 29, from Rochester to south of Berry.
DeWitt
County
- $14,000 for utility adjustment
for a project on Illinois 10-Illinois 48, 0.9 mile east of
Illinois 48 and 0.3 mile north of Illinois 10 at Weldon.
- $2,000 for land acquisition for a
project on Illinois 10-Illinois 48, 0.9 mile east of Illinois 48
and 0.3 mile north of Illinois 10 at Weldon.
Tazewell
County
- $25,000 for land acquisition for
a bridge replacement project on Illinois 98-Edgewood Drive over
Lick Creek, 2.5 miles west of Morton.
[to top of second column in this article] |
 More public access to ethics
complaints
An ethics reform plan unveiled May 3
will increase public access to ethics complaints filed against state
employees.
Presently, a complaint filed with
the state's executive inspector general can be dismissed with
neither the allegations nor the reasons for the dismissal being made
public.
If the inspector general and
governor's office agree that a complaint warrants discipline,
neither the underlying charges nor the punishment are disclosed to
the public.
Only if there is disagreement
between the inspector general and administration does the complaint
go before the Ethics Commission for review, which itself could
dismiss a complaint with no public disclosure.
Under the new proposal, all final
determinations of the inspector general could be subject to review
by the Ethics Commission, which in turn could affirm, reverse or
modify the findings and recommended discipline, if any. Importantly,
all final decisions of either the inspector general or the
commission would be available to the public.
Increased disclosure of these
findings is in everyone's best interest. If a complaint is
dismissed, the employee can be publicly exonerated. If the complaint
is found valid, then the public should know what happened and how
the employee will be disciplined.
Senate approves bill helping farmers
with disabilities
Getting help for Illinois farmers
with disabilities is the aim of legislation approved May 4 by the
Senate Agriculture and Conservation Committee.
House Bill 1575 creates a state
version of the federal AgrAbility Project. The state program would
enhance current services, which are currently funded by the federal
program, to help older farmers and those with disabling injuries
remain active and productive. The original AgrAbility Project was
authorized by the 1990 Farm Bill.
The toll-free information line,
which is part of the federal AgrAbility Project and will also be
part of the state program, is 1 (800) 500-SEAL, ext. 126. The phone
line is associated with Easter Seals of Central Illinois.
House Bill 1575 now moves to the full Senate for further
consideration.
[From
Sen. Bill Brady]
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