Legislation supports grounding governor's
taxpayer-funded plane during overtime session

[June 26, 2007]  FORSYTH -- With the General Assembly's overtime session entering its fourth week, state Rep. Bill Mitchell is proposing legislation to ground the governor's taxpayer-funded plane and keep the governor in Springfield.

Recent media reports have indicated that Gov. Blagojevich's daily flights from Chicago to Springfield have cost taxpayers almost $6,000 per day. The total cost of the governor's flights since mid-May has been estimated at nearly $100,000.

"The governor has held the budget hostage for a month now," Mitchell said. "He won't negotiate in good faith towards a budget resolution, forcing legislators to remain in overtime session. It is outrageous that taxpayers are being hit up for nearly $100,000 to fly the governor back and forth from Chicago while the governor's mansion sits empty."

Mitchell will be filing legislation this week to ground the state planes used by the governor and legislative leaders during the overtime session. Last week, the legislative leaders and Blagojevich agreed in principle to a one-month budget for July to prevent a government shutdown. However, they are no closer to a final fiscal 2008 budget than they were at the scheduled end of session in May.

"Rank-and-file legislators are paying for their travel costs and lodging out of their own pockets during overtime session," Mitchell stated. "That's fine, but if it's good enough for us, it's good enough for the governor. He has a taxpayer-funded residence in Springfield he can stay at while negotiations continue. There's no reason taxpayers should have to foot the bill so the governor can fly home to Chicago every day."

Mitchell is also co-sponsoring House Resolution 507, which calls for the governor to reside in Springfield during the overtime session and any special session days. The resolution will be heard in the House State Government Administration Committee on Wednesday.

[Text from file received from Rep. Bill Mitchell]