Lawmakers question legality of IDOT move

[May 31, 2008]  SPRINGFIELD -- Three Springfield area legislators are raising questions about the legality of Gov. Blagojevich's efforts to shift state agencies and much of state government out of Springfield. Sen. Larry Bomke, Rep. Raymond Poe and Rep. Rich Brauer are fighting Blagojevich's decision to move approximately 150 Illinois Department of Transportation employees to southern Illinois.

Bomke, Poe and Brauer say that the decision is poorly planned, and they have asked several state agencies to explain the practicality and supposed cost-savings that justify uprooting so many families from their homes.

Bomke said a local attorney recently brought to his attention a section of state law that could restrict the ability of a governor to transfer state government out of the capital city. The statute requires that the seat of government be Springfield, at which place all required work must be done.

The only exemptions to this statute are an epidemic of disease or public danger. Since neither of these conditions exists, the lawmakers are questioning why the choice was made to move the IDOT Traffic Safety Division away from its current location, which is in the same location as the department headquarters.

"I am eager to examine the legality of the governor's proposed plan to move IDOT's Division of Traffic Safety from Springfield," said Brauer. "As far as I am aware, Springfield doesn't pose any public danger, nor are we enduring an epidemic of disease, so I am curious to see what justification this administration will invoke for ignoring current law."

After touring a number of state buildings and finding plenty of empty office space for the Traffic Safety Division to relocate to, the lawmakers were told by Central Management Services that there were "other plans" for the office space. Those "other plans" have not been revealed yet.

"I think it is clear from the response we received from CMS last week that there are no long-term plans for the vacant space in the state facilities we visited," said Poe. "When you consider this administration has reduced state employee levels by 3,000, it seems highly unlikely that they'd be able to magically fill that vacant space."

"We have an administration that has already declared Chicago to be the primary location for the governor. Now, they are trying to move state agencies out of the capital city. Clearly, it is their intent to transfer government out of Springfield," said state Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield.

[Text from file received from Illinois Senate Republicans]