Illinois lawmakers press for small fire department grants, New Salem
repairs
[March 27, 2025]
By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Fire protection is among the safety measures
discussed by lawmakers and state officials in budget talks at the
Illinois Capitol.
At a Senate Appropriations Public Safety and Infrastructure Committee
hearing Wednesday, State Fire Marshal James Rivera described the funding
ask for the marshal’s office in Senate Bill 2583, filed by state Sen.
Elgie Sims, D-Chicago.
“This proposed budget request is for $68.6 million to allow the agency
to continue providing statutorily-mandated services and programs, which
support the Illinois fire service,” Rivera said.
State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, suggested that Rivera could have
asked for more money. Bryant said grants are needed for volunteer fire
services in smaller communities.
“There’s a real need. I know one little town that’s just south of me.
They don’t even have, all of their equipment is expired. I’m talking
about the little town of Grand Tower. The next closest town to them is
going to be Murphysboro, and that’s nearly 20 minutes, lights and
sirens, on country roads to get there,” Bryant said.
State Sen. Seth Lewis, R-Bartlett, said he agreed with Bryant about the
importance of funding fire services.
Also at Wednesday’s hearing, Illinois state Sen. Steve McClure,
R-Springfield, repeated his call for repairs at Lincoln’s New Salem
historic site in Menard County.
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A hole in the roof of the Hill’s Carding Mill at Lincoln's New Salem
State Historic Site in Petersburg, Illinois March 10, 2025 - Greg
Bishop | The Center Square
McClure urged Capital Development Board members to support his measure,
Senate Bill 1861, to carve out New Salem from the budget procurement
process when he spoke at a Senate Appropriations Public Safety and
Infrastructure Committee hearing Wednesday.
“Look, if we’ve got $6.5 billion and we’ve only got less than a billion
dollars spent, if we need to hire more staff, let’s hire some more
staff. These projects throughout the state need our assistance. These
are important projects. The only state facility, New Salem, the
universities, they need this money to get out as soon as possible,”
McClure said.
Last week, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced $8
million for repairs and support at the site. The funds are an addition
to the nearly $3 million in projects that have already been completed or
undertaken at the site during Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s tenure in office.
McClure said New Salem, located in Petersburg, Illinois, is where
Abraham Lincoln began his career as a public servant. Lincoln’s New
Salem attracted more than 374,000 visitors in 2024.
Greg Bishop and Kevin Bessler contributed to this
story. |
