NEWS - Wirtz Beverage
June 20, 2013 4:09 pm • By Kenneth Lowe | [email protected]
NORMAL — Fighting the perception of Illinois as unfriendly to business or economically uncertain will be challenging but not insurmountable, state Rep. Dan Brady told Twin City business leaders Thursday.
“My associates will do everything we possibly can to turn around how people think of and how they’re speaking about Illinois,” Brady said. “The bashing doesn’t do any-thing to help.”
Brady, R-Bloomington, and other state lawmakers were at Illinois State University’s Bone Student Center to address questions from the McLean County Chamber of Commerce during its annual State Legislative Update. Republican state Sens. Bill Brady of Bloomington, Chapin Rose of Mahomet and Jason Barickman of Bloomington were also in attendance.
Dan Brady cited favorable developments like the new Wirtz Beverage distribution center in Lexington as evidence Illinois can still lure businesses. The $8 million facility, planned for completion in 2014, will employ 100 people once complete. But persistent issues with balancing the state budget and managing pension obligations aren’t helping prospective businesses’ perception of Illinois, Barickman said.
“We want to be in a position where an outside company says, ‘That’s a great place to do business. They create stability in my market,’” Barickman said.
Speaking to another question, Bill Brady said resolving the difficulties in state pensions will require sacrifices on the part of workers who have paid into the system for years. Lawmakers are in the midst of a special session in Springfield aimed at tackling the state’s $97 billion pension liability, but Illinois Senate President John Cullerton has said he doesn’t expect the General Assembly to meet a July 9 deadline set by Gov. Pat Quinn.
“There isn’t any one of us up here who isn’t apologetic to the people who aren’t going to get what they thought they were going to get,” Bill Brady said.
Speaking to a question about how Medicaid expansions under the Affordable Care Act may affect businesses, Rose said any new spending will only further strain the state budget. The persistent lateness in the state’s payments to healthcare providers is already trickling down to businesses and communities, he said.
NORMAL — Fighting the perception of Illinois as unfriendly to business or economically uncertain will be challenging but not insurmountable, state Rep. Dan Brady told Twin City business leaders Thursday.
“My associates will do everything we possibly can to turn around how people think of and how they’re speaking about Illinois,” Brady said. “The bashing doesn’t do any-thing to help.”
Brady, R-Bloomington, and other state lawmakers were at Illinois State University’s Bone Student Center to address questions from the McLean County Chamber of Commerce during its annual State Legislative Update. Republican state Sens. Bill Brady of Bloomington, Chapin Rose of Mahomet and Jason Barickman of Bloomington were also in attendance.
Dan Brady cited favorable developments like the new Wirtz Beverage distribution center in Lexington as evidence Illinois can still lure businesses. The $8 million facility, planned for completion in 2014, will employ 100 people once complete. But persistent issues with balancing the state budget and managing pension obligations aren’t helping prospective businesses’ perception of Illinois, Barickman said.
“We want to be in a position where an outside company says, ‘That’s a great place to do business. They create stability in my market,’” Barickman said.
Speaking to another question, Bill Brady said resolving the difficulties in state pensions will require sacrifices on the part of workers who have paid into the system for years. Lawmakers are in the midst of a special session in Springfield aimed at tackling the state’s $97 billion pension liability, but Illinois Senate President John Cullerton has said he doesn’t expect the General Assembly to meet a July 9 deadline set by Gov. Pat Quinn.
“There isn’t any one of us up here who isn’t apologetic to the people who aren’t going to get what they thought they were going to get,” Bill Brady said.
Speaking to a question about how Medicaid expansions under the Affordable Care Act may affect businesses, Rose said any new spending will only further strain the state budget. The persistent lateness in the state’s payments to healthcare providers is already trickling down to businesses and communities, he said.