A measure that would partially privatize the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity while combining it with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is ready for consideration by the Illinois House.
The apparent agreement between Gov. Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan also would make a new state entity to control the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
Steven Beckett, who chairs the library's advisory board, supports the move. He says the various groups in charge of it now have become hostile.
"I mean, we all love Abraham Lincoln,” he said. “How is that going to change? And instead we're going to get rid of this bureaucracy and this infighting that I think has strangled our organization."
The plan easily advanced out of a House committee this week despite opposition from some historic preservations.
The President of Landmarks Illinois, Bonnie McDonald, is against the change. She says speaking with lawmakers is one of the ways the office is trying to restore funding.
"We ask everyone … to visit your state legislators … and urge them to find a way retain the State Historic Preservation Office staff and budget in order to retain their necessary role,” she said, “as the work of this office does the vital work of growing the state economy."
Landmarks Illinois included the state preservation agency in its annual list of the Most Endangered Historic Places.
Ironically, Governor Rauner and the First Lady reside in an historic home in Springfield, the Executive Mansion. The Rauners say they are privately fundraising to pay for costly repairs to the home.
Unions also testified against the plan. They say other states have had ethical issues when their commerce departments went a similar route. Some employees would also lose their jobs.
- Amanda Vinicky and Sean Crawford contributed to this story