HARRISBURG, IL – On Tuesday evening, State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) went to the Franklin County Farm Bureau meeting where he met with area farmers. Fowler emphasized agriculture is a key component of the 59th Senate District’s economy and is directly linked to one-fourth of the state’s employment.
Also during the week, Senator Fowler attended the unveiling of an earthquake preparedness kiosk in Carbondale and Marion’s Finding Forever Pets Rescue open house. He finished the week with three days of constituent meetings in the Harrisburg district office.
In state news, senators return to the Illinois State Capitol on February 28. Fowler emphasized Illinois’ ongoing budgetary stalemate contributes to an additional $11 million in debt per day, and stressed a timely resolution to the budget impasse is critical. Fowler said he hopes the Senate is able to come to an agreement soon, so House legislators can begin offering their input on the Senate budget proposal.
Also this week, the state government’s largest public sector union, AFSCME, announced the results of a recent vote authorizing a future strike. The Administration and AFSCME have been deadlocked on any contact negotiations for more than a year. Senator Fowler said a strike would not be good for AFSCME employees or the people of Illinois, and emphasized his hope that both sides will be able to reach a compromise.