Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon is hosting a forum in Peoria this week promoting conservation and recreation on the Illinois River. She says one-third of the speakers at the Illinois River Coordinating Council cancelled their trip to Peoria because of the government shutdown:
“It also means that 30 hotel rooms that were booked are not being used for the evening. That’s a direct economic impact right here in the heart of Illinois, and its a shame that the folks in Washington can;t recognize that impact and, darnit, get to a solution here,” Simon says.
Attendees from the USDA, Fish and Wildlife Service and Army Corps of Engineers are month those who are forced to skip the conference. She says the shutdown is also furloughing thousands of civilian workers at state military bases. Simon, a Democrat, is running for Illinois Comptroller. She says Congressional Republicans need to accept national health care reform to get past the gridlock in Washington.