News from State Representative Ron Stephens

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rep. Ron Stephens

March 10, 2008 (618) 651-0405

Stephens Working to Pass Capital/Jobs Program

Highland, IL – State Representative Ron Stephens met last week with former Speaker of the U.S. House Denny Hastert to work on passage of a new capital/jobs program for the State of Illinois.

Representative Stephens praised the Speaker’s involvement in the effort to pass the first capital/jobs program in nine years.

“I’ve been working for more than a year now to get a capital bill signed into law, so we can put people back to work and fix our crumbling infrastructure,” Stephens said. “I’m pleased that Speaker Hastert will be working with us on this effort. Passing a jobs and infrastructure plan is my top priority for this spring’s legislative session.”

Stephens and his House Republican colleagues are backing a capital/jobs program that will pay for at least $10 billion in infrastructure improvements statewide. This program could create as many as 725,000 new jobs to help turn around Illinois’ economy. Passage of a new capital program this year would allow the State to access more than $9.3 billion in federal transportation dollars that Speaker Hastert and the state’s congressional delegation secured for Illinois.

“We can’t afford to wait any longer on this critical issue,” said Stephens. “Our economy is struggling and working families are having a difficult time making ends meet. A new jobs and infrastructure program is desperately needed to help get Illinois back on track.”

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Photo attachment – Representative Ron Stephens meets with former Speaker Denny Hastert to discuss a new capital/jobs program for Illinois.