HR0148LRB103 31489 MST 59352 r HR0148 LRB103 31489 MST 59352 r HR0148 LRB103 31489 MST 59352 r 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, Improving Illinois roads improves the quality of 3 life for the citizens of our State; and 4 WHEREAS, The citizens of Jackson, Perry, Randolph, and 5 Monroe Counties have expressed a desire to expand Illinois 6 Routes 127/154/3 from two to four lanes; and 7 WHEREAS, Since 2018, these counties have advocated for 8 this expansion by forming the Four County Coalition, the 9 Southwest Connector Task Force, and now the Southwest 10 Connector Coalition; and 11 WHEREAS, In 2019, the Southwest Connector Task Force, as 12 formed by a Senate Joint Resolution in the 100th General 13 Assembly, issued a 125-page report giving the justifications 14 for the project that included economic development, safety, 15 and national security concerns; and 16 WHEREAS, The report is available for all to review at the 17 coalition's website, siconnector.com; and 18 WHEREAS, This proposed highway expansion enjoys the 19 support of Laborers Local 773, the Illinois Retail Merchants 20 Association, the Jackson County NAACP, Southern Illinois HR0148 LRB103 31489 MST 59352 r HR0148- 2 -LRB103 31489 MST 59352 r HR0148 - 2 - LRB103 31489 MST 59352 r HR0148 - 2 - LRB103 31489 MST 59352 r 1 University, dozens of municipalities, hundreds of private 2 businesses, and thousands of Southern Illinois residents; and 3 WHEREAS, The Biden Administration has authorized historic 4 levels of federal spending to re-build and expand our nation's 5 infrastructure; and 6 WHEREAS, The Southwest Connector Coalition is actively 7 pursuing federal funding that has the potential to inject 8 nearly a billion dollars into Illinois infrastructure, 9 creating hundreds of good paying union jobs, enhancing the 10 Illinois economy, and improving the safety of travel for all 11 Illinoisans; therefore, be it 12 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 13 HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 14 we express our support for the Southwest Connector Coalition's 15 efforts to keep this project moving forward; and be it further 16 RESOLVED, That we encourage the members of the Southwest 17 Connector Coalition to remain engaged in their efforts to 18 improve the great State of Illinois; and be it further 19 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 20 presented to the Southwest Connector Coalition as a symbol of 21 our respect and esteem. HR0148 - 2 - LRB103 31489 MST 59352 r