* The Illinois State Museum closed last fall. The GA passed a bill to reopen it, but didn’t provide revenue. The governor rewrote the bill and announced he was all for it opening, but with private funding.
Press release…
Governor Bruce Rauner issued an amendatory veto today on SB 317 to reopen the Illinois State Museum while developing a model for funding that does not rely solely on state support.
The current bill as written is an unfunded mandate with no appropriations to support the Museum or its branch sites. The Governor’s amendatory veto instructs the Museum to partner with public and private third-parties to invest in the Museum’s mission.
In addition, the Governor’s changes to the bill authorizes the Director of Illinois Department of Natural Resources to establish entrance fees. Many of Illinois’ neighboring states charge admission at their respective museums.
* The veto message wasn’t posted online as I wrote this, but it will be here soon. An excerpt…
I hereby return Senate Bill 317 with specific recommendations for change to develop a sustainable fiscal model for the continued operation of the Illinois State Museum.
The Illinois State Museum preserves and showcases the proud history of Illinois. The Museum helps educate Illinoisans of all ages on their unique heritage. As a research institution, the Museum is a leader in the advancement of not only Illinois, but U.S. and natural history. I support Senate Bill 317’s fundamental purpose of opening the Museum to the public again.
However, despite the good the Museum does, its operations are not fiscally sustainable. The State invests more than $6 million per year, despite attendance of only 200,000 visitors per year. When the General Assembly failed to pass a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2016, our Administration was required by the Illinois Constitution and our responsibility to taxpayers to take whatever steps we could to cut non-essential costs. While the State is in the midst of a crisis caused by decades of fiscal mismanagement, as long as this bill fails to offer any plan to help the Museum become self-supporting, it is just an empty and broken promise to the taxpayers of Illinois.
But there is a path to sustainability. I propose not merely re-opening the Museum while continuing its status quo, but re-energizing its operations and partnering it with other public and private entities to make it truly self-supporting and to relieve the fiscal burden to taxpayers.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 3:37 pm:
Rewrite to do right! Thank you Governor Blagouner
- AC - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 3:44 pm:
360 Degree TurnAround - your name says it all
- 47th Ward - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 3:45 pm:
Well, it is almost time for the pilgrimage of 7th graders visiting Springfield on field trips. The museum was always more interesting than the Capitol anyway.
“Nothing to see here kids, we’re just stealing your future away from you. Why don’t you go over to the museum and see how hard life was when your great grandparents lived in Illinois. That should make you feel better.”
- Anon221 - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 3:45 pm:
I believe the Museum complex sites were pretty good at being self-supporting AND being a revenue generator in their respective communities. Now, is there a deadline for the 6 mil to be raised??? How is it supposed to be allocated throughout the system??? I realize those answers may be coming, and I am glad the complex is reopening, but, once again, too much pain was used to get to this point!
- Downstate - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 3:47 pm:
I would suggest that some museum staff members visit the Texas State Museum. Great example of private/public partnership. We already have visitors coming for the Lincoln Museum. Need to give them another outlet for their tourism dollars.
- IllinoisBoi - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 3:49 pm:
“Only 200,000 per year”? That’s something like 700 visitors a day….That’s bad?
- My New Handle - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 3:50 pm:
What will relieve the taxpayers of the state’s multi-billion dollar debt, Governor?
The museum has a supportive Museum Society already, and has received many federal and foundation grants. An admission fee will make it less accessible to families and children. Meanwhile, what’s budget for all the energizing activities in which the governor’s office engages?
- Really Gov - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 3:51 pm:
Let’s see, that’s his third push for privatization this week, right? CPS, IDOT and now the museums.
- olddog - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 3:53 pm:
Shrewd move politically, and it may point the way toward putting the museum on a sounder basis financially.
- Retired - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 3:57 pm:
Write a check Governor. You can certainly afford it.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 3:58 pm:
–While the State is in the midst of a crisis caused by decades of fiscal mismanagement,–
After “decades of fiscal mismanagement, the state backlog of bills stood at $4.3 billion when Rauner took office.
The comptroller said earlier this week that on June 30 that figure could be as high as $12 billion.
That’s quick work for 18 months.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:00 pm:
Welcome to the InBev Museum kids! Your entrance fee is $20. any children who can’t afford the visit, you can still go to the movie theatre to learn about trickle down economics.
- Earnest - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:01 pm:
Whew, took my mind right off Rauner’s intentional destruction of our social service and higher education systems.
As for the decades of fiscal mismanagement…it was actually coming under control until he took office. He has cost future taxpayers a lot of money this past year.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:05 pm:
…and over here in this wing of the new state museum, you can learn about those dirty unions, who tried to impede our state’s progress.
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:05 pm:
I’m sure the professional staff, many of whom left to take other jobs, will be more than willing to come back.
- Chicago 20 - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:09 pm:
-”When the General Assembly failed to pass a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2016, our Administration was required by the Illinois Constitution and our responsibility to taxpayers to take whatever steps we could to cut non-essential costs.”
The Illinois constitution requires that the Governor provide a balanced budget to the General Assembly for approval.
It’s been over a year since Rauner took the oath and still has not performed his required duty.
How long can Rauner refuse to do the basic minimum duties that he personally spent $28.6 million to be Governor?
- Downstate - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:10 pm:
360 degrees,
I went to Springfield for school field trips. They NEVER took us to the state museum. Looking at their web site, they seem very focuses on anthropology and art. Nothing wrong with that, but the museum is competing against much more interactive/entertaining content (ie. Lincoln Museum). Have to remain relevant.
Of course, the corporate sponsor exhibits have to be approved by the ISM. But, I’m telling you, the opportunities for incredible exhibits sponsored by private sponsors are incredible.
Think of a John Deer display on the importance of agriculture in this state.
- Juice - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:11 pm:
Well I certainly hope no one informs the Governor how much the State spends on the ALPLM and what their attendance is.
- morgan - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:15 pm:
===However, despite the good _________ does, its operations are not fiscally sustainable”.====
Just fill in the blank with:
Helping kids with autism
Keeping seniors in their homes instead of nursing homes (Community Cares Program)
MAP grants
Childcare assistance to low income workers
Victim Assistance
Sorry, not profitable…so not something this Governor is going to concern himself with.
But maybe the mammoth can be emblazoned with a company logo. Until then just put “Your logo could be here just call 800-IL4-SALE”
- somalia - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:17 pm:
History as told by the corporation sounds great!
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:17 pm:
Downstate, I do respect your opinion. If there was a field trip for a class from out of town, probably not your first stop. My kids went there with their pre-school class for a field trip. We took our kids there on many weekends to go play there. Families could go there to do arts and crafts on the weekends as well. It WAS a gem in springfield.
- DuPage Bard - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:19 pm:
This is the deal, it will all be privatized soon enough. Museums, parks, schools, prisons, social services, etc….that is the plan. Tear it down sell it off piece by piece. He told everyone that “I will run it like a business” that was his business model that made him a ton of money. There will be no compromise, no negotiations, no relief until everything touched has a privatized aspect to it. Public dollars for private interests.
- Not quite a majority - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:19 pm:
As someone who raised 6 kids (take that family values voters!) I can tell you that when we visited the State Museum, it was because it was fun and FREE. Yes, donation where requested, but not a gate fee. This museum was put together for the children (and their parents) of the State, not to be some money maker. I’m really sick and tired of everything of value having to ‘turn a profit’ to prove it should exist. And I’m really sick of this Governor for that reason.
- Leatherneck - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:21 pm:
How about pulling the plug on plans for a proposed “Kidzeum” in Springfield and have the donors move their energy over to the State Museum instead?
- Downstate - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:21 pm:
360 - I do intend to visit on my next jaunt to the Capitol City.
My snarky side would suggest a live video feed of the Madigan and Rauner office in the ISM, so we could see these creatures in their natural habitat.
- Trolling Troll - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:22 pm:
So these “partners” are going to pay to use the building and the exhibits, right? I mean us lowly taxpayers aren’t just going to let them use it for free. He says he’s looking out for our best interests.
- Mama - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:24 pm:
“he was all for it opening, but with private funding”
I guess this means Illinois State Museum will no longer be owned & administered by the state of IL. I wonder how much money he plans to get for the museum? How will control the hiring and firing of museum staff?
- Way South of I-80 - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:24 pm:
It might be true that privately sponsored exhibits could be incredible - but couldn’t this “decision” have been made before the professional staff left and the museum was closed? Does anyone else feel like they are on some sort of a nightmarish roller coaster ride with no brakes??
- Huh? - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:24 pm:
So I am confused. A few months ago, the State couldn’t afford $6 million to run the museum and now we can even though there is no budget or money.
So what has changed since the museum was originally put on the chopping block?
To quote the John Henry song, “… Another day older and deeper in debt…”
- Keyser Soze - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:25 pm:
The State Museum has been poorly promoted for as long as I can remember. It probably would have drawn more visitors had anyone known that it was there.
- Mama - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:25 pm:
To little to late.
- Stumpy's bunker - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:25 pm:
Now that’s innovative thinking. We can cleverly integrate corporate logos into the anthropological and historical displays. Might as well make that old stuff useful.
(Yes, Snark!)
- Norseman - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:26 pm:
I wish I had a copyright on the phrase “status quo.” The Illinois GOP would make me rich.
Let’s see here. We had to hold the State Fair and the frat boys did what they could to jerry-rig a way to do that. However, an educational asset is not worth the effort, or at least until the General Assembly passes a popular bill to force action. Am I the only one who thinks were not getting our money’s worth out of the superstar staffers?
- Dutch3000 - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:30 pm:
Anyone who can’t see a pattern in this is blind. Rauner in Illinois, walker in Wisconsin, jindal in Louisiana: all going after higher education including museums. An uneducated public is a Republican voter base. The research staff of the ISM has been decimated, if and when it reopens it will only be a shell of itself and no competent researchers will want to come to Illinois to take their place. Would you? The universities are next on his turn around agenda of dumbing down the population of the state.
- anon - Friday, Feb 5, 16 @ 4:37 pm:
D.P.Bard, I was just wondering who will have the authority to decide when to sell a museum piece, to whom and for what price, as well as what percentage of museum pieces will be left to view once there is a new Governor of Illinois.