…Adding… I changed the headline to reflect a bit of a misreading by me here. They’re going to reopen the museum, but if the GA doesn’t agree with the amendatory veto, then it’ll take longer to get it reopened with the administrative rules process.
Hope that clears things up.
* The catch is that House Speaker Michael Madigan usually refuses to advance these sorts of dramatic gubernatorial rewrites. So, we’ll see what happens…
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Director Wayne A. Rosenthal announced today that an agreement has been reached to reopen the Illinois State Museum to the public. IDNR has worked closely with Governor Bruce Rauner’s office to develop a new, more sustainable model for operating the museum that will save about $1 million per year by closing two museum branches, consolidating human resources and accounting functions within IDNR, and by development of a new management and organizational structure. The museum will also seek to improve revenue by charging an admission fee, and increase fundraising efforts through an improved partnership with the Illinois State Museum Society.
The timeframe for reopening will depend upon the Illinois General Assembly taking up the amendatory veto (AV) of SB 317 and implementing the suggested changes. Governor Bruce Rauner’s AV asks that the authority to charge an admission fee be placed in statute so it can be implemented immediately upon the acceptance of the amendatory veto.
“If the General Assembly acts quickly on the Governor’s amendatory veto, we believe we could reopen the museum in a matter of weeks,” said IDNR Director Wayne Rosenthal. “Without the General Assembly’s support, it could take months to get the museum reopened.”
Michael Wiant will become interim director of the Illinois State Museum immediately. Rosenthal will ask the Illinois State Museum Board to begin the search for a new director. Rosenthal also will ask the Museum and Society boards to call emergency meetings so work to reopen the museum can begin immediately.
“With challenge comes great opportunity, and the museum staff is grateful for this tremendous opportunity to continue to share the art, history and culture of Illinois with its citizens,” said Dr. Michael Wiant, Interim Director of the Illinois State Museum.
“I applaud the Governor’s action as it creates a realistic path forward to reopening the Illinois State Museum,” said State Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield). “Reopening the museum is vital to our community and the plan announced today will provide for the long-term viability and growth of the museum system. I look forward to working with the community, legislators, and the Governor as we again open the doors on a wonderful asset of our State.”
“I am encouraged that the Governor took careful steps in adjusting this legislation while maintaining the ultimate goal of allowing our State Museum to resume its important work. We all want to see those doors open to the public once again, and this compromise could make that happen,” said State Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez (R-Springfield).
“The Illinois State Museum Society is looking forward to the challenge of becoming a stronger partner and playing a greater role in the success of the Illinois State Museum,” said Karen Westbrook of the Illinois State Museum Society.
- Not Rich - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:13 am:
the Speaker has been really consistent on the Gov’s ability to issue AV’s per his reading of the constitution.. I see a problem developing..
- SAP - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:25 am:
The developing problem is that the Governor gets to say that he saved the museum by presenting a plan that he knew was DOA.
- GOP Extremist - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:26 am:
All positives from the Rauner puppets. I’m sure the others (Poe, Brauer & Bourne) would also agree.
- Jeff Park Mom - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:27 am:
So the Governor is willing to let this hostage go, as long as everybody is OK with him lopping off a couple of its limbs.
- Norseman - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:32 am:
=== “I applaud the Governor’s action as it creates a realistic path forward to reopening the Illinois State Museum,” said State Rep. Tim Butler ===
Butler, Rauner could and should have come up with this plan prior to closing the museum. He wanted this pain as leverage for his TA-poison pills and is only backing away now because you and a few other GOP supplicants are bucking him on this issue.
Now understand that rightly or wrongly Madigan has a long-standing bi-partisan hatred for AV’s. If you want to be effective on this issue, have a bill prepared to implement the proposal. This isn’t ideal because the time it will take to pass the bill, but that is the cost of your supporting Rauner and his hostage taking.
- IllinoisBoi - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:35 am:
Where are these two museum “branches”?
- Responsa - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:38 am:
The museum needs to be open. Let’s see some adult thinking and compromises here to get it done.
- cardsmama - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:38 am:
It’s kind of the Humpty Dumpty thing. CAN this be put back together again? So many of the top employees have departed and took with them tons of knowledge. It may never be the draw that it was thanks to this interlude. It’s sad.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:40 am:
Wouldn’t it be better to negotiate a new bill than to issue a “take it or leave it” AV?
- NIU Grad - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:40 am:
“Where are these two museum “branches”?”
There’s one hidden on the second floor of the Thompson Center, I believe.
- cdog - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:42 am:
Do the right thing. Open the museum.
Include monies to bring back the core samples, and researchers, and whatever other collections, that had to go to safer places. /s
Make sure everybody knows who has degraded, nearly destroyed, and disrespected the museum….Mr. Chaos.
- Abe the Babe - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:43 am:
Wont be released from Rules. at best MJM will allow a new bill with identical language to the AV be voted on.
Sigh… how much time, money, political capital did this non-closure take? These Rauner guys still don’t get it. It would behoove them to start thinking about exit strategies to this miss.
- Anon - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:44 am:
Didn’t know it had closed. And that my friends tells you everything you need to know…
- IllinoisBoi - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:44 am:
Answering my own question: “Branch facilities include Dickson Mounds Museum in Lewistown, Lockport Gallery in Lockport, the Southern Illinois Artisans Shop and Southern Illinois Art Gallery at Rend Lake, and the Illinois Artisans Shop and Chicago Gallery in the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago.” http://www.museum.state.il.us/about/
- Nick Name - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:50 am:
“…a new, more sustainable model for operating the museum that will save about $1 million per year by closing two museum branches, consolidating human resources and accounting functions within IDNR, and by development of a new management and organizational structure. The museum will also seek to improve revenue by charging an admission fee…”
Runnin’ Illinois like a business.
- Demoralized - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:52 am:
==Didn’t know it had closed. And that my friends tells you everything you need to know…==
Only to the small minded.
- Roadypig - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 10:52 am:
Anon at 10:44- it says that you are oblivious to the damage that our governor is doing to the state of Illinois?
- Anon - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 11:00 am:
@Demoralized and Roadypig- Ask 100 people that live outside the Springfield area if they have ever been to, or even know we have(had) a State museum and I would be willing to bet 99 will have a negative response. It has nothing to do with being small minded or being oblivious as your insults would suggest. It has everything to do with realizing it’s an obsolete mess, that very few use, but everyone is forced to pay for.
- Beaner - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 11:01 am:
Closures here, closures there…, just minor necessary temporary pain. Can you hear the clicking of wine glasses? They are toasting the tax free muni-bonds being created by Governor Chaos and his credit card with a multi-billion dollar limit.
Rauner Feb 2016: ‘Issuing Bonds is just a tax hike delay and it is wrong.’ speaking about CPS.
- Under Influenced - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 11:03 am:
“Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Director Wayne A. Rosenthal announced today that an agreement has been reached to reopen the Illinois State Museum to the public.”
The administration is announcing that it came it an agreement with….whom?
- Under Influenced - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 11:04 am:
*to
- Qui Tam - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 11:09 am:
=The administration is announcing that it came it an agreement with….whom?=
When the Koch Industries sponsor sign goes up, you’ll know who the agreement is with. /s?
They can also save money by “reforming” the museum to acknowledge that the earth is only 6000 years old. /s
- Appalled - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 11:10 am:
@Anon
” It has everything to do with realizing it’s an obsolete mess, that very few use, but everyone is forced to pay for.”
Spoken like a true ignoramus. Well done.
- Qui Tam - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 11:20 am:
=Didn’t know it had closed. And that my friends tells you everything you need to know…= and
It has everything to do with realizing it’s an obsolete mess, that very few use, but everyone is forced to pay for.=
Evaluating the Museum’s operations and utilization while claiming to nothing about it….
It appears their is a Troll with a capital T here.
- Demoralized - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 11:21 am:
==It has everything to do with realizing it’s an obsolete mess, that very few use, but everyone is forced to pay for.==
How many is “very few?” Which other museums or historic sites should we close because “very few” use them?
And the “forced to pay for” argument is just nonsense. I’m “forced” to pay for a lot of things I don’t use (though I think “forced” is a ridiculous argument).
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 11:48 am:
If the Speaker doesn’t call this for a vote, we will know that he is the one not willing to compromise and doesn’t really care about the ISM closing as long as it will benefit him politically. This is an issue that Ds and Rs in the General Assembly should be able to agree on. Let’s stop the nonsense. This is a pretty reasonable proposal.
- Vole - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 12:29 pm:
A much more preferable course would be to take management away from IDNR. Rosenthal proved he did not care a hoot about ISM. The interests of the Museum align more closely with the Illinois State Preservation Agency (includes Cahokia Mounds) or the Prairie Research Institute (includes the Illinois State Archeological Survey).
- Vole - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 12:38 pm:
Sorry. Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
- DPGumby - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 12:39 pm:
Yet another scam by Brucie designed as a political act. Had he any interest in such a remake he would have raised it long before he just closed the place down and let scholars depart. He is the bad guy for closing and now wants to be hero for saving!
- cdog - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 12:51 pm:
Anonymous, 11:48 “This is an issue that Ds and Rs in the General Assembly should be able to agree on.”
That’s funny. We all know that it is not whether the “Rs” agree, its whether they are ALLOWED TO VOTE for what they agree is good legislation. Poor GOP…smh.
- cdog - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 12:54 pm:
“He is the bad guy for closing and now wants to be hero for saving!”
Sounds a little like Munchausen by Proxy syndrome.
- South Central - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 12:57 pm:
Dear Anon, I’m guessing you’ve done nothing with your life over the last several months except watch football…until this morning. There’s a lot to catch up on. Keep reading. You really need to.
- Decatur gal - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 12:59 pm:
I hope they don’t close Dickson Mounds. And I hope they open the museum in Springfield and keep it funded. I don’t think the one in the Thompson Center is really a museum - I thought it was a little store w/ stuff by IL artists. That’s a good thing to have but I could live without it.
- Soccermom - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 1:08 pm:
Vole — I only wish there were an Illinois State Preservation Agency. We need one.
- Downstate Illinois - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 1:10 pm:
Although the state museum has been part of DNR since the Edgar Administration it has continued to operate on its own. It does need to be merged into a larger agency, either DNR or IHPA. However it’s director needs to answer to the agency director or its just another impossible task like the presidential museum and IHPA.
- IllinoisBoi - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 1:12 pm:
Last week, Rauner people stated that “only” about 200,000 people visit the ISM annually. Actually that’s a pretty good number — about 700 visitors a day if they’re open 6 days a week. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum “only” had a bit over 300,000 visitors last year.
- NixonHead - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 1:54 pm:
Small piece of what will probably be needed for the rest of Illinois’ problems. They restructured the organization (cost savings) and increased revenue (charging a fee).
- Liberty - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 4:13 pm:
He closed it, he and the Republicans own it.
- Stating the facts - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 5:31 pm:
Until “Joe Sixpak” realizes his voting Republican is impacting his salary more than his tax bill, shutting down the important work performed by the ISM is literally just the tip of the iceberg.
Remember, we still have almost assuredly three more years to go before a budget is passed. By that time, state government will be shell of its former self, which is EXACTLY what Rauner wanted.