Mount Vernon Urges Quinn to Amend Destination Bill

King City officials are asking Gov. Pat Quinn to amend SB 2991, the STAR Bonds bill to add Mount Vernon to the mix. The Southern Illinoisan's Caleb Hale reports Mayor Mary Jane Chesney sent a letter to the governor last Friday.

In a frank give and take discussion with me this afternoon City Manager Ron Neibert stressed his city's position wasn't as much in opposition to the incentives for Marion, but in favor of granting the same economic development tools to his city.

"We are not opposed to Marion," noting that as written, the bill would place Mount Vernon "at a competitive disadvantage... Why shouldn't we have an equal opportunity?"

Quoting both the legislation and area sales tax statistics Neibert also clarified a point Chesney had partially made during the Senate committee hearing last month.

Section 5 of the bill outlines the legislation's purpose as "to promote, stimulate, and develop the general and economic welfare of the State of Illinois," etc., etc. It's this part that makes it a "jobs bill" as the bill specifically uses the phrase "creating new jobs" in terms of its purpose.

In subparagraphs (J) and (K), the bill refers to the "stagnation of local tax bases" and the "loss of job opportunities" that exist currently (J), and that could get worse (K), if the bill doesn't pass.

Chesney noted the following sales tax stats in her committee testimony and Neibert drove the point home today.

According to the May edition of the Southern Business Journal (p. 12), sales tax receipts from 2005 to 2009 have grown 23.8 percent in Marion, versus just 0.3 percent in Mount Vernon for the same time period. Carbondale suffered a 2.4 percent drop.

Neibert wonders how a nearly 24 percent growth in sales shows a stagnation of a local tax base. Mount Vernon's barely positive 0.3 percent growth better defines stagnant.

Although a new Kohl's store is under construction, Neibert feels the STAR bonds incentives would preclude Mount Vernon from ever landing a Cabela's or other major retailer of that size.

Personally I agree with him on that, though based on demographics and location, I think Marion would always have the competitive advantage, everything else being equal.

He did point out that Mount Vernon had a higher traffic count at Exit 95 in Mount Vernon than Marion did at Exit 54 in Marion. IDOT's Getting Around Illinois shows an average annual daily traffic count 35,700 vehicles south of the Mount Vernon interchange and 37,700 north of it. In Marion the figures are 33,700 north of Route 13 and 22,100 vehicles daily south of it.

Neibert notes the similarity between the STAR bonds and early versions of Illinois' tax increment financing districts that allowed cities to use the state's portion of the sales tax increment, something that is now longer allowed.

As a former city manager in Vandalia he saw how a city could be at a disadvantage when a neighbor up the interstate, in his case Effingham, had the tools in place and the funds generated to land new developments thanks to the sales tax increment that flowed to the city.

It's not just the potential for lost retail opportunities that concern city leaders, Neibert says the legislation has already cost, or at least delayed, a new hotel in the works. If it's not built in Mount Vernon, the developers may bring it to Marion.

[If it is who I think it is, he's right, they've had their eye on Marion for a while.]

I still think Mount Vernon leaders made, and continue to make a strategic mistake in trying to delay the bill, as an amendatory veto would keep the bill in limbo until the fall veto session set for November after the election.

With polls indicating a good chance of a different party in the governor's mansion next year, Neibert feels Mount Vernon's chances are best this year as there might not be an opportunity next year.

However I agree with Rich Miller of Capitol Fax and other statehouse watchers who think SB 2093 will only be the tip of the iceberg. If not next year, then the year after, Miller expects (actually worries about) more legislation for STAR bonds. Miller doesn't like the bill and keeps referring to it as the "worst bill ever".

I think what's missed is the fact that the developers behind the Millennium Development have continually pushed the "destination" aspect of the bill. It's for both tourism and retail, and that it's only justified due to the tourism component, something Mount Vernon in particular isn't going after. Chesney said so in her committee testimony and Neibert echoed that today.

Most residents of the region wouldn't support giving state tax breaks for retailers. I would have a hard time supporting that, simply because like Miller fears, it becomes almost impossible to draw the line.

But it's a different story when you're talking tax breaks for a theme park. The equation changes, at least for me. The retail is "needed" or at least justified, as it's the sales tax that will help pay for the park. It's this entertainment/theme park complex that would make Marion, and in turn, Southern Illinois, a destination far greater than we are now.

Quite frankly, Neibert doubts a $25 million theme park would do that much for the region, but that's just the minimum investment required. The developers were going after a much larger park in the MetroEast, something well over the $100 million investment as required in the Glen Carbon legislation from last year.

The developers are still aiming high and I hope they get their prize, but even a Plan B would be a major boost. Keep in mind Branson got started with the Shepherd of the Hills outdoor play and a Silver Dollar City theme park. Everything else came later.

There hasn't been a whole lot of jobs bills come out of Springfield in the last decade, not since the EDGE program early in the century, something Neibert describes as just helping Illinois catch up with Indiana and Kentucky.

Politically, Quinn almost has to sign the bill. He needs it to carry Southern Illinois and he needs state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, on board, to keep his chances alive. He doesn't stand much of a chance in the region come November without the bill, but with it and a few big announcements from the developers the game changes completely.

The 59th Legislative District is the last rural district the Democrats control. That should be reason enough for Quinn.

As for Mount Vernon, now that Republicans represent Jefferson County in both the House and Senate things might change in 2011 if state Sen. Bill Brady wins as governor, and Williamson County's legislators may then be on the outs.

Personally I want to think Neibert for taking the time to talk with me today. This was our first time speaking. When I described our conversation as frank, I was not exaggerating. It was nothing like a typical interview like I've done in the past as a journalist.

I'm a former Mount Vernon resident and high school alumnus. Two of my classmates sit on the city council and the mayor is a good friend from her days as the high school's art teacher. I want to see Mount Vernon succeed, I just think this isn't the best way.

For Southern Illinois to be strong, all of it has to be strong, Marion and Mount Vernon, and Carbondale and every other county seat and trade center.

Meanwhile as the debate continues, we all wait word on what Quinn will do.

Local Teachers' Unions Come Out In Favor of STAR Bill

Unions representing 4,200 educational employees in Southern Illinois have joined the chorus in calling on Gov. Quinn to sign into law Senate Bill 2093 passed last month by lawmakers.

The bill would allow the creation of sales tax and revenue bonds (STAR bonds) to help pay for development of a destination attraction of tourism and retail on Marion's north side.

Regions 1 and 2 of the Illinois Education Association are backing the bill.

"The STAR bond legislation could be the best economic development tool that state government has ever passed for our regions. We enthusiastically support the Star bond legislation and we urge Gov. Quinn to sign it," said Region 2 chair Mary Bess Williams.

Quinn Says Good Things About Destination Bill

Gov. Pat. Quinn called the Marion destination legislation that passed the General Assembly last month "very important" when asked by reporters last night in Charleston, Illinois.

He also described it as a jobs bill but still needs time to study it before signing.

Quinn, who was speaking at Eastern Illinois University, told reporters the legislation "is a jobs proposal" and that jobs are the "No. 1 issue."

The bill, SB 2093, would create the state's first STAR Bonds district, in order to land a major tourism destination and retail development on Marion's north side.

As it's an election year and he needs the support of Southern Illinois voters, so it's expected that he will sign it.

However opposition is growing from the state public employees union, AFSMCE, proving once again that what's good for public sector unions are usually bad for everyone else.

Opponents have argued the state's financial problems make it a questionable time to divert public funds for a private development.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union is urging Quinn to kill the measure, saying the state cannot absorb the loss of tax dollars.

"This is the worst possible time for a tax giveaway to a private corporate developer," said AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall. "Its terrible timing and the governor should veto this bill."

Apparently a terrible recession with high unemployment is a bad time to try to create jobs in this state, jobs, which when taxed, provide the funds to pay the wages of said public sector unions.

AFSCME on the other hand would rather the state raise income taxes 50 percent, or more.

As to diverting public revenues, there's almost no way it will divert a dime of public revenues in the next fiscal year, as Marion will be lucky to see a groundbreaking that soon, let alone see the development up and running by that time.

Secondly, you can't divert what isn't there, which would be the sales tax increment generated from this development.

Back in 1966, the State of Florida bent over backwards to provide incentives to the Walt Disney Company in the form of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

How did that work out? I think we all know.

Although newspapers keep repeating Cabela's and Great Wolf Lodge as possible tenants, they're forgetting the important aspect of the "entertainment user", or theme park, that's a requirement to get the STAR Bonds district created in the first place.

This thing is bigger than most people realize. If successful, it's bigger than the Southern Illinois Miners and the mall development. It's bigger than the '82 Tornado. It's all those things and the coming of the interstates combined. Mayor Butler knows it (hence the tears in his eyes when it passed). John Bradley knows it, and so do a few others. The potential for Southern Illinois is off the scale.

Kokopelli Deal Closed This Morning

The Green Grass Group LLC closed on its long-suffering effort today to secure the Kokopelli golf course in Marion, one of the top-rated courses in the state.

Dutch Doelitzsch gave a Marion Chamber of Commerce a brief update at today's luncheon, telling the group the new ownership signed all the paperwork closing the deal this morning at 11:20 a.m. Yesterday they had met with club members and Kokopelli residents about their plans.

Kokopelli Golf Pro Jesse Barge outlined the new owners' plans for the course this afternoon. Changes will be made to the club house, grounds and some upcoming events.

Clubhouse

• The restaurant will re-open later this month under the name Koko's. After additional renovations are complete, the restaurant will be able to seat 300 for a wedding reception or other large gatherings.
• The pro shop will move to the lower level just inside the current lobby area. This will allow all of the golfing operations on one level while creating more space for the restaurant above. In order to do this the grand staircase will be removed and a new ceiling/floor installed to create more dining area above.
• The former pro shop area will become the new Koko's Sports Grill. The current bar which sits in the main dining space will be removed to the new sports grill.
• A new parking lot will be built on the north side of the club house at the same level as the restaurant.

Course and Grounds

• The remaining debris from last year's storms will be removed. Barge said last year they removed enough debris to make the course playable, but more needs to be done in order to help define the course in terms of margins and out-of-bounds.
• Champions Drive which now ends in the current club house parking lot will be extended south to Halfway Road which now ends at the north edge of Rent One Park. This will allow direct access to the clubhouse from area hotels and the interstate.
• A new 48-lot upscale housing development will be platted along the new extension which will also be calls Champions. These will be single-family homes and not condominiums. [Although he didn't mention it, many of these lots may face the lake that's on the north side of Rent One Park.]

In addition, Kokopelli will host the 2012 Men's Illinois State Amateur Championship in August of that year. Barge said it's the first time since 1995 that Southern Illinois has hosted the tournament when it was played at the Rend Lake Golf Course.

According to the Southern Illinoisan's early online coverage of this morning's news conference, roadwork will begin this fall.

...and will necessitate the shortening of Hole 15 by 78 to 150 yards and reducing par by a single stroke that will increase the course rating's difficulty.

For more on Barge, the Marion Daily did a nice profile on him in March.

State Parks to Accept Online Reservations, Maybe

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is finally entering the 21st Century with an online reservation system for campsites and picnic shelters, at least according to the Associated Press. I guess it's so long phone and snail mail.

Instead, the department says that starting July 7 reservations for 2010 can be made online for most campsites and other facilities, including 67 Illinois state parks and other state sites. Online reservations for shelters can be made online for 51 sites.

Too bad no one told the agency's webmaster.

Campsite Reservations are made at the site level. Each site maintains it's [sic] own campsite availability as well. Please contact the site you are interested in directly for mail-in and telephone reservations. E-mail reservations are not accepted.

Nothing like confusion to help bring tourists to Illinois.

Southern Calls on Quinn to Sign Development Bill

Today's Southern Illinoisan calls for Gov. Pat Quinn to sign Senate Bill 2093, the STAR Bonds bill needed to kick off a new destination development deal for Marion's northwest side.

This region not only needs private-sector investment and the traffic that comes with it, but it is well prepared. Forgive the cliché, but the iron is hot; it's time to strike.

Kokopelli Details to be Unveiled Tuesday

Now that Kokopelli has new local owners, area residents await details of their plans which will be announced Tuesday at a news conference in Marion.

The premier golf club has suffered from non-local ownership over the last few years and a year-long process to sell the course and restaurant held up by the federal government.

David Hays and Michael Koller, principal owners of Green Grass Group LLC, will let everyone know more in three days.

Already previous hints indicate more residential development. Other ideas over the years have included condos and some short-term tourism rentals on the golf course.

In April the owners let some of the details slip to the Southern.

Green Grass has big plans for the club's future, which include the development of a planned community, "The Club at Kokopelli," Green Grass Vice President Mike Koller said.

The community is planned for the area around what will be a new entrance to the club on Halfway Road. The road will tie the club from its current parking lot to Halfway Road near Rent One Park.

"This is going to be a long-term project. Our goal is to have up to 90 units," said Koller, who will be heading up the company's development plans.

The extension of Halfway Road north of Rent One Park up to the clubhouse. That was part of the original Hill development plan.

From a tourism standpoint, it would make the clubhouse and course much more accessible to travelers wanting to golf or sample the fine dining.

Hays also owns Mary's Restaurant and Bed and Breakfast in Herrin.

Green Grass Group LLC purchasd the course from Kokopelli Master Partners, a Florida consortium based in Gainesville. They had acquired it from Dutch native and Zimbabwe-national John Bredenkamp. The Times of Johannesburg, South Africa, has more on him.

Marion Destination Bill Sent to Governor

The Illinois Senate sent SB 2093 to the governor's office yesterday. Now it's up to Gov. Pat Quinn to sign or veto the bill designed to create a STAR Bonds district in Marion.

Thursday's action starts the clock for Quinn who now has 60 days to make a decision. His staff though has given no public indication of what he'll do.

"We'll be reviewing it," said [Quinn spokeswoman] Annie Thompson.

Developers Meet First Deadline, Quinn Waits for Bill

Today's Southern Illinoisan notes that developers of the proposed STAR Bonds district in Marion have met their first deadline, as reported yesterday in this blog.

Meanwhile, Gov. Pat Quinn's office is still awaiting delivery of SB 2093 from the Senate before they can take action. The Senate has 30 days to deliver the bill and the governor 60 days after delivery to act.

The proposed district will be between 250 and 500 acres located mostly east of Interstate 57 and north of Morgan Avenue, and will likely include another 45 to 50 acres undeveloped as part of The Hill adjacent to Menard's.

Two Loft Rentals Under Construction in Alto Pass

A northern Illinois teacher is investing time and capital on a new lodging opportunity along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.

Brian Stone is converting the old Alto Pass General Store into two two-bedroom loft rentals for tourists. He told the Southern Illinoisan he hopes to be ready for tourists late this summer.

"It's just been my dream to have a business like this on the wine trail. I just always believed in Southern Illinois," said Stone, a teacher in northern Illinois. "People have always been doing cabins down there. I thought to do something out of the box and com-pletely different to give an alternative."

The Alto Wine Trail Loft will be located at 5 Elm Street in downtown Alto Pass.

Stone joins about 50 other independent lodging operators in the western Shawnee Hills.

Mount Vernon Defines Regionalism

There's another interesting tidbit from the Mount Vernon version of the STAR Bonds legislation — SB 2881 that shows a bit of how the King City defines regionalism.

In Marion, as part of the concerted effort to build support from surrounding communities, the developers tweaked the original legislation and created a School Improvement Fund that would take 15 percent of the property tax increment generated by the multi-million dollar investment and distribute it to area schools.

According to the legislation Franklin-Williamson Regional Superintendent Matt Donkin could a) distribute the funds proportionally to the schools in Franklin and Williamson Counties based on fall enrollment figures, or b) toss out that formula and come up with something else.

Based on statements by superintendents in support of the project outside Franklin and Williamson Counties, they seem to be under the impression that Donkin would do "B". A fair proposal would be to proportionally distribute the funds say to every school district within a 25 or so mile radius of Marion based on student enrollment.

Either way he hadn't decided as of last Thursday, and in any case, he has a couple of years before the investments will generate any increment to distribute.

What's interesting about the bill amended by state Sen. John O. Jones, R-Mount Vernon, is that only schools in Jefferson County would have benefited from a STAR Bonds District.

The regional superintendent in Mount Vernon would not even have, or apparently be able to distribute funds to schools in Hamilton County which is part of his regional office's boundary, let alone in surrounding communities like Centralia whose mayor provided the second and only other vote in support of Mount Vernon Mayor Mary Jane Chesney's motion at the last Southern Illinois Mayors' Association on a resolution opposing the Marion STAR Bonds legislation.

Today's First Deadline for Big Marion Development

Developers are still waiting for Gov. Pat Quinn's signature on Senate Bill 2093, but their first deadline is in less than 8 hours.

Before midnight tonight, Bruce Holland and his development team must "own or have control of, through purchase agreements, option contracts, or other means, not less than 50% of the acreage within the STAR bond district," according to the legislation.

Most of the land being targeted is already owned by Marion Heights LLC, developers of The Hill. In past statements Holland has described his project as 300 to 350 acres, but the bill allows room for expansion, allowing from 250 to 500 acres to be included.

Ironically, this clause is also found in State Sen. John O. Jones' last minute amendment to SB 2881, his version of the STAR Bonds bill which would have allowed for the creation of a second STAR bonds district in Jefferson County at Mount Vernon's new Exit 94 on Interstate 57.

Neither Jones nor King City Mayor Mary Jane Chesney ever identified a developer interested in the parcel, which makes it unlikely the city could have found a way around this requirement.

During the hearing at the Senate's Labor Committee last Thursday, Chesney specifically stated her city was not interested in the tourism component of the bill. Despite her statement the legislation stipulates tourism as one of the key purposes for creating such districts.

It is further found and declared to be the policy of the State, in the interest of promoting the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of all the people of the State, to provide incentives to create new job opportunities and to promote major tourism, entertainment, retail, and related destination projects within the State.

There would have been another hiccup for Mount Vernon as well. In order to apply for the creation of a STAR Bonds district the master developer has to show a plan to secure not only a destination user, but an entertainment user as well.

The "destination user" is a major retailer with a building of at least 150,000 square feet, no other store within 70 miles and attract at least 30 percent of customers from more than 75 miles away, or at least out of state.

The "entertainment user" is more interesting. The short definition is theme park, but here's the long version as well:

"Entertainment user" means an owner, operator, licensee, a co-developer, subdeveloper, or tenant that operates a business within a STAR bond district that has a primary use of providing a venue for entertainment attractions, rides, or other activities oriented toward the entertainment and amusement of its patrons, occupies at least 20 acres of land in the STAR bond district, and makes an initial capital investment, including project costs and other direct and indirect costs, of not less than $25,000,000 for that venue.

The biggest hurdle for a Mount Vernon STAR Bonds district would have been the area itself. In order to qualify for a STAR Bonds, it has to be blighted. As Marion found out a quarter century ago in the Mall Wars, just because a parcel of land is undeveloped it does not mean it's blighted, especially when it's at a new interstate interchange.

Sports Fan Wants Great Wolf Lodge

A Southern Illinois sports enthusiast by the handle of 618Football wants a Great Wolf Lodge in Marion so bad, he's started an online petition.

Here is a petition to let Great Wolf Lodge know that we want them to come to Southern Illinois. We went last year to Kansas City and had a blast. The kids ask every week to go back.

So Just How Big a Deal is It?

Bob Butler cried tears of joy tonight as the Illinois Senate gave him what will likely be the crowning achievement in his nearly five decades as mayor.

That's just how big a deal this evening's vote in favor of Senate Bill 2093 was.

Never could Marion's fiesty mayor of 47 years be described as speechless, but when the Senate Labor Committee approved the bill this afternoon, all he could do was grin as he left the room afterwards.

Tonight, he cried, when the Illinois Senate passed the STAR Bonds bill on a 2-to-1 margin with 34 ayes, 17 nays and 3 voting present.

Never one to shy away from emotion in a city council meeting or an interview with reporters, Butler's usually known for his quick wit or sharp retort like his "stop whining" comment to Mount Vernon at a recent Southern Illinois Mayors Association meeting.

City Hall followers have seen him mad, angry, exasperated, enthralled, engaged, and in any number of emotions, but tears of joy may have been a first.

The STAR Bonds bill, otherwise known as the Innovative Development and Economy Act, represents more than just another economic development tool for the city. As critics repeatedly pointed out today, it could be as much as $400 million in rebates to developers over the next few decades if all goes as planned.

All being more than 6,000 construction jobs and nearly 5,000 permanent positions.

To put those incentives in perspective that's 100 times the amount the state kicked in for the Southern Illinois Miners stadium at Rent One Park five years ago.

That's around 10 times more than the state-funded improvements on Route 13 and the new upcoming I-57 interchange in Marion that's now just starting.

Potentially it's a bigger impact than the coming of the mall and the first use of tax increment financing districts 20 years ago. In a word, it's huge.

Historically, it's like getting the interstate finished and open with two interchanges at the edge of your city — something that happened to Marion during Butler's first term.

And it almost didn't happen.

The Senate's Committee on Assignments sent the bill to the State Government and Veterans Committee for a 10 a.m. scheduled hearing this morning. But opponent and Mount Vernon state Sen. John O. Jones sits on that committee. Apparently, the votes weren't there, or at least represented too much of a risk.

So back to the Assignments state Sen. Gary Forby carried the bill. It could be sent to the Executive Committee some thought which didn't meet until much later. In the end, it went to Labor, a committee normally chaired by Forby himself, for mid-afternoon.

He opened the committee for business then turned over the gavel to another so he could testify on his bill's behalf. Supporters, opponents, lobbyists and media packed Room 212, the ornate hearing room on the second floor of the Capitol that once housed the Illinois Supreme Court.

Dozens signed slips stating their support or opposition. Forby and developer Bruce Holland testified in favor. Mount Vernon Mayor Mary Jane Chesney spoke in opposition to SB 2093, but in favor of another bill that would add Mount Vernon to the mix.

Forby's two state Reps, John Bradley and Brandon Phelps, started the session with last minute lobbying of the committee members themselves. For 15 minutes Forby delayed the start as the crowd continued to draw its way inside.

During the testimony, Bradley repeatedly left his seat crouching at Forby's side with an answer or suggestion to an opponent's remark. An expectant father in a maternity ward couldn't have been more anxious. This was their baby. It was time to deliver.

The committee voted 8-2 in favor and sent it to the Senate. Another committee took over the room. Forby needed a breather and headed back to his office. They'd passed the first challenge. Now he had just an hour to prepare for the next.

When the Senate opened for its final session Forby took to the floor and argued his case. Opponents of the bill split between those who thought it went too far, and those who argued not far enough. Include Mount Vernon at the very least, they pleaded, if not the entire state.

After 40 minutes the acting Senate President called for the roll. Backers had hoped for 36 votes, the super majority needed to override any vetoes, but settled for the 34.

Still afterwards,the developers felt satisfied. If needed there might be some ayes in those who voted present, not to mention the vote of the Senate leader himself, John Cullerton, who was not present and didn't vote. The moves today through the committees, not to mention the almost last minute vote on the bill itself wouldn't have happened without his blessing.

As the supporters and opponents left for their long drives home, the question for the developers and lawmakers became what to do next.

With President Obama arriving in Chicago today, Gov. Pat Quinn had left for the Windy City prior to the vote. He wasn't in town, but his staff remained, and Bradley and others immediately reached out.

Then there were calls to others who had helped, letting them know the joyous news. For the younger Hollands, the developer's son and nephew, they told the same message but to a different audience — the companies that had been interested for months in the plan.

While it's true as Forby and Holland often had to admit today, that no one had signed on to the project as yet, it didn't mean no one was interested. The calls went out; the bill has passed. Let's get together and talk.

They'd been to this point before the previous year when lawmakers passed the bill for Glen Carbon, before Quinn's amendatory veto. They made some changes and addressed his concerns in the new bill that passed today. And now they wait.

And so do we all.

Bill passes 34-17.

Senate now debating the bill. Opposition vocal, but outlook good.

Bill passes committee 8-2 in favor.

Committee hearing begins.

It's Official, Labor's the Committee, 2:30 p.m. is the Time

The Senate has just posted that the Labor Committee will meet at 2:30 p.m. this afternoon in Room 212 of the Capitol. The only bill is SB 2093, the Innovative Development and Economy Act, otherwise known as the Millennium Development bill.

Still Waiting, But Here's More on the Labor Committee

Still waiting for a time to be set on a hearing for the Millennium Development bill for Marion. With it being yanked out of the committee that state Sen. John O. Jones, R-Mount Vernon, sits on, it's now supposedly set to go to Labor.

The first committee had a 5-4 split between Republicans and Democrats. The Labor Committee, which is chaired by the bill sponsor, Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, has a partisan split of 7-4. We can only assume it will pass in that committee.

Meanwhile, the Senate has stalled on the pension borrowing bill and the House on the cigarette tax hike. The more delays on the big items, but more time for SB 2093 to make it out of committee and onto the Senate floor for a final vote.