PEORIA -- A rally to support pro-labor demonstrators in Madison, Wisc. has been scheduled for 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24 at the Peoria County Courthouse.
"Support our friends in Wisconsin as well as women, children and seniors that are under attack across the nation," the flier reads.
The event was announced at the Feb. 21 Peoria County Democrats Presidents' Day Dinner, where the featured speakers were Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon and US Sen. Dick Durbin.
Durbin said he is touring the Illinois Congressional districts represented by Republicans to tell the public how their members of Congress are voting in Washington.
Peoria's Congress member Aaron Schock voted against a $10 million grant program that would have gone toward redevelopment of the warehouse district and riverfront, Durbin said.
Schock also voted against $6 million in stimulus funds that have paid for Peoria's new airport terminal, he said.
"All we have to do is tell truth (about) who stands on the side of the millions out of work," Durbin said.
"We're watching closely" what the Republicans do, and "we're standing behind this president to put people back to work," he added.
Both Simon and Durbin expressed solidarity with the Wisconsin protestors. "These are battles we never thought we would have to fight again," Simon said.
The Wisconsin situation is "not acceptable to me or (Illinois) Gov. (Pat) Quinn," she added.
-- Elaine Hopkins
As a returned Peace Corps volunteer, I attended an event at Bradley where Schock sat next to the Director of the Peace Corps. Brad McMillan edited questions so the topic of Schock's vote on PC funding never came up.
Posted by: Burt Raabe | February 23, 2011 at 09:28 PM