Do you think the Illinois State Capitol should have copper doors valued at $670,000? Illinois State Representative Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) thinks they should be sold. Rep. Kay recently introduced legislation to auction off the outlandish doors to the highest bidder and use the revenue to pay unpaid bills or reinvest in education.
"Spending $670,000 on fancy doors is outrageous and irresponsible," said Rep. Dwight Kay. "This is the kind of spending spree in Springfield which must stop. The state simply can't afford spending thousands of dollars on costly ornamental fixtures in the Capitol, especially with $5 billion in unpaid bills, a public pension system with nearly $100 billion in debt, and school districts not being fully funded."
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In 2009, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law a six-year, $31 billion, construction program that invests in Illinois' infrastructure. Included in that construction program was $43 million to renovate the west wing of the State Capitol Building; a renovation that prioritized making the building compliant with health/life safety and Americans with Disabilities Act rules and regulations, as well as asbestos removal, and upgrades to HVAC systems and structural elements to ensure the integrity of the historic building is not compromised.
Rep. Kay's resolution (HJR48) orders that the new copper doors be removed from the capitol building's west side entrance to be auctioned off or sold to the highest bidder. Rep. Kay added, "we can have beautiful doors appropriate for the capitol for an amount less than what was spent on copper doors by the administration."
