FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  January 6, 2016 Contact: Nick Klitzing – nklitzing@ilgop.org

Rep. Brandon Phelps chose Mike Madigan over Olive Branch relocation project

The facts are clear: Rep. Brandon Phelps stayed quiet when House Speaker Mike Madigan ordered him to – voting for a wildly out-of-balance budget without any funding for the Olive Branch relocation project.  Phelps followed Madigan’s orders and opposed Governor Rauner’s budget proposals that saved taxpayers billions while also funding the Olive Branch relocation project. Brandon Phelps knows he’s an accomplice in Mike Madigan’s Chicago political schemes — all at the expense of Southern Illinois.

BACKGROUND: The money for the Olive Branch relocation project was included in the Governor’s proposed budget in two separate bills: SB 2024 and HB 2913.  Neither of those bills were called in a committee hearing in the House or Senate.  Why?  Because they proposed cutting wasteful government spending so we could afford projects like Olive Branch.  Mike Madigan and the Chicago machine didn’t like that very much — they wanted billions more in wasteful spending at the expense of Southern Illinois projects like Olive Branch.  That’s why money for this project was not included in the Madigan-Phelps out-of-balance budget that was passed by the General Assembly — they intentionally left out Olive Branch from the capital appropriations bill, HB 4166.  Rep. Phelps voted yes on the Madigan-Phelps budget and capital bill – both of which excluded the funding for Olive Branch.

Statement from Nick Klitzing, Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party: “Today, as Rep. Brandon Phelps claims to be in favor of releasing funding for the Olive Branch relocation project, Southern Illinois voters should understand Phelps’ hypocrisy. Phelps had an opportunity to vote for the funding, but he chose to stand with Mike Madigan. Phelps claims to represent Southern Illinois, but time and time again, he has shown that he represents his Chicago boss Mike Madigan.”

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