[ Search ] [ PDF text ] [ Legislation ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
[ Introduced ] | [ Engrossed ] | [ Enrolled ] |
[ House Amendment 001 ] | [ Senate Amendment 001 ] |
92_HB5961gms STATE OF ILLINOIS OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR SPRINGFIELD, 62706 GEORGE H. RYAN GOVERNOR August 16, 2002 To the Honorable Members of the Illinois House of Representatives 92nd General Assembly Pursuant to Article VI, Section 9(b) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby veto House Bill 5961 entitled "AN ACT concerning well water." House Bill 5961 creates the Contaminated Well Water Revolving Loan Program Fund to be administered by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The state-wide program would provide loans of up to $30,000 to help homeowners with contaminated water wells obtain an alternative water well source. These interest-free loans would be repaid over a thirty-year period. House Bill 5961 originated because of water well quality problems in Downers Grove, Illinois. While I support the concept of House Bill 5961 and believe it would be a useful tool in fighting private water well contamination, it was passed without identifying a funding source for either the loans or additional administrative costs associated with the program. Because I believe this is a very serious problem, my office has worked diligently with the area legislators and the officials in Downers Grove and nearby communities to address the specific water quality problems in the area. To this end, I recently approved House Bill 6061, which included $2 million earmarked specifically to help provide and alternative water source to those affected homeowners in most need of immediate relief. Additionally, I recently signed Senate Bill 2072 into law to assure notification of affected homeowners as a further means of reducing future problems. These recent actions have rendered House Bill 5961 unnecessary. Futhermore, with the State's current fiscal situation, I am not in favor of creating another program that places additional pressure on an already strained State revenue stream. For these reasons, I hereby veto and return House Bill 5961. Sincerely, s/GEORGE H. RYAN Governor