State Representative Chad Hays delivered an impassioned message to fellow lawmakers Wednesday, letting them know how lack of action on Workers Comp reform has hurt the Danville area. Hays told how one Danville business decided to leave the state in March.
‘’FreightCar International – they made freight cars for the railroad industry. And they would engage individuals that many other companies would not,’’ said Hays. ‘’They would take them in and they would train them. They would pay them a living wage. Hundreds of jobs are no longer in Danville, Illinois from an employer who would do just that. – Why? Because we can’t get off the snide on Work Comp.’’
The Illinois House passed a Democrat version of Workers Comp reform Wednesday afternoon, but Governor Bruce Rauner has indicated he will veto the bill. It would make small changes to workers compensation, however it also includes new employer penalties.
Representative Hays says FreightCar America decided it was time to get out of Illinois
‘’because their sister company in Pennsylvania was paying one-fifth of the work comp premium that they were paying here in Illinois. The president of the company, their board of directors talked to me on many occasions. ‘Is your state serious about work comp? This is killing us! This is going to drive us out of your state.’ – It finally happened, they pulled-up stakes.’’
Representative Hays delivered those comments even though Democrats had cut off debate on the measure by using a procedural maneuver before Hays could speak.
