SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - To limit state dollars going overseas, state Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, advanced a bill out of committee requiring all new state vehicles be assembled in North America on March 25.
"Illinois should lead by example to keep jobs from being shipped abroad and purchase only those vehicles assembled by North American workers," Smiddy said. "This legislation will encourage the momentum of the automotive industry in North America and put more of the highly-skilled automotive workers on the job right here at home."
House Bill 3438 requires every vehicle the state buys or leases to be assembled in North America. The Smiddy legislation would not require discontinued use of any vehicles currently in the state's fleet. Instead, all future vehicles the state buys or leases must be assembled in North America under the bill. Smiddy has worked with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the United Automobile Workers (UAW) to develop this legislation. Smiddy passed a similar measure last session in the House which was never voted upon in the Senate.
"Every day, corporations make decisions about where to send their dollars, and the state needs to be just as vigilant with its investments to ensure our tax dollars do not largely support jobs overseas," Smiddy said. "I'll continue to work with businesses and labor groups alike to find ways to keep good, well-paying jobs from moving abroad."
House Bill 3438 passed the House Labor and Commerce Committee and now awaits consideration by the full House.
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