Quad Cities Chamber Executive Vice President Paul Rumler says that money for the direct flight from the Quad Cities to Washington D.C. has been taken out of Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner's FY 2015 budget. Rumler told that to News 8 after the Rock Island County Airport Authority Board Meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2015.
Former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation into place in July of 2014 to give money to the airport for the flight. Since then newly elected Governor Rauner has put a spending freeze in place, taken the money out of the fiscal year 2015 budget, and also not proposed it in fiscal year 2016. Governor Rauner got his first tour of the Arsenal of Wednesday, April 8, 2015. At that time, he said he would review whether he'd put that money back in future budgets.
"We're encouraged by his comments at that visit in which he said he was open to looking at that funding again," Rumler said Tuesday. "So we're hoping that he'll have some type of news for us."
A spokeswoman for the Governor says the project is under review because of the fiscal crisis the state is currently in.