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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The first total solar eclipse to occur along a
3path across the entire continental United States since 1918
4will occur on August 21, 2017; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The point of greatest duration for the eclipse on
6August 21, 2017 will occur along a line of totality stretching
7northwest to southeast across Southern Illinois; and
 
8    WHEREAS, A second total solar eclipse will occur seven
9years later on April 8, 2024, with a line of totality
10stretching southwest to northeast across Southern Illinois;
11and
 
12    WHEREAS, The centerline of totality for both eclipses will
13intersect over Cedar Lake, just a few miles south of
14Carbondale; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, which is
16ranked among the top 5% percent of all United States higher
17education institutions for research, will host educational
18events and activities for NASA and other top scientists from
19around the world, as well as the general public; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Roughly 250,000 visitors are estimated to travel

 

 

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1to within a 100 mile radius of the intersection of eclipse
2totality in Southern Illinois on or about August 21, 2017 and
3April 8, 2024 to experience the total solar eclipses; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The sudden influx of visitors to Southern Illinois
5on or about August 21, 2017 and April 8, 2024 will provide
6much-needed, long-term economic opportunity for the southern
716 counties of Illinois; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The 16 southernmost counties of Illinois
9historically suffer from high rates of poverty, low economic
10opportunity and related socio-economic problems, and
11accordingly, are part of the Delta region; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Congress established efforts in 2000 to improve
13regional economic opportunity in the Delta region through
14strategic investments that create jobs, build communities, and
15improve the lives of the 10 million people who reside in the
16252 counties and parishes of the eight-state Delta Region; and
 
17    WHEREAS, It has been found that:
 
18        (1) The overall population in the Southern Illinois
19    Delta region has fallen by 4.5% since 1980; the population
20    grew in only four counties between the 2000 and 2010
21    census, and only two counties (Johnson and Williamson) grew

 

 

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1    since the 2010 census based on 2015 estimates;
 
2         (2) Between 2010 and 2015, Illinois Delta counties saw
3    a net population change of -6,038; Illinois was the only
4    state in the Delta region to experience a negative natural
5    increase and negative net migration in its Delta counties;
6    the natural increase in Illinois was -730 (12%) and net
7    migration -5,308 (88%);
 
8         (3) Economic data shows that the Southern Illinois
9    economy lags behind the nation in its recovery from the
10    effects of the "Great Recession" that officially began in
11    December of 2007 and ended in June of 2009; while the
12    United States had recovered all jobs lost in the Great
13    Recession by April of 2014, Illinois remains over 18% short
14    of regaining its lost jobs as of April of 2015;
 
15         (4) Illinois is only one of two Delta states that saw
16    a decline in job growth between 2010 and 2015; annual
17    growth rate for jobs in Illinois was -0.1%, surpassed only
18    by Alabama with -0.5%;
 
19         (5) The poverty rate in Southern Illinois has
20    consistently surpassed that of the State rate of 14.3%; six
21    counties, Alexander, Hardin, Jackson, Massac, Pulaski, and
22    Saline, have poverty exceeding 20%, and Alexander and the

 

 

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1    Jackson county poverty rate exceeds 30%;
 
2         (6) The poverty rate for those under age 18 is equal
3    to or exceeds 30% in seven counties, Alexander, Hardin,
4    Jackson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, and Saline;
 
5         (7) Strengths of the Southern Illinois region include
6    strategic location with proximity to major Midwest urban
7    centers, multi-modal transportation systems, and natural
8    resources including oil, coal timber, and agriculture, and
9    scenic, natural, recreational, historic, cultural, and
10    archeological resources;
 
11         (8) Opportunities in the Southern Illinois region
12    include tourism potential, especially "heritage tourism",
13    broadband expansion, improved support for entrepreneurs,
14    development of specialty and value-added agriculture
15    products, and marketing the region as a whole; and
 
16         (9) Threats to the Southern Illinois region include
17    aging infrastructure and lack of sewer capacity in some
18    areas, continued population decline, and low tax base; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The sudden influx of visitors to the region will
20stress existing infrastructure and services, including roads,
21broadband, housing and accommodations, health care, public

 

 

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1safety, and potential disaster response; and
 
2    WHEREAS, The total solar eclipses on August 21, 2017 and
3April 8, 2024 will provide a unique opportunity to showcase the
4scenic, natural, historic, recreational, archeological, and
5cultural resources of Southern Illinois; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Due to the anticipated 250,000 visitors to
7Southern Illinois on or about August 21, 2017, there is an
8urgent need to direct resources to the region that supports
9entrepreneurship, job creation, hospitality training, heritage
10tourism, workforce development, infrastructure, and disaster
11response; therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
13NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
14declare the month of August of 2016 as "Southern Illinois
15Eclipse Crossroads Awareness Month"; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That we support development of a regional
17organization to ensure sustainable, long-term economic
18development that balances meeting immediate needs while
19dedicating resources to strategic and long-term goals; and be
20it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That we encourage development of a marketing plan

 

 

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1for regional branding around the solar eclipse and general
2regional tourism and economic development in Southern Illinois
3that coordinates and leverages investment by federal, State and
4local government entities, private business, non-profit, and
5non-governmental organizations; and
 
6    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
7delivered to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, the U.S.
8Secretary of Commerce, the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for
9Oceans, Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator, the U.S. Secretary
10of Transportation, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, and
11the Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority.