August 14, 2003

To the Honorable Members of the

Illinois House of Representatives

93^rd General Assembly

Pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(e) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return House Bill 3048, entitled “AN ACT relating to procurement”, with the following specific recommendations for change:

            on page 2, by inserting after line 4 the following:

            “The provisions of this Section shall not apply to federally funded construction projects if such application would jeopardize the receipt or use of federal funds in support of such a project.”.

While I support the intentions of HB 3048 to ensure that state construction projects are let to responsible contractors, using well-trained, highly skilled workers, the bill as written may conflict with federal highway regulations which could jeopardize the receipt of federal highway funds.  With these changes, which are necessary to ensure the continued viability of federal funding for highway projects, House Bill 3048 will have my approval.  I respectfully request your concurrence.

Sincerely,

ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH

Governor