Almost 7,000 people on Facebook have "liked" a page titled 'Save the Illinois State Museum.' Supporters have planned a rallyfor July 21st. Onthe 13th– concerned members of the public will meet at the capitol in Springfield and urge legislators and the Governor to keep the Illinois State Museum open. Governor Bruce Rauner has proposed closing the state’s main museum – as well as other museum facilities in several other cities, including Dickson Mounds.
Rauner says it’s a necessary move, considering the state’s gaping budget hole. But some critics of the plan say it’s just a ploy to get attention on the need for more serious and affective cuts the governor wants to see. His pro-business, anti-union agenda has been hard for the Democratic-led state legislature to swallow. As Illinois begins a new fiscal year, a budget plan has yet to be adopted. Due to state law, even if plans to close facilities go forward, a closure of the museum couldn’t happen until at least August.
Eliida Lakota is from Pekin, she's one of the Illinois residents fighting to keep the museum open. She has Native American ancestry and educates the community about Native American heritage. She spoke with me, as did Thom Whalen, an artist and professor in Springfield. Here are those interviews: