Rauner announces State Day of Service
<p dir="ltr"><span>On Thursday, Gov. Bruce Rauner announced that April 22, 2017 - which happens to be Earth Day - will be the inaugural "State Day of Service" in Illinois.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>In a news release, Rauner stated that in the past, volunteer groups had expressed an interest in helping out at various state agencies, but due to the previous AFSCME contract, severe restrictions were placed on the use of volunteers.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Rauner's announcement comes two days after the Illinois Labor Relations Board sided with the governor on the contract dispute with AFSCME.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>"We are all residents of Illinois and all working towards the goal of making the state a better place to live and work," Rauner said in a statement. "Given the state's challenging financial circumstances, it is absolutely essential that we engage partners when and where we can.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>"Through the first State Day of Service, we will be able to provide additional services at no cost to taxpayers, while giving volunteers an opportunity to give back and help their fellow Illinois residents."</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>On the State Day of Service - which will be an annual event - groups and individuals will be able to come together across the state to assist state agencies through activities like cleaning up state parks, working on projects at the state fairgrounds or even volunteering at the state's veterans homes.​</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>In the release, Rauner said that more information on the timing, location and activities on the Day of Service would be released in the coming months.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The Herald Tribune is working on getting local reaction to Rauner's announcement.</span>
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