Rauner cancels Randolph County stop

<span>In a late Thursday night email, Press Secretary Catherine Kelly told the Herald Tribune that due to severe weather in parts of the state, Gov. Bruce Rauner's scheduled appearance in Randolph County has been cancelled for Friday.</span>

<span>"In light of the severe weather that has hit parts of Illinois, we have cancelled the governor's planned events for (Friday)," Kelly said in an emailed response to a Herald Tribune inquiry about the governor's schedule. "We will be back to Randolph County soon."</span>

<span>Kelly went on to say she would notify the Herald Tribune when they would return.</span>

<span>A news release sent out Friday morning indicated Rauner was to hold a "press briefing" at the Flagg Center Community Church of God with the director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, James Joseph, and would survey area tornado damage with other elected officials.</span>

<span>There was no mention of the cancelled Randolph County stop.</span>

<span>Randolph County was to be included as part of Rauner's weeklong "Illinois Turnaround Tour," during which the governor was to present details of his legislative plans - including elements of his Economic Competitiveness and Job Growth Package; Taxpayer Protection and Property Tax Freeze Package and Transforming Government Package and Pension Reform Package.</span>

<span>In an email Thursday morning, Kelly said Rauner was scheduled to make an appearance at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta on Friday at 2:15 p.m., but there was some confusion locally over whether it was to be only a walkthrough tour or a speaking visit.</span>

<span>"As far as I know, I was not informed that there would be any type of a press conference or meeting here at the county level," said Randolph County Board of Commissioners Chairman Marc Kiehna in a media interview after Friday's meeting of the board. "My understanding is that he was going to be in the area and there was a meeting in Belleville and a meeting in Mount Vernon and so, along the way, he was stopping at the Events Center at the shooting complex for a tour of the facility and a meeting with local folks.</span>

<span>"That's really all I know."</span>

<span>Sparta Mayor Jason Schlimme said he was not given much information on the governor's visit.</span>

<span>"We were never informed of a certain time he was going to be at the shooting complex," he said.</span>

<span>Sangamon, St. Clair and Jefferson counties were also on the schedule for Friday. In a Friday afternoon news release, it was revealed Rauner's Illinois Turnaround Tour visits to Richland and Champaign counties would go on as scheduled.</span>

<span>Rauner has not visited Randolph County since June 4, 2014, when he was campaigning against Democratic incumbent Pat Quinn.</span>

<span>Rauner visited Gilster Mary-Lee in Chester during that visit, speaking to company management and hourly employees in two separate sessions. Joining him was state Sen. Dave Luechtefeld (R-Okawville), but he did not speak publicly.</span>

<span>"I'm here because I love Illinois and I want to go to work for you," Rauner said to Gilster Mary-Lee employees at the time. "I don't want a salary - I don't want a pension. I'm not going to take a pension, I just want to go to work for you."</span>

<span>During his visit, Rauner said the state had become a breeding ground for immorality and corporate thievery.</span>

<span>"The government in Springfield is run by special interests and lobbyists for the benefit of those special interests, not you," he said.</span>

<span>In the November general election, Rauner took Randolph County handily, as nearly 60 percent of the 11,477 who voted considered him a better option than Quinn. A little more than half (55 percent) of the county's 20,724 registered voters took part in the election.</span>

<span>But a recent poll of 1,000 statewide registered voters, performed by SIU-Carbondale's Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, showed Rauner's approval rating at 36.5 percent. The poll was conducted from Feb. 28 to March 10.</span>

<span>On April 8, the Daily Egyptian (SIU-Carbondale's student newspaper) reported Rauner is expected to be a keynote speaker during the university's graduation ceremonies on May 16. Rauner is scheduled to speak at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony for students in the College of Business and College of Education and Human Services.</span>

<span>Rauner has proposed a 32 percent cut to higher education as part of his state budget proposal and the irony was not lost on SIU students, as some reportedly took to social media in reaction to the news.</span>