Boland Blog

Mike Boland began a statewide tour to announce his campaign for Illinois Lieutenant Governor! It started with a energetic event in Chicago earlier today. Monday he'll be in Rockford, Galesburg, and Moline.

Watch for more details and news coming soon.

Mike has been busy traveling the state to talk about issues that matter. In case you missed it, check out this news article about the Challenge Scholarship, and Mike's support for real health care reform. You can read about the Challenge Scholarship and other issues at the campaign website.

Check out the TV news video of Mike's campaign announcement stop in Rockford.

Mike filed candidate petitions for Lieutenant Governor today with signatures from all 102 Illinois counties!

East Moline, IL (11/15/09) - State Representative Mike Boland, a Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor, praised Governor Pat Quinn's efforts to get the federal government to use the Thomson prison. "The jobs created by a more full use of Thomson prison are welcome to the communities surrounding Thomson," Boland said.

Rep. Boland, the only downstate Democrat in the Lt. Governor's race, said that he has been trying for nearly a decade to get more use out of the maximum security prison. "This area needs the jobs that will come with a broader use of Thomson prison," Boland said. "We finally have a Governor who takes the economic development of Western Illinois as seriously as I do."

A study done by Governor Quinn's office estimates that between 2,500 and 3,500 jobs could be created by selling the prison to the federal government. News reports indicate that the Obama Administration may consider bringing prisoners to Thomson from the Guantanamo Bay detention center when it closes sometime next year.

An eight term legislator, Rep. Boland said that Republican opposition to Governor Quinn's plan is political. "Of course anyone brought to a maximum security prison is dangerous by definition," Boland said, acknowledging the violent nature of the potential new inmates. "This is why we built Thomson prison to begin with-to house dangerous individuals." Boland said he is confident that "any potential danger" can be managed by federal and state officials working together.

Rep. Boland, whose legislative member initiatives have brought hundreds of jobs to the region, said that in this tough economic time, "Jobs have to be our number one priority. While the Republicans peddle fear, we choose jobs."

Appearing with Governor Quinn at the press conference Sunday to announce the potential sale of Thomson prison to the federal government, Rep. Boland said, "I fail to see how safely housing Guantanamo Bay inmates is different than safely housing Manuel Noriega, Gangster Disciple inmates, John Gotti, or mass murderers, or other violent criminals that are or have been routinely housed in maximum security prisons in Illinois," Boland said. "Apparently Republicans do not think it is possible to chew gum and walk at the same time. We can create jobs by opening Thomson prison and do it safely, regardless of who is imprisoned there."

Rep. Boland said that over the years, he has worked with local officials, three Governors, even legislators from neighboring Iowa to try to get the prison opened. He even suggested selling it to the federal government several years ago. "I have worked my heart out to get the more use out of this prison," Boland said. "If it means jobs for my district, we would even take Stu Levine as a prisoner," Boland joked.