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State Lawmakers Address Museum Closure

A month and a half after the Illinois State Museum shut its doors to visitors ... lawmakers have passed a measure that could lead to its reopening.  Advocates have mourned the loss of the Springfield-based museum, which also hosts researchers and preserves millions of artifacts.

Despite the closure, most of the museum's staff have so far held onto their jobs. Their union is fighting with Governor Bruce Rauner's administration in court. But State Museum Board Chairman Guerry Suggs says other employees have quit, taken new jobs, or retired. 

Suggs says a law would be helpful, because it would provide assurance.  He says the museum could open again right away, if it were allowed.

Rauner's office says whether he'll sign or veto the legislation -- which includes no funding source --  is under review. The Republican has said he "loves" the state museum but was forced to close it as he tries to manage state spending.

The Dickson Mounds archeological site, a museum site in Lockport that the community says is an economic engine, and smaller branches in Chicago's Thompson Center and in Rend Lake could also return should the measure become law.
 

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