Nearly two months after Rep. Reggie Phillips (R-Charleston) posted a $25,000 reward for information leading to the capture of vandals who raided one of his senior-assisted living construction sites, local police say they still have no suspects.
But supporters of the veteran legislator are intent on keeping the heat on his tormentors. Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) took to the House floor to assail those who might target Phillips.
Only hours before workers returned to find the site vandalized and valuable equipment damaged, union workers had protested outside the facility over the lawmaker's use of non-union workers.
Illinois State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton)
“I’m not willing to give union members anything at this moment,” she said. “He was using his own money, his own equipment, and union members picketed his site. Union thugs vandalized his equipment, spray-painting Trump’s name with a ‘not’ circle and Rauner’s name with an 'x' through it.”
Since the incident involving Phillips became public, Ives has introduced House Bill 2052, which would expand the parameters under which aggravated stalking charges can be filed. More recently, she compared the level of intolerance displayed by those who victimized Phillips with her uncompromising Democratic colleagues in Congress.
“We can’t be more hostile to businesses, and unions couldn’t be more hostile to private business owners,” she said. "I wouldn’t give them a dime until they cleared this up, until they straighten up and act right by business owners trying to do the right thing by Illinois.”
Phillips’ troubles came about despite his insistence that union workers had not been shut out of the process.
Phillips recently told the East Central Reporter that the bidding process was ongoing, and union crews were expected to make pitches. Phillips owns several senior assisted-living sites in the area, all of which were built using non-union workers on the privately funded projects.
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