Chambana Sun

Rep. Chad Hays (R-Catlin) hated to see FreightCar America leave Danville, but it happened because of inadequate workers' compensation reform like House Bill 2525, he told the House on the last day of the spring legislative session.

“The president of the company, the board of directors talked to me on many occasions: 'Is your state serious about work comp? This is killing us, this is going to drive us out of your state,'" Hays said in a video of the debate. “It finally happened: They pulled up stakes. Several hundred employees are no longer employed -- employees who are difficult to place, employees who got that second or third chance with this generous and compassionate employer.”

Despite Republican protest, HB2525 passed both chambers, but Hays said it's unlikely to be signed into law by Gov. Bruce Rauner.

“These matters are important,” Hays said. “Taking these nonsense votes … that everybody in this chamber knows are going nowhere, is a disservice to the citizenry of this state, and it’s a significant disservice to those 400 people that are now on the unemployment line because we couldn’t get it done.”