Hoffman Resolution Encourages Use of Steel Made in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In a continuing effort to promote Illinois and American-made products, state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, is sponsoring a resolution calling on the state to use steel and iron products made in Illinois.

“With the steel industry serving as a vital cog in the Metro-East economy, we should be using our state’s buying power to incentivize local economic growth and create jobs,” Hoffman said. “Aside from the economic benefits, the state is getting a superior product by purchasing steel made here in Illinois, rather than overseas.”

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of steel jobs in the United States has declined more than 35 percent since 2000. In the Metro-East, steel plants have been forced to shut down or lay off employees. Hoffman is sponsoring House Resolution 372, urging the state of Illinois to buy steel and iron made in Illinois to help support local businesses and middle-class families. Hoffman was recently alarmed to learn that the Chicago Transit Authority had decided to buy steel for its new railcars from a manufacturer in China, instead of backing employers and workers in Illinois.

“The decision made by the Chicago Transit Authority was shortsighted,” Hoffman said. “In order to stop the trend of jobs being shipped overseas we need to invest our tax dollars here in businesses that are committed to employing the hard-working families of Illinois.”