$31 billion Illinois Jobs Now Program

The St.Louis Business Journal reports that Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced a major plan to support green job creation.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn unveiled a plan for job creation and retention Monday that relies on tax credits for car manufacturers, startup capital for small businesses, job training programs and investment in green jobs.

A cornerstone of Quinn’s jobs plan is the $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now — the state’s first major capital construction program in more than a decade — which the governor signed into law this summer. Quinn said he expects the construction program, which also includes hundreds of millions of dollars for energy efficiency, weatherization and greening for Illinois schools, to create and support 439,000 jobs over six years. The plan uses money from the state lottery, casinos and sales taxes to finance bonds for billions of dollars in construction projects, including $78.9 million to renovate a science building and construct a new science laboratory building at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

The Quinn administration said it helped put together more than 40 business investment packages in 2009, which are expected to create about 2,700 jobs, retain 3,500 jobs and leverage nearly $500 million in private investment.