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Quinn's Thoughts on Death Penalty, Caterpillar
(IRN)-Governor Pat Quinn is not happy that the LaSalle County state's attorney still plans to pursue the death penalty against a Seneca man charged in the 2007 beating deaths of an elderly couple.

State's Attorney Brian Towne says he has no plans to decertify the case of Keith Mackowiak.

Quinn this month signed a law abolishing capital punishment in Illinois, but the law does not take effect until July 1. However, Quinn says if this defendant is convicted and sentenced to death, he will commute the sentence to life in prison. "I signed a law that abolishes the death penalty in Illinois, and that's the end of it," Quinn said.

Meanwhile, the boss of Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc. is raising the specter of moving the heavy equipment maker out of Illinois. In a letter to the governor last week, Caterpillar chief executive officer Doug Oberhelman said officials in at least four other states have approached the company about relocating since Illinois raised its income tax in January.

The governor says he isn't worried, and notes that Caterpillar is successful in Illinois, where it employs 23,000 people who "know how to get the job done."

Quinn has a meeting with Oberhelman scheduled for April 5 in Peoria.

(Source: Illinois Radio Network)
03 28 11 by Newsroom
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