Rep. Rosenthal Votes No to Land Transfer of Shabbona Lake and State Pa

Springfield, IL…The Illinois House of Representatives passed a controversial bill that transfers State land to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in DeKalb County. Senate Bill 867 authorizes the Director of Natural Resources to hand over a deed of Shabbona Lake and State Park to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. State Representative Wayne Rosenthal (R-Morrisonville) issued the following statement:

“I have concerns over this bill because Democrats voted to handover an Illinois State Park while at the same time not setting protections for landowners who currently reside on additional property that will be transferred,” said Rep. Rosenthal. “This was clearly a federal issue and I’m disappointed to see this bill pass through both houses without any regulations and without hearing directly from residents in DeKalb County.”

SB867 passed through the General Assembly on January 7, 2025. This legislation officially transfers ownership of Illinois’ Shabbona Lake and State Park to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.

Rosenthal continued, “The disregard to hear input from local residents is another example of how bad public policy is crafted by the majority party. I’m sure there will be legal disputes in the near future because this bill lacks language that pertains to what development is permitted on the land.”

For more information, contact Rep. Rosenthal’s office at 217-782-8071 or visit his website at reprosenthal.com

Representative Wayne Rosenthal serves the constituents of Illinois’ 108th District which includes Menard County and portions of Christian, Macoupin, Montgomery, and Sangamon Counties.

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