By Bill Cameron, WLS News

(Springfield, IL) Some of the changes on Gov. Bruce Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda” are getting legislative hearings in Springfield.

Up first was trying to stop the flow of jobs out of Illinois by making expensive workers compensation costs on employers more competitive with other states. The idea was probably doomed though, when State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) brought up slavery.

There was a time in out country’s history where southern states could be a lot more competitive because of free labor,” Raoul said. “The reason I raise this is you can’t just look at another state and say they’re more competitive, you also have to look at how they’re treating their employees.”

But Republicans say if there is no new business in Illinois, there are no new jobs

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