State lawmakers head to Cuba next week on trade mission

[Judi Lynn]

State lawmakers head to Cuba next week on trade mission
By Ray Long

Clout Street

3:09 p.m. CDT, September 1, 2011
SPRINGFIELD—

About a dozen state lawmakers are headed for Cuba next week for a trip they hope will boost Illinois exports.

The six-day tour is being led by Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, and Rep. Dan Burke, D-Chicago. They said no taxpayer dollars will be spent on the excursion. Franks said he will pay for the trip out of his own pocket, and Burke said he and most of the other lawmakers will use campaign funds.

Franks, who chairs the House International Trade & Commerce Committee, said his interest is in helping Illinois regain a market share in exports to Cuba. It once peaked at $650 million in mostly agricultural products following George Ryan’s groundbreaking 1999 trip as the first sitting U.S. governor to go to Cuba and meet with Fidel Castro, but Franks said now Illinois’ exports to the island nation are about one-tenth of what it was.

“We figured, if we went down, maybe we could re-establish these connections that we had before that now seem to have fallen dormant,” Franks said.

More:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/clout/chi-state-lawmakers-head-to-cuba-next-week-on-trade-mission-20110901,0,7506650.story

[flamingdem]

1. Good to hear, I hope they bring back some goods as well

it really should be a two way street. How about some Havana Club :)