Sen. Murphy's Letter to the Attorney General on Thomson Prison Issue
11/17/2009
November 17. 2009
The Honorable Lisa Madigan
Attorney General
Attention: Opinions Bureau
500 South Second Street
Springfield, IL 62706
Dear Attorney General Madigan:
During the course of the past week, President Obama's administration has indicated that the prison facility in Thomson is a potential site for housing terrorist suspects who are currently being held at Guantanamo. The Governor has given mixed signals as to whether or not General Assembly approval will be needed for the proposed transfer of the prison facility at Thomson to the federal government, if only parts of the proposal will need approval, or if the Governor can effectuate the proposal without General Assembly approval. As a member of both the Appropriations I and Appropriations II Committees in the Senate, I respectfully request your opinion as to whether or not General Assembly approval is required to effectuate the entire proposal, any part of the proposal or if General Assembly is not required at all.
Thank you for your prompt assistance in this matter. If you are unable to provide a formal opinion, I would appreciate a response in the form of an informal Attorney General's opinion.
Sincerely,
Senator Matt Murphy
