Springfield. ..With tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in new revenue at stake, a group of House Republicans today called for a House vote on a bi-partisan fracking agreement currently stuck in the Rules Committee.

Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly referred to as fracking, is the extraction of natural gas and oil from the earth through horizontal drilling.  The extraction technique involves injecting water, sand and chemicals into rock to release the natural gas.

Springfield, IL… Today, after Governor Quinn’s budget address, State Representative Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago) asked why both parties can’t sit together to prepare a fiscally responsible budget.

“Medicaid is one of the biggest areas of the budget and one that Republicans worked in a bipartisan manner to reduce costs the past two years. The fracking proposal is another example where bipartisan efforts have led to opportunities for job creation and the best environmental protections in the country,” said Fortner.

Springfield, IL…Thursday, Illinois State Representative Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago) co-sponsored a regulatory bill on fracking, in effort to move Illinois towards a more accessible and affordable energy solution.