Data: 116 state jobs moved to Springfield in past 2 years

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - A Springfield-area lawmaker who wants to bring more state jobs to the Illinois capital city says new data show more work needs to be done on the effort.

New numbers from the Department of Central Management Services show that 116 state jobs moved into Springfield from other parts of the state since Gov. Bruce Rauner took office in 2015, The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reported. However, the agency said more than 400 state jobs were lost in Sangamon County during the same time period.

"Obviously, those numbers don't seem to be coinciding with the spirit of what I'm trying to work on," said Republican state Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez of Leland Grove. "I think what those numbers indicate is that there is still some negative movement for state jobs in Sangamon County."

Jimenez sponsored a resolution asking state agencies to report on where jobs were located and why they couldn't be in Springfield. The survey was sparked by the belief that former administrations moved hundreds of state jobs out of Springfield.

"Keeping positions filled remains a challenge due to budgetary constraints as well as the state's challenging hiring process," the agency said in a statement. "As the state finds its budgetary footing we will continue to look for opportunities to honor (Jimenez's) resolution given the governor's office has made the challenging task of finding these opportunities a priority."

Democratic Sen. Any Manar of Bunker Hill said she's willing to work with Jimenez on efforts to bring state jobs back to Springfield. Manar's district includes a portion of the city.

"I believe they view that bill as a burden and they view that legislation as completely unnecessary, potentially hamstringing the administration," Manar said. "The Rauner administration has told the legislature on many occasions it has no business in decisions like this."

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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com