Quinn plans to reopen 7 closed Ill. state parks

SPRINGFIELD -- Despite a budget deficit of $9 billion or more, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn says he'll soon reopen seven closed state parks.

Quinn's predecessor, Rod Blagojevich, closed those parks last fall in a budget-cutting move.

But during a news conference at the state Department of Natural Resources in Springfield on Thursday, Quinn called Blagojevich's decision "a false economy."

Quinn says the state parks are important for Illinois tourism, particularly when the economy is bad and people can't afford to go elsewhere on vacation.

He didn't say how much reopening the parks would cost or where he planned to get the cash.

The sites involved are: Castle Rock State Park; Lowden State Park; Illini State Park; Hidden Springs State Forest; Moraine View State Park; Weldon Springs State Park and Wolf Creek State Park.