Brenden Moore
The State Journal-Register
A resolution that would have affirmed Springfield as a “welcoming city” was withdrawn Tuesday evening after languishing in the city council’s Committee of the Whole for nearly two years.
Ward 6 Ald. Kristin DiCenso, requested the withdrawal, acknowledging there were not enough votes to spring the resolution out of committee.
The non-binding resolution — which would have affirmed Springfield as a “welcoming city” to immigrants and refugees — was effectively killed when a majority of aldermen voted to stall it in committee in October 2017. A supermajority vote would have been needed to resuscitate the measure. Instead, DiCenso said the measure’s advocates in the community have decided to start from scratch.
In addition to DiCenso, Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin and Ward 9 Ald. Jim Donelan voted in favor the resolution in 2017.
Ward 2 Ald. Gail Simpson, Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner and Ward 8 Ald. Erin Conley also said they would support a “welcoming city” resolution when asked at a candidate’s forum earlier this year.
Supporters in the past have sought to make a distinction between a welcoming city resolution, which would not change existing city practices, versus a sanctuary city initiative, which limits local law enforcement’s cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 