State Representative Bill Mitchell came to Clinton to hold an open forum with DeWitt County seniors.

Topics at Tuesday's forum from the DeWitt County Friendship Center ranged from reforms to senior programs to welfare to the state's fiscal mess. Rep. Mitchell says it's time the state get back to basics and take care of those who can't take care of themselves.

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The Representative was approached about welfare. The Representative says one out of every two Illinois children are on welfare and in Decatur, part of his district, six out of ten children are on welfare. He believes, when responsibility is emphasized in society, people respond, and they have gone away from that idea in Illinois.

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Rep. Mitchell says the programs Illinois puts in place are well intended programs, but he notes, lawmakers ignore how to pay for them. He says that cannot happen anymore.

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Rep. Mitchell is sponsoring welfare reform programs that would include drug testing to recipients of welfare, a crackdown on LINK fraud, and a work requirement to receive food stamps.