Plans have begun to find where Obama's Presidential Library will be built. As states make their cases, Illinois has shelved a plan that would have made it a good contender.

The Illinois Legislature, dominated by Democrats, has postponed voting on a $100 million gift of tax dollars to Obama's presidential library, according to The Associated Press. The proposal was designed to sweeten the deal for Obama's presidential library, but legislators did not advance the idea before ending the spring session.

New York and Hawaii have also forwarded bids to host the library; however, Illinois' unprecedented gift would have made it a more likely contender. Republicans objected, arguing that it would be expensive and set a precedent, especially since it was not specified where the money would come from.

Some Democrats also broke ranks and opposed the legislation, AP reported.

"It wasn't clear that a state monetary incentive was necessary for a successful (library) proposal," said Rikeesha Phelon, a spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton, a Chicago Democrat.

Yet, Democrats believe the legislation is a good idea. They want the library to come to the state so it can be part of a replacement for a five-year statewide construction program that is expiring. State House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is also the Democratic Party chairman, did not manage to get the larger project voted on, but Democrats hoped still to have the money for the library decided before the end of the session.

Republicans oppose the idea of using taxpayer money for the project, though they hope Illinois is chosen, the AP reported. Rep. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, argued that Bush and Clinton had raised the money for their own libraries, so he did not see the reason for taxpayers taking on half the costs.

Regardless, the construction of the library would bring a boom to the local economy. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, a study conducted by the University of Chicago showed that the library would bring millions to South Chicago.

The increase in tourists would mean more clients for 30 restaurants and 11 retailers in the area and could also lead to the building of a hotel, creating more jobs for the downtrodden area. The study ultimately found that, if the library were built there, it would generate around $200 million in "total new spending" annually and would create 1,900 net new jobs, mostly through development.