A "Lazarus" Act Like We've Never Seen
Reps. Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago) and Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) testify about a House energy bill in committee this week. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
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“If they manage to revive this thing, it’ll rate up there with the story of Lazarus,” one longtime statehouse insider told me as I walked through the first floor of the Capitol building late last night, referring to the bible figure raised from the dead by Jesus. “I don’t know that we’ve ever seen anything like it.”
It takes the historical “nothing is ever dead at the Statehouse” mantra to a whole new level.
After appearing dead following Governor JB Pritzker’s comments Wednesday, lawmakers managed to negotiate a new mass transit bailout bill during the day Thursday, with more engagement from the Governor’s office than they previously had. A new bill was introduced around 10pm Thursday, passed by the House after 2am, and by the Senate around 4:30am Friday morning.
“It’s been a hell of a week,” Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) commented during debate on the legislation, calling it a “betrayal” of downstaters after years of raids to downstate road funds.
The massive legislation moves Chicago-area mass transit agencies under the jurisdiction of a new body, the Northern Illinois Transit Agency (NITA).
To stave off the long-discussed fiscal cliff facing transit agencies, lawmakers approved around $1.5 billion in tax increases and fund sweeps, but no broad statewide tax hike, like the maligned “Amazon Tax” the Senate passed in May or a new tax on streaming services like Netflix and Hulu contained in the original House version of the bill earlier this week.
The majority of transit funding will come from redirecting funds from the sales tax on gasoline from the road fund to mass transit. It would generate around $850 million in revenue that had been dedicated to roads. Supporters say the road fund is flush with cash from the existing Motor Fuel Tax. Opponents say it will raid $400 million from downstate road projects. The gasoline sales tax dollars are required to be spent at a 90%-10% clip for northeastern Illinois transit.
In return for raiding road funds, lawmakers earned the support of roadbuilders, like the powerful Local 150, by increasing toll rates on the Illinois Tollway, which will be used for infrastructure improvements on city and suburban toll roads.
The legislation also raises the existing Regional Transportation Authority sales tax by 0.25 percentage points, to 1% in the collar counties and 1.25% in Cook County.
“We are changing our public transit system for the first time in five decades to be safe, to be reliable, to be accessible, to be integrated; making sure that we got the performance and we got the funding that’s needed to make a system of the next level,” said Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), the Senate sponsor of the bill.
Governor JB Pritzker said in a statement Friday morning he supported the bill and is expected to sign it.
“The legislation makes important changes to how Illinois operates and manages our transportation network, including investing in new capital projects that will make our public transit and tollways more modern, efficient, and reliable for riders,” Pritzker said. “I am pleased the legislation also avoids new broad-based state taxes on Illinois working families. Instead, it directs existing state revenue streams to flow towards public transit systems while enabling independent bodies like the Regional Transportation Authority and Tollway Board to decide how to best meet their users’ needs.”
The bill takes effect next June 1.
WHAT ELSE PASSED AT THE END OF VETO SESSION?
The Energy bill (SB25) is headed to the Governor’s desk.
A bill protecting illegal immigrants from ICE actions in certain places, like courthouses and hospitals, is headed to the Governor’s desk. (HB1312)
Medical Aid in Dying, which passed the House in May, cleared the Senate last night. (SB1950)
Speaking of “from the dead”…the Decatur racino bill that died this spring came out of nowhere last night. It passed the Senate, but wasn’t called in the House. (HB2724)
