After facing pushback for their ridiculous amusement tax and event surcharge fee proposals to bail out Chicago mass transit, Democrats quietly amended their bill last night during the waning hours of veto session. They did this so quietly, in fact, they didn’t even have the language for the amendment when they called the measure in committee.
Once again, downstate citizens are being asked to bail out Chicago’s mess, and the latest ‘solution’ offered up takes away dollars intended for our local communities and sends them to Chicagoland. Thousands of dollars that Central Illinoisans are already paying in motor fuel taxes that are supposed to fix our area roads and bridges are now being funneled to bail out Chicago mass transit. This is outrageous.
This legislation passed in the middle of the night, on the final day of the fall veto session, with no time for the public or stakeholders to review the amendment. There were several other bad bills passed during this veto session, which stretched into the early morning hours on Friday in what has become normal in Springfield. These shady tactics only further erode public trust in this state government.
There was no reason for the chaotic rush to pass this bailout and other bills in the 11th hour except to try to avoid scrutiny and actual due process. Democrats have once again put politics before people, and it’s a disgrace and insult to all Illinoisans.
Learn more here: Illinois lawmakers approve $1.5B legislative package to buoy mass transit – Chicago Sun-Times