Teamsters Joint Council 25 Legislative Update

Legislative News: Governor Releases Capital Plan

A $31 billion statewide capital infrastructure proposal was endorsed by Governor Rod Blagojevich, Senate President Emil Jones, Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson and House Minority Leader Tom Cross today.  The infrastructure plan was released after months of statewide meetings involving the Illinois Works Coalition led by former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and former Congressmen Glenn Poshard.  Teamsters Joint Council 25 supports this plan and will be actively lobbying the General Assembly this week.

The proposal, known as the “Hastert/Poshard infrastructure plan”, would invest $31 billion in transportation, education, health care, economic development and other critical infrastructure needs throughout Illinois.

The plan includes the following proposals to generate revenue:

• Leasing 80 percent of the state Lottery, which would generate $7 billion for non-bonded projects upfront, and still provide for the lottery’s contribution to funding education;

• Allocating excess Motor Fuel Taxes for $2 billion in bonded road projects; this is not a tax increase, but expending the windfall from increased gas prices over the last year; and

• An expansion of gaming to fund $6 billion on bonded projects and $700 million in non-bonded projects. This would include a Chicago casino, riverboat expansion and 3,600 slot machines at existing race tracks.

PLEASE CALL YOUR STATE REPRSENTATIVE AND TELL THEM YOU SUPPORT THE “HASTERT/POSHARD INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN”! 

Click Here to Find Your State Representative: http://www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/selectsearchtype.aspx

For questions or comments regarding any legislative issue, please contact the Joint Council 25 Political Department
at 312.421.2600.

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