Nov 29, 2007 12:49 pm US/Central
Lawmakers Head Home After CTA Bill Fails
Huberman: Doomsday Is Imminent If No Action Is Taken
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ―
State lawmakers are heading home today after doing nothing on the two big issues they've been debating for months.
But they're still hopeful they could be back before the end of the year to do something on both mass transit aid for Chicago and statewide construction projects.
Governor Rod Blagojevich had brought lawmakers into special session this week to bail out Chicago transit's financial woes. But the House shot down a proposal to do that last night.
House Speaker Michael Madigan sent his members home until January, although he put them on call to come back quickly if a deal is reached.
Blagojevich says he's meeting with legislative leaders early next week. If negotiations continue to produce nothing, the governor says he'll call daily special sessions until Christmas to try to force action.
In a special session Wednesday, lawmakers voted on a bill that would have diverted $440 million in state gasoline sales taxes to fund mass transit on a long-term basis. The plan's backers offered no other proposals for filling that hole.
The bill failed 57-53. It needed 71 votes to pass.
Critics said it would have blown a big hole in the budget. Blagojevich said Thursday that it's clear that the only way to solve the CTA funding crisis is to attach transit funding with a the larger construction bill.
CTA President Ron Huberman says his agency needs money to stay operational.
"It's very frustrating knowing what is at stake here," Huberman said, "and what's at stake is our 1.6 million riders who are trying to determine on a daily basis whether they'll have transit early next year. It's disappointing on behalf of the 2,400 employees of the CTA who are receiving pink slips going into the holiday."
Huberman has long said short-term bailouts won't work, and that no money will mean big headaches on many different levels. More than 2,400 CTA employees will face layoffs, customers will face higher fares, and they will have 81 fewer bus routes available to them.
If lawmakers do not approve a funding plan, that will all happen on Jan. 20.
Chicago commuters were not happy Thursday morning.
"It's a mess we have to go through trying to get to work every morning, and if we don't have this funding," said commuter Angela Allen. "I'm just going to be out of luck because I can't afford all that," a woman said. "It's cold."
"I think it's ridiculous in a city like this. We should be dedicated to making sure people can get around the city," added commuter John Moery. "This whole legislature, at this point, state government is just a mess."
CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.cbs2chicago.com's Most Popular Pages
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