Jan 9, 2008 10:54 pm US/Central
State Lawmakers Take First Steps In CTA Fix
Transit Funding Crisis Remains Far From Solved, But May Be Closer To Resolution As Jan. 20 Deadline Looms
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ―
State lawmakers resumed their search Wednesday for a solution to mass transit woes in the Chicago area, but there was little evidence that months of wrangling and uncertainty were nearing an end.
The House narrowly approved two plans that would pump hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the cash-strapped transit systems in and around Chicago, trying to stave off fare increases, layoffs and service cuts planned for Jan. 20.
The Senate late Wednesday took up a slightly different version of one of the House proposals and watched it unexpectedly fall short of passage by one vote. Top Senate Democrats blamed the loss on a lack of Republican support but said they planned to push for another vote Thursday.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich opposes the plan that many lawmakers say is better than the one he supports.
The competing plans illustrate the policy and political divides that are still blocking a final mass transit deal.
One House proposal, approved 66-49, would use about $400 million from the state sales tax on gasoline to support Chicago-area transit systems. Even its advocates said they offered the plan reluctantly because it contained no provision to "backfill" the hole that would be created by diverting state taxes.
"This is a terrible bill," said Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville. "This is not the way you want to bail out mass transit."
The other House plan, approved 63-52, would raise sales and real estate taxes in the Chicago area by more than $500 million to pay for mass transit needs.
Rep. Julie Hamos, the Evanston Democrat who sponsored both measures, said she prefers the sales tax proposal because it's a long-term solution.
"It is a regional solution for a regional problem," Hamos said. "This is not intended to be a CTA (transit) bailout, and that's not what this is."
Either proposal, she says, will probably lead to what she calls a modest fare increase.
"I think both proposals will require riders to take responsibility for the system," Hamos said. "Maybe not in 2008, but in 2009. The system will not have enough to go on indefinitely."
The Senate voted 29-24 for a slightly different version of the sales tax proposal. It needed 30 votes to head to the House, where its fate is unclear.
Blagojevich supports the gas tax proposal but has vowed to veto the sales tax measure, suggesting that he would rewrite the sales tax plan if it reaches his desk. The governor in a statement thanked the House for approving the gas tax bill and putting it one step closer to becoming law.
The Senate, meanwhile, prepared for a vote Wednesday night on its own sales tax transit package.
And all of that maneuvering could be moot for now.
Many lawmakers, especially downstaters, refuse to support any aid for Chicago mass transit until a deal is reached on billions of dollars in state road, school and government construction projects. Negotiations continue on that "capital construction" plan, but snags remain on the massive gambling expansion being eyed to pay for the program.
"We've done half the problem ... and completely ignored the bigger issue," said House Republican Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego. "We're not doing anything about a jobs bill. We're completely ignoring the needs of all of the people of the state of Illinois."
Construction proponents reiterated Wednesday they weren't budging, even as pressure builds on Chicago-area lawmakers to provide transit aid.
"It's not about just downstate," said Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete. "It's about everybody all over the state."
CBS 2's Mike Parker and the Associated Press contributed to this report.cbs2chicago.com's Most Popular Pages 
Slideshow: The Rise Of Barack Obama Slideshow: '90s TV Stars Then & Now Slideshow: What A Way To Go Slideshow: In To Be Out: Gay Celebrities Slideshow: Did You Know? Stars From Chicago!
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
