Ill. lawmakers send $28.3 billion construction plan to governor

Initial earmarks in the bill for LDC, Logan Correctional and Mount Pulaski Courthouse

[May 22, 2009]  SPRINGFIELD (AP) -- Illinois lawmakers approved a massive public works program Thursday, presenting Gov. Pat Quinn with the difficult decision of whether to sign off on a tax increase and gambling expansion to pay for the construction.

The long-awaited program is meant to put hundreds of thousands of people to work repairing dilapidated roads, bridges, schools and mass transit systems. Lawmakers approved a mix of state and federal spending that totals about $28.3 billion, officials said, with about $1.5 billion more to come later.

Initial earmarks for local projects include:

• $582,596 for capital improvements to LDC.

• $2,039 for a roofing project at LDC.

• $24,188 for the Mount Pulaski Courthouse Historic Site.

• $5,737,445 for a power plant upgrade at Logan Correctional Center.

• $321,186 for planning the power plant upgrade at Logan Correctional Center.

• $829,000 for replacing housing unit roofs at Logan Correctional Center.

• $172,369 for replacing security fencing at Logan Correctional Center.

• $31,592 for replacing doors and locks at Lincoln Correctional Center.

• $2,147,000 for upgrading the building automation center at Lincoln Correctional Center.

To come up with its share of the money, Illinois would raise taxes on beer, wine and hard liquor, legalize betting on video poker, raise vehicle fees, sell lottery tickets on the Internet and more.

Quinn supports a construction program, but he may not want to sign this version -- at least not yet.

The Democratic governor has expressed doubts about raising liquor taxes and legalizing video gambling. He said he might be able to go along because of the state's desperate economic situation but that he wasn't happy about the sources of money.

Quinn also questions the idea of passing a construction program before dealing with the state's overall budget, which will require choosing between drastic spending cuts or raising taxes. He said Wednesday that a public works plan shouldn't be put "ahead of real people who have real needs."

The governor's staff, while noting that he supports the idea of a construction plan that puts people to work, would not answer questions about his position on what the House sent him Thursday.

"He looks forward to reviewing the legislation," spokeswoman Katie Ridgway said in an e-mail. "Equally important is passage of a fair and balanced state budget that meets the needs of the people of Illinois."

Illinois has not seen a major construction initiative since Illinois FIRST was approved under former Gov. George Ryan. In the decade since, the state has not been able to keep up with the need for new or rebuilt highways, bridges, schools and public transportation systems.

At the same time, the nation's economic crisis has pushed Illinois unemployment to the highest level in years.

"This is Illinois' economic stimulus package," said Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie. "This is the bill that will put thousands of our people to work, repair the infrastructure of our state and do great things moving forward for the citizens and the economy of Illinois."

The House voted 86-30 in favor of the higher taxes and fees for the program. Two related pieces of legislation passed 117-0. The Senate had already approved them, so the entire package now goes to Quinn's desk.

The construction program would provide $3 billion for new road projects, $3 billion for school construction, nearly $1.4 billion for higher education, more than $1 billion for sewer and water projects, and $500 million for parks, museums and libraries, according to Senate Democrats.

Of interest to our area:

• A dozen authorizations to IDNR totaling over $8 million for statewide bike and recreational trails.

• $3 million not yet assigned to capital improvements at community colleges.

• $25 million to EMA to assist private colleges with safety and security issues.

• Historic sites and parks, some closed by Blagojevich, all received funds for improvements.

• Billions of dollars for road building, repairing and replacement still listed as "statewide" with no specific authorization at this time.

The plan calls for legalizing gambling on video poker machines, something often labeled the "crack cocaine of gambling." People already gamble on them under the table in many Illinois bars, but the state doesn't get a share of the money. The state should get $375 million a year from legalizing gambling on the machines.

The plan also would increase taxes on hard liquor, beer and wine. The increase would generate about $113 million. Consumers would pay about 2.6 cents more for a six-pack of beer, 13 cents more for a bottle of wine and roughly 80 cents more for a fifth of liquor.

Drivers and car owners would be hit with fees producing about $330 million a year for the state. The cost of license plates would climb by $20, for instance, to $99 a year.

The bills are HB255, HB312, HB2400.

[Associated Press; By CHRISTOPHER WILLS, LDN staff]

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