Gov. Blagojevich Uses Amendatory Veto Authority to Provide Free Public Transportation to Seniors

Governor Files Amendatory Veto Language to Protect Seniors From Impact of 0.25 Percent Sales Tax Increase Approved by Lawmakers

[January 14, 2008]  CHICAGO -- Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich on Friday officially submitted his amendatory veto to House Bill 656, the CTA funding bill, to provide free public transportation to all Illinois seniors. After lawmakers in both chambers approved a bill that relies in part on a 0.25 percent increase in the sales tax in Chicago and surrounding counties, the governor promised to rewrite the bill to minimize the effect on senior citizens by allowing them to use public transportation for free. Earlier Friday, Blagojevich joined senior citizens at Mather's--More Than A Cafe on Chicago's northwest side to urge members of the Illinois General Assembly to quickly return to Springfield and approve his improvements to the legislation.

"I still don't think raising the sales tax is the right way to help the CTA and other transit agencies," the governor said. "But in the spirit of compromise, I accepted the plan lawmakers sent me and improved it by making public transportation free for all Illinois seniors. After officially filing my amendatory veto, I hope lawmakers quickly come back to Springfield to act so buses and trains keep running, and seniors will have an easier time getting where they need to go."

The governor asked senior citizens to help the transit crisis reach an end by calling their legislators and urging them to accept the governor's amendatory veto next week. Lawmakers have until Jan. 20 to take final action on a long-term transit funding bill or the CTA will begin implementing service cuts, fare hikes and layoffs.

The governor's amendatory veto requires transit agencies statewide to allow senior citizens, age 65 and older, to use mainline and fixed route public transit service for free. A senior who uses public transportation twice a week could save $176 a year on CTA fares, $156 a year on Pace fares and $405 a year on Metra fares. There are approximately 1.3 million seniors living in communities across Illinois that have mass transit service.

"We are very grateful that the governor has made free public transportation for seniors an integral part of the mass transit bill," said Beryl Clemens, board member of Metro Seniors in Action. "This will help thousands of people living on fixed incomes get to where they need to go on trains and buses throughout the state. On behalf of Metro Seniors in Action and my fellow seniors statewide, I want to thank the governor and urge legislators to quickly pass this bill."

House Bill 656 provides over $494 million in new, recurring funding for the Regional Transportation Authority -- which includes the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace -- and another $50 million for transit agencies in other parts of Illinois. With a long-term funding plan in place, the Chicago-area transit agencies have said they will not cut services, raise fares or lay off workers on Jan. 20 as planned. The legislation also implements important pension and oversight reforms within the RTA.

[Text from file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]