Bill allowing IL drivers 3 unpaid tickets before suspension headed for governor

[June 04, 2024]  By Catrina Petersen | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – A bill that passed the Illinois General Assembly will allow traffic violators to get three unpaid traffic tickets per year before they have their license suspended.

After backlash earlier this year, state Rep. Justin Slaughter didn’t move forward with a controversial traffic stop bill that would have prohibited officers from pulling over individuals caught speeding up to 25 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. However, Slaughter pushed through a different, more watered down, traffic bill in House Bill 277. Slaughter, D-Chicago, said the current law is unfair to violators and causes problems for them keeping their jobs.

“HB277 is designed to modernize our procedures for people who receive tickets, minor traffic offenses, and fail to appear in court,” said Slaughter. “Current law grants our judges the power to suspend an individual's driver’s license if he or she fails to appear in court. From a fairness and equity perspective, this current process is creating a significant challenge for individuals at risk as they seek to hold onto their jobs.”

State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Harrisburg, warned if the proposed bill becomes law, there's no incentive for violators to pay their tickets and that will be problematic for local governments.

“The issue I have is this, currently the law is that if an individual doesn’t pay a traffic ticket their license is suspended. Of course, that creates a great incentive for a person to pay their traffic tickets. If this becomes law, an individual would get three unpaid tickets before their license is suspended, therefore it’s a great disincentive until you get to that third ticket to pay your tickets to the local government,” said Windhorst.

Illinois state Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago
Greg Bishop / The Center Square

Slaughter got HB 277 across the finish line and ready to send to the governor. Windhorst said local governments are going to see an impact on their budgets now that traffic violators are allowed up to three unpaid tickets per year before they have their license suspended.

“I believe this will lead to reduced collections for local governments and will impact their budgets,” said Windhorst. “I just can’t support this change.”

Slaughter said his bill maintains appropriate consequences for traffic violators but doesn’t risk a defendant's job.

“This [bill] is all about [keeping people’s] jobs. Let’s help the most marginalized and vote ‘yes,’” said Slaughter.

Slaughter pulled his first bill that dealt with traffic violations. House Bill 4603, had Slaughter not pulled it, would have prohibited police officers from pulling over violators with tinted windows and expired plates, also violators who didn’t use a turn signal or improperly changed lanes.

In 2019, traffic ticket collections were estimated to bring in more than $260 million each year to help Chicago’s cash-strapped budget. For Chicago’s 2024 fiscal year, there was a $538 million budget gap. Chicago has rolled back on their collections to advance "equity," but with Slaughter’s bill all municipalities will have to delay their ticket collections until a violator has three unpaid tickets per year.