From email I received...
We're almost there!
As we told you in an e-mail minutes afterward, HB-656 passed both the House and the Senate last Thursday. It's the same basic bill as SB-572, which is what we've been fighting for all along. It's great news that we're this close to a solution on the transit funding crisis.
We thank everyone who called the Governor's office after it passed. We have been told that the office was flooded with calls asking the Governor to sign the bill without changing the bill by an amendatory veto.
Despite those efforts, Governor Blagojevich announced hours later that he would veto the bill and send it back to the legislature with amendments. (The only change being the stipulation that seniors ride free across Illinois.)
But, because of the governor's veto, the bill must go back to both the House and the Senate again--either for concurrence (requires a simple majority) or an override (requires a supermajority). If the bill were to fail, the cuts and fare increases are still scheduled to occur on January 20th.
The full Illinois House and Senate are scheduled to meet again and vote tomorrow. If your representative and/or senator voted in favor of this legislation, you should give them a call and thank them. And, either way, it's important that you ask them to support the bill when it comes up for a vote.
PLEASE call them today and let them know you support HB-656.
See how your representative voted here (PDF), and see how your senator voted here (PDF).
Then, find the phone numbers for your legislators and give them a call. Alternately, you can visit SaveChicagolandTransit.com to send a message online.
Rick Harnish
Executive Director
Transit Riders' Alliance
A project of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association
PO Box 805877
Chicago, IL 60680
(773) 334-6758
We're almost there!
As we told you in an e-mail minutes afterward, HB-656 passed both the House and the Senate last Thursday. It's the same basic bill as SB-572, which is what we've been fighting for all along. It's great news that we're this close to a solution on the transit funding crisis.
We thank everyone who called the Governor's office after it passed. We have been told that the office was flooded with calls asking the Governor to sign the bill without changing the bill by an amendatory veto.
Despite those efforts, Governor Blagojevich announced hours later that he would veto the bill and send it back to the legislature with amendments. (The only change being the stipulation that seniors ride free across Illinois.)
But, because of the governor's veto, the bill must go back to both the House and the Senate again--either for concurrence (requires a simple majority) or an override (requires a supermajority). If the bill were to fail, the cuts and fare increases are still scheduled to occur on January 20th.
The full Illinois House and Senate are scheduled to meet again and vote tomorrow. If your representative and/or senator voted in favor of this legislation, you should give them a call and thank them. And, either way, it's important that you ask them to support the bill when it comes up for a vote.
PLEASE call them today and let them know you support HB-656.
See how your representative voted here (PDF), and see how your senator voted here (PDF).
Then, find the phone numbers for your legislators and give them a call. Alternately, you can visit SaveChicagolandTransit.com to send a message online.
Rick Harnish
Executive Director
Transit Riders' Alliance
A project of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association
PO Box 805877
Chicago, IL 60680
(773) 334-6758
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