Archives for 2013

With a court-mandated June 9 deadline looming the Illinois House on Thursday defeated a concealed weapons proposal favored by gun rights advocates, a setback that could spur negotiations toward finding common ground with lawmakers who back gun control.

Here are two stories from different parts of the state.  The first is a link to the Chicago Tribune coverage of the conceal carry legislation.

www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/clout/chi-illinois-house-defeats-less-restrictive-concealed-carry-bill-20130418,0,465210.story

Here’s a link to a story in the Springfield State Journal-Register.

www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1545202888/Concealed-carry-fails-in-Illinois-House

Lt. Gov. Shelia Simon issued a press release the concealed carry law.

Simon: Comprehensive background checks a “must” for concealed carry law

SPRINGFIELD – April 18, 2013. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon issued the following statement regarding House Bill 997 sponsored by Rep. Brandon Phelps (D-Harrisburg). Earlier this month, Simon’s Firearms Working Group released a 10-point legislative checklist to help guide debate on pending legislation.

“I appreciate Rep. Phelps’ tireless work on crafting a constitutional law, and I thank him for talking with our Firearms Working Group as we worked to gather information from the many stakeholders involved in the concealed carry discussion. However, House Bill 997 as written today does not go far enough to guarantee public safety.

“HB 997, as currently written, relies too heavily on the FOID process to screen for an individual’s criminal history, history of domestic violence, and mental health background to determine whether that individual could pose a danger. We know that the FOID screening is underfunded, understaffed, and unable to provide for safety within a short 30 day timeframe. We must include comprehensive background checks in a concealed carry law in Illinois.

“The working group also learned that most teachers and administrators at grade schools, high schools and colleges agree that we should keep guns out of our schools. This is consistent with the gut reaction of horror that parents feel at each school shooting. Concealed carry firearms should be prohibited from school grounds.

“This legislation is a good start, but there is still work to do. I oppose HB997 in its current form and encourage legislators to continue negotiations. I am optimistic that we can reach a timely compromise.”

Both gun rights and violence prevention advocates urged the freshmen senators and representatives who comprised the Firearms Working Group to pass reasonable restrictions that balance the constitutional right to keep and bear arms with the responsibility to prevent violence.

Currently Illinois is the only state in the nation with a law that completely bans carrying concealed firearms. The law was declared unconstitutional in December by a three-member panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and Illinois now has until June to pass a law that permits people to carry concealed guns in public spaces.

Please visit www.ltgov.il.gov/guns for additional information about the Firearms Working Group and the legislative checklist.

Plan Will Improve 2,142 Miles of Highway, Replace or Rehabilitate 517 Bridges and Make Major Investments in Public Transit

SPRINGFIELD – Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider to unveil a six-year, $12.62 billion construction program that will improve roads and bridges throughout Illinois while making major investments in public transportation. The projects, including a number in southern Illinois, are part of Governor Quinn’s agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois’ economy forward, while updating the state’s transportation system. The upcoming highway, public transit, rail and airport projects will address critical infrastructure needs while making major transportation improvements throughout the state.

“Illinois is the transportation hub of the nation, and this program will ensure we have the modern infrastructure needed to compete with the world,” Governor Quinn said. “This major investment in roads, bridges and public transportation will drive economic growth in every part of Illinois, and create tens of thousands of jobs.”

The fiscal years 2014-2019 highway improvement program will improve 2,142 miles of highway, and replace or rehabilitate 517 bridges across Illinois. The plan includes $475 million to reconstruct the Circle Interchange in Chicago; $56 million to repair and upgrade I-74 in eastern Illinois; $83 million to resurface and replace bridges on I-57 in Marion, Pulaski, Union, Johnson and Williamson Counties; $76.2 million for a new Mississippi River bridge in Moline (in cooperation with the State of Iowa); and $40.4 million to resurface and repair bridges along Interstate 55 in Logan County.

“These projects will make our entire transportation system safer, easier, more efficient, and ready to accommodate our current and future needs,” Secretary Schneider said. “But they come with another benefit – the fact that we will employ thousands of Illinois men and women, and support numerous Illinois businesses, while construction is underway.”

For fiscal year 2014, the program has allocated $2.24 billion for road projects, $128 million for public transportation, $224 million for rail and $68 million for airport improvements. The total allocations for the multi-year program are $9.53 billion for roads, $1.81 billion for public transportation, $1.121 billion for rail and $159 million for airports.

The plan includes $7.2 billion in anticipated federal funds, $1.9 billion in state funds and the remainder from local and other sources. Additional bond authorization will be required to continue funding these transportation projects. The $580 million remaining for road and bridge projects from Governor Quinn’s Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program is also included in this multi-year program.

Projects that are part of the fiscal years 2014-2019 program will begin after July 1 this year. Governor Quinn and Secretary Schneider last month announced $486 million in road and bridge projects that will begin this spring is one of the largest early-season construction programs in the state’s history.

Many of the projects announced today are funded through legislation Governor Quinn championed in his State of the State address earlier this year. Of those projects, IDOT is offering contractors a reimbursement rate of $10 an hour for hiring graduates of the Highway Construction Careers Training Program, an IDOT-sponsored initiative to encourage women and minorities to pursue careers in the transportation construction industry.

The multi-year transportation program builds upon the success of Governor Quinn’s $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which is supporting more than 439,000 jobs over six years. It is the largest capital construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest capital construction programs in the nation. Prior to its passage by the Illinois General Assembly in 2009, Illinois had gone nearly a decade without a major program to address its critical infrastructure needs.

More information on the construction program may be found at http://www.dot.il.gov/opp/hip1419/hwyimprov.htm.

Projects of interest in Franklin, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union, Wayne, White and Williamson Counties include:

Rubblization and resurfacing 31.9 miles on Interstate 57, from Perks Road 1.2 miles south of the Union County line to south of Old Illinois 13 in Marion in Pulaski, Union, Johnson and Williamson Counties; bridge replacements at Township Road 277, Big Creek, the Illinois 146 interchange and Westminister Drive; and culvert replacements at 1.9 miles and 1.7 miles south of the Johnson County line are programmed during FY 2015-2019 at a cost of $83.4 million.

Resurfacing 2.4 miles on the Interstate 57/64 tri-level interchange, north of Mount Vernon in Jefferson County, is programmed in FY 2014 at a cost of $8.8 million.

Interstate 57 from 2 miles south of Dix to Marion County line in Jefferson County. Resurfacing on 5.1 miles is programmed during FY 2015‑2019 at a cost of $8.1 million.

Resurfacing 4.4 miles and bridge replacement on the eastbound Illinois 37 interchange on Interstate 64, from Interstate 57 to Illinois 142 east of Mt. Vernon in Jefferson County, are programmed during FY 2015-2019 at a cost of $10.3 million.

Resurfacing 6.5 miles and bridge deck overlay on Interstate 64, from 6.5 miles east of the Wayne County line to 0.4 mile west of Illinois 1 in White County, are programmed in FY 2014 at a cost of $12 million.

Bridge replacement, engineering for contract plans and construction engineering on Interstate 64 at Wabash River in White County are programmed during FY 2015-2019 at a cost of $71 million. Indiana and Illinois will share the cost equally, with Illinois being the lead agency.

Reconstruction and additional lanes for 4.3 miles, land acquisition and construction engineering on US 45, from 3 miles south of Illinois 141 at Texas City to Illinois 142 in Eldorado, are programmed in FY 2014 at a cost of $28.5 million, funded through the Illinois Jobs Now! capital plan.

Resurfacing 13.2 miles, bridge replacements and culvert replacements on Illinois 1/14, from Grayville to Carmi, are programmed during FY 2014-2019 at a cost of $5.2 million. Of this total, bridge replacement over Crooked Creek is programmed in FY 2014 at a cost of $1.1 million.

Resurfacing 11.4 miles on Illinois 14, from Hamilton County line to Illinois 1 in Carmi, is programmed in FY 2014 at a cost of $3.2 million.

Resurfacing 5.3 miles, land acquisition and utility adjustments on Illinois 37, from the south corporate limits of Benton to Yellow Banks Road north of West Frankfort, are programmed during FY 2015‑2019 at a cost of $6.5 million.

Resurfacing 9.3 miles on Illinois 37, from Illinois 146 to the Pulaski County line in Johnson County, is programmed during FY 2015-2019 at a cost of $2 million.

A bridge replacement on Illinois 127 over Beaucoup Creek, 2 miles south of Illinois 4 in Jackson County is programmed during FY 2015‑2019 at a cost of $6.8 million.

A bridge replacement on Illinois 127 (Bridge Street) over Big Muddy River at the south corporate limits of Murphysboro is programmed during FY 2015‑2019 at a cost of $3 million.

Grading, culvert extension and slope stabilization on Illinois 141, from New Haven to 2 miles east of New Haven in White County, are programmed during FY 2015-2019 at a cost of $3 million.

Resurfacing on 22.5 miles on Illinois 146, from the Johnson County line to Illinois 34 in Hardin and Pope Counties, and bridge replacement over Flat Lick Branch are programmed during FY 2014‑2019 at a cost of $5.8 million. Of this total, bridge replacement over Flat Lick Branch is programmed in FY 2014 at a cost of $1.2 million.

Construct new rail infrastructure leading from the Union Pacific Railroad to Continental Tire N.A. in Jefferson County to allow for inbound car loads of oil, synthetic rubber and carbon black. The project is estimated to cost $1.2 million.

Improvements to the Shawnee Mass Transit District Facility at an estimated cost of $1.45 million, funded through the Illinois Jobs Now! capital plan.

4 35-foot diesel buses, 3 super medium duty diesel buses, 8 medium duty diesel buses and 1 minivan for replacement at the Rides Mass Transit District Rolling Stock. The project’s estimated cost is $2.452 million and is funded through the Illinois Jobs Now! capital plan.

Rehabilitate and remark two taxiways at the Mt. Vernon Airport at an estimated cost of $438,000.