Committee Updates
For the first time in a long time there are committees to report. Like seemingly everything else these days, the committee hearings will be virtual, and you can watch online at www.ilga.gov
House Transportation: Regulation, Roads will meet Monday at 12 CST. The Illinois Chamber is tracking the following legislation posted for a hearing:
HB253 - IDOT-ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN (Bucker) Requires the Department of Transportation to establish and implement a transportation performance program for all transportation facilities under its jurisdiction. Provides that the Department shall develop a risk-based, statewide highway system asset management plan to preserve and improve the conditions of highway and bridge assets and enhance the performance of the system while minimizing life-cycle cost.
HB270 - BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN WAYS (Moeller) In and within one mile of an urban area, the Department of Transportation shall establish and solely fund bicycle and pedestrian ways in conjunction with the construction, reconstruction, or other change of any State transportation facility.
The House Transportation: Vehicles & Safety committee will meet Wednesday morning at 9 CST. The Illinois Chamber is tracking the following legislation:
Other Legislative Updates
Both the House and the Senate were originally scheduled to return to Springfield next week, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that happening. As noted above, virtual committees will pick up the pace quite a bit next week.
US Chamber “Common Ground” Event
The US Chamber held their first “Common Ground” event this Tuesday featuring Congressmen Rodney Davis (IL-13) and Seth Moulton (D-Massachusetts). The Illinois Chamber and our Infrastructure Council was happy to be able to participate in this event which is intended to highlight members of Congress that attempt to work across the aisle. Infrastructure Chairman David Bruner of United Contractors Midwest was able to ask the following question:
Bruner: The transportation community was grateful that the legislature and the Governor passed a capital bill here in Illinois in 2019. Now we think it is time for the federal government to act. We believe that simply raising the gas tax is not adequate to meet Illinois infrastructure needs. Do you agree? If so, what funding alternatives would you support?
Congressman Moulton said “One thing that strikes me about Transportation & Infrastructure is that there are a lot of systems that have done well over the years with user fees where we say people who use this transportation system should pay the lion’s share of the cost for its operation.” He also wants to take a look at subsidies received by different methods of transportation to ensure we are making best use of limited funds.
Congressman Davis pointed out that raising the gas tax is a limited return in an age of increasing gas mileage and adoption of electric vehicles. He also believes a gas tax increase will not pass the House of Representatives. He suggests that we look at user fees and that the solution can’t be limited to a gas tax and a VMT.
Truck Parking Seminar
The Illinois Department of Transportation held a virtual seminar on Illinois truck parking on Wednesday. This event, the second in a series of three seminars, focused on dialogue between stakeholders and the identification of best practices and solutions for trucking parking needs. Specific Issues raised during the teleconference included lack of roadside facilities for truckers, public-private partnership opportunities, possible tech innovations for truckers, and federal funding sources. Other State DOTs, such as Nevada, Pennsylvania and Colorado, were referenced as models for truck parking innovation.
New Bills of Interest
Over 1000 bills were filed in the last week. Here are some of the new infrastructure bills we are keeping an eye on:
HB 3388 (Weber)- Waterway and airport derived motor fuel tax revenue must be utilized by the municipality or county where it originates for airport or waterway purposes.
HB 3243 (Manley) - Creates the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Act. Electric utilities serving more than 500,000 customers in the State shall file a proposal with the Illinois Commerce Commission to establish a commercial tariff utilizing alternatives to traditional demand-based rate structures to facilitate charging for light duty, heavy duty, and fleet electric vehicles and that support integration of renewable energy resources.
HB 3481 (Stoneback) – Creates the Electric Vehicle Charging Station Financing Program Act. Allows the State Treasurer to issue loans for the design, development, purchase and installation of qualified electric vehicle charging stations for use by private homeowners or small businesses.
HB 3712 (Jones) – Creates the Car-Sharing Program Act.
HB 3940 (Walsh) - Changes the manner in which dealers are reimbursed by manufacturers. Provides that manufacturers must pay a dealer no less than the amount a retail customer pays the dealer for the same services. Authorizes the use of agreed upon time guides. Applies to warranty work and factory recalls. Establishes manner of determining effective labor rates.
HB 3980 (Ness) – Repeals red light cameras
SB 503 (DeWitte) – In the absence of an appropriation for any State fiscal year, moneys required to be distributed to local governments from the State and Local Sales Tax Reform Fund, the Motor Fuel Tax Fund, the State Gaming Fund, the Local Government Video Gaming Distributive Fund, and the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund are subject to a continuing appropriation.
In Case You Missed It: Todd Maisch Infrastructure Editorial
Illinois Chamber President Todd Maisch wrote an editorial for the Daily Herald newspaper this Sunday calling for bipartisan cooperation in Washington D.C. with an emphasis on potential areas of broad agreement including infrastructure. A sampling of the article below:
Equally important to America's economy is the foundation of transportation, energy, water and communications infrastructure our country is built upon. Despite its importance, we have let this infrastructure begin to crumble and fall behind our economic competitors in the world. Many states, including Illinois, have shown they can muster bipartisan support to invest in our economic future by investing in our critical infrastructure. Washington should follow their bipartisan lead and pass a comprehensive infrastructure bill.
Articles of Interest
Clark
