Overview
- The House passed the bill 72-33 and the Senate 36-21 in early morning votes, sending the measure to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
- The plan redirects about $860 million from motor-fuel sales tax receipts and roughly $200 million from Road Fund interest, and authorizes a 0.25 percentage-point RTA sales-tax hike projected to raise $478 million.
- Illinois Tollway fares will rise by about $0.45 per passenger toll and roughly 30% for commercial vehicles to fund a new tollway capital program.
- The bill establishes a Northern Illinois Transit Authority to oversee CTA, Metra and Pace with unified coordination of fares and service, and lowers the farebox recovery requirement to 25%.
- Supporters say the package averts service cuts and layoffs next year, while downstate lawmakers object to diverted road funds and regional equity; earlier proposals for streaming, delivery and other statewide taxes were dropped.