Illinois high court upholds public works plan
SPRINGFIELD (AP) — The Illinois Supreme Court has upheld a law that created a $31 billion statewide construction program.
It unanimously rejected arguments that lawmakers improperly mixed together different issues in a single piece of legislation.
The court on Monday said all parts of the law had "a natural and logical connection" to the public works program.
The case involves a plan lawmakers approved in 2009. They decided to pay for the construction by raising taxes on liquor and candy, as well as legalizing video gambling at bars and truck stops.
The projects have created construction jobs across Illinois.
Chicago Blackhawks owner and liquor distributor Rocky Wirtz challenged the law. An appeals court agreed with him that it violated a requirement that laws must be limited to just one topic.
MoreToday’s Illinois Supreme Court decision upholding the state’s 2009 capital plan and its funding plan will help put Illinois workers back to work, implement critical infrastructure projects and generate new revenues for local municipalities. Moving forward, it is imperative local municipalities take advantage of all revenue plans, like the Video Gaming Act, to ensure the capital bill is fully implemented. To learn more about the capital plan and its impact, please visit www.Backtoworkillinois.com.
Yes. The plan includes a dolphin tank liner for Brookfield Zoo which the zoo did not request since they had money to pay for the tank liner. The plan includes a $150,000 ramp to a side door of a religious organization center. The plan includes a roof for a church. The plan includes lights for a baseball field. It goes on, and on with Pork Barrel projects. Yes, people will be working on the projects. The companies involved will make monetary political contributions to the legislators. That is the way business is done in Illinois, and in other states. People will go to work. Could more of the money be used for the repair of more infrastructure such as bridges, roads, and other items that all of the citizens could benefit from rather than "special projects" that the legislators benefited from? The State of Illinois is "borrowing" money from tax returns designated to charities, not honoring it's contracts, stiffing vendors, etc...... Why is there no investigative journalism on the projects, and the "kick back", political contributions?
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