Statement from Senate President John Cullerton on the Senate Passage of a Capital Jumpstart Plan

From the Office of Senate President John Cullerton

“Today we took a major step forward on the road to recovery for our crumbling infrastructure and economy in Illinois.

The capital jumpstart passed today gives the green light for $3 billion in bonds for roads and transit projects that are desperately needed across the state. We will appropriate $450 million to immediately start working on roads, an additional $150 million for emergency repairs in local communities, and $40 million in neglected commitments from the previous administration.

Starting this May, we will pave the way for a larger capital plan by bringing our current roads up to standard. By repairing existing infrastructure thorugh the current plan, we will be in a better position to expand that infrastructure with new projects in the comprehensive plan that we will pass later in the session.

The last few years of capital plan development have been filled with false starts. This capital jumpstart signals that it is truly a new day in Illinois. We have recognized that it’s time to move beyond the partisan rhetoric that fueled failure in the past, and move forward with bipartisan cooperation for a better future.

Instead of injecting politics into the road repair process we will to rely on the expert advice of IDOT engineers. Unlike capital improvement proposals of the past, this plan puts the most critical needs for road and transit improvements first.

We still have a long road ahead of us are we develop and pass larger capital package. But I want to commend my fellow senators and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno for laboring with me in this bipartisan effort to stimulate the economy and support jobs now.