News

Senate overrides veto of higher truck speed limit

Posted October 02, 2007 11:00 pm

Adriana Colindres

The Illinois Senate on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Rod Blagojevich's veto of legislation that would allow trucks to travel faster on rural interstate highways.

Senate Bill 540 would set a 65 mph speed limit for trucks on rural interstates. At present, the speed limit is 55 mph for trucks and 65 mph for smaller vehicles.

Both the Senate and the House approved the higher speed limit earlier this year. But Blagojevich vetoed the measure in August.

"Safety is a top priority for Illinois' roads, and this bill compromises safety by allowing trucks to travel at higher speeds," Blagojevich said in his veto message. "I remain opposed to increasing the speed limit to 65 miles per hour for large trucks."

The bill still could become law if the House also overrides the veto. The Senate vote to override was 39-10.

During Tuesday's debate, Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, said he believes it would be safer for all vehicles to travel at a uniform speed on rural interstates. But an opponent, Democratic Sen. John Cullerton of Chicago, said he believes a higher speed limit for trucks would result in more traffic fatalities.

Lawmakers have failed in past efforts to change Illinois' truck speed limit. On at least two prior occasions, in 2006 and 2004, similar legislation was vetoed by the governor. In both instances, the House did not override the veto.

In other action Tuesday, the House voted to revive a bill designed to determine how well Blagojevich's health-care programs for children are working. The governor used his amendatory veto powers on House Bill 1628 earlier this year.

The House vote to override was 113-0. If the Senate also votes for the override, the bill would become law and require the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to give the legislature an annual report listing the number of children in each county who are served by the All Kids program, as well as the number of doctors in each county who are accepting new All Kids patients.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, said he's puzzled why Blagojevich in 2006 began withholding public release of All Kids and Medicaid enrollment totals by county. Mautino said the information continues to be available - often on the Internet - in other states.

Blagojevich aides have said that federal privacy rules prevent Illinois from releasing such data unless there's specific legislation requiring it.

On another topic, the House voted to override Blagojevich's veto of a bill that would give financial assistance to local fire departments and ambulance services.

Rep. Donald Moffitt, R-Gilson, wants a penny from the state cigarette tax earmarked for emergency services to buy new vehicles and other equipment they otherwise might not be able to afford. The allocation would generate about $7.2 million a year, Moffitt said.

Blagojevich vetoed the bill, saying it would divert money that is now used for long-term health-care programs. But Moffitt argued that his proposal would not have to take money away from those programs.

The House approved the override on a 113-3 vote. The bill now moves to the Senate, where an override vote would mean the measure becomes law.

Dean Olsen and Doug Finke of GateHouse News Service contributed to this report. Adriana Colindres can be reached at 782-6292 or adriana.colindres@sj-r.com.

Article Categories
News