IRTBA leaders and members of the Emerging Leaders Program descended upon our State Capitol this week to meet with state legislative and executive leadership as part of our annual Springfield Drive Down. At the top of the agenda for all of our meetings was the excessively high balance in the Road Fund. Other issues raised included concerns about various environmental bills and impacts on industry, the newly proposed transit consolidation bill and costs associated with transit operations, HB5304 which would implement speed enforcement cameras in work zones, HB4809 which would allow the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to more expeditiously move projects forward through streamlined property acquisition processes, and SB3425 which would impose enhanced penalties for assaulting transportation workers. On Tuesday, IRTBA President Mike Sturino met with Senate staff leadership to also address pending legislation, the Auditor General to discuss Lockbox Amendment compliance, Illinois State Police to review legislative and administrative issues associated with the IRTBA-supported work zone speed camera enforcement. Industry leaders met with Senate President Don Harmon, House Speaker Chris Welch, House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, Senate Republican Leader John Curran, House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman, House Transportation Committee Chair Marty Moylan, Senate Transportation Committee Chair Ram Villivalam, and Senate Executive Appointments Chair Laura Murphy. ELP and industry leaders also met with Senators Don DeWitte, Terry Bryant, Julie Morrison, Linda Holmes, and Laura Ellman, as well as Representatives Ryan Spain, Joe Sosnowski, Norrine Hammond, Dan Ugaste, and C.D. Davidsmeyer. ELP and IRTBA leaders also met with Deputy Governor Bria Scudder, IDOT Secretary Omer Osman, IDOT Deputy Secretary Jeremy LaMarche, IDOT staff members Kaitlyn Mitchum, Justan Mann, Tim McMahon, and others from the department to discuss the need to get more work out, legislative issues, payments, staffing, and more. IRTBA’s lobbyists Cornerstone Government Affairs did their usual outstanding job of helping to facilitate the meetings with State of Illinois leadership. On this trip ELP and IRTBA members learned that bills are not the only things that sometimes get stuck in Springfield, but elevators too! Thanks for taking the minor hiccup in stride during this year’s Drive Down. See photos above. |
