05/13/02 - After strong supportive lobbying by OOIDA and OOIDA board members, yet another uniform speed limit bill before the Illinois General Assembly went down in flames. On April third, Illinois Representatives defeated House Bill 5912 by a vote of 46 yeas, 72 nays and 0 present. Obviously the majority of the Illinois House of Representatives must think it is most important that truckers adhere to these safe speeds on any highway leading into or out of the state capital, especially when the legislature is in session. That way elected officials will be able to see professional truckdrivers are in compliance with their laws. You will be able to identify the lawmakers because they are the ones with the official House or Senate license plates in the hammer lane usually running about 80 miles per hour. The following are the names of the Representatives who voted no on HB5912. I'm sure you Illinois voters will want to return these "clear thinkers" to office when you get the chance.
Nay votes on Illinois HB5912: Acevedo, Bassi, Bellock, Biggins, Bradley, Brady, Brosnahan, Bugielski, Burke, Capparelli, Collins, Colvin, Coulson, Cross, Crotty, Currie, Dart, Davis, Monique Delgado, Durkin, Erwin, Feigenholtz, Fowers, Fowler, Franks, Fritchey, Garrett, Giles, Hamos, Hassert, Hoeft, Howard, Hultgren, Jefferson, Jones, Lou Jones, Shirley Kenner, Kosel, Krause, Kurtz, Lindner, Lyons, Eileen Lyons, Joseph Madigan, Marquardt, Mathias, May, McAuliffe, McCarthy, McGuire, McKeon, Mendoza, Meyer, Miller, Morrow, Mulligen, Murphy, O'Connor, Osterman, Parke, Ryan, Saviano, Schmitz, Schoenberg, Scully, Slone, Soto, Turner, Wojcik, Yarbrough, Younge, Zikus

3/28/02-An Illinois bill setting perimeters for railroad crossings is headed for its third reading in the House. HB4953 would set standards for drivers at railroad crossings, both with and without gates and imposes certain disqualifications on commercial drivers who intentionally drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
This bill would penalize motorists and truckers for crossing a railroad grade crossing where a driver is not normally required to stop. It also prohibits a commercial driver from driving through a crossing unless there is enough space to drive completely through the crossing without stopping.
Some of the offenses would include ignoring a visible signal device, a lowered crossing gate or failing to stop at least 15 feet from the tracks before proceeding across the grade. It also amends the vehicle code to include driving under the influence to the list of offenses for which a driver could lose his or her driving privileges.
Jay C. Hoffman (D-Collinsville) is behind the bill, which would make an owner-operator an employee under the bill's terms and would make any driver who interferes with the movement of a train at a crossing automatically guilty.
A trucker's CDL would be fined $250 and license suspended 60 days for a first offense. The fine would be $500 with a 120 day suspension for a second offense within a three-year period.
The general information number is (217) 782-2000.

2/15/02 - Illinois is looking at raising the maximum speed limit outside an urban area to 65 mph for any second division vehicle designed or used for the carrying of a gross weight of 8,001 pounds or more, bus (on highways under the jurisdiction of the state's Department of Transportation or the Illinois Toll Highway Authority), house car, camper, private living coach, recreational vehicle, and vehicles towing any other vehicle. Truckers, OOIDA is lobbying for Rep. Raymond Poe's (R-Springfield) bill. HB5912 has been referred to the House rules committee. The general number for the House is (217) 782-8223.

7/19/01-HB73 proposes a change to the residency requirement for those wishing to obtain a CDL. The bill sets a six-month residency requirement, as opposed to present law that merely says the applicant must be domiciled in the state. This bill was prompted by the CDL scandal where out-of-state applicants gave a motel as their Illinois address. HB73 is sitting in the House Rules Committee. Session has closed, but look for the bill to be resurrected next January.

5/14/2001 - HB73 would require proof of a six-month residency before a CDL would be issued. This bill was prompted by a CDL scandal in which out-of-state applicants gave a motel as their Illinois address. HB73 has been re-referred to the House Rules Committee. Since May 25 is slated as the last day of session, by the time you read this, lawmakers are probably home for Memorial Day.

4/24/01 - Rep. Charles Heartache's HB575 -- a bill to raise the maximum speed limit outside urban areas to 65 mph for vehicles designed or used to carry a GVW of 8,001 or more -- is considered dead for this year.

4/16/01 - HB73 proposes a significant change to the residency requirement for those wishing to obtain or renew a CDL. The bill sets a six-month residency requirement, as opposed to existing law that merely says the applicant must be domiciled in the state. This bill is likely inspired by the Illinois CDL scandal where some applicants who actually resided in other states reportedly gave a local motel as their Illinois address. The number for Illinois Bill Status is (217) 782-3944.
HB73 has been re-referred to the House Rules Committee and won't be heard this session since all House bills had a deadline of April 6 for first reading in the Senate.
Rep. Charles Hartke's HB575, a bill to raise the maximum speed limit outside urban areas to 65 miles per hour for vehicles designed or used to carry a GVW of 8,001 or more passed out of the Transportation Committee, but was lost on its third reading on the floor and is considered dead for this year.
The general information number for the Illinois House is (217) 782-8223.