11/16/04-In a massive reversal, the House upheld Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s veto of SB2374 during a late afternoon vote Tuesday, Nov. 16. The vote means the state will keep its split speed limit on rural interstates.
The House, which voted 81-37 in favor of the measure earlier this year to kill the split speeds, voted 69-49 against overriding the veto.
SB2374 would have eliminated provisions in Illinois law that set up a slower, 55 mph speed limit for any vehicle over 8,000 pounds traveling on rural interstates. Other vehicles on those roads can travel 65 mph; all speed limits would have remained 55 mph in urban areas.
The bill cleared the Senate the first time on March 4, passing by a vote of 37-15. It gained approval in the House May 18. However, Blagojevich vetoed the measure Aug. 18, as he did a similar bill last year.
The Senate voted 41-17 to override Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s veto Tuesday, Nov. 9. Shortly afterward, Blagojevich, his staff and allies kicked into high gear, opening a full-scale effort to stop an override vote in the House.
Despite the stepped up opposition, supporters of the bill continued to pound away at the governor and his allies on the bill, even down to the last moments of the override debate, mere seconds before the vote Tuesday.
To see how House lawmakers voted on the override, click here, and then click on the link that says “SB2374 - Motion - Tuesday, November 16, 2004.”

11/12/04-Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, has filed a motion to override the governor’s veto of SB2374 in the House.
The bill would end the split speed limit in the state, and Bradley’s motion is the first step in bringing it to a vote in the lower house of the General Assembly.
The Senate voted to override Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s veto Tuesday, Nov. 9. The House vote on Bradley’s motion is expected to occur after House members are back in session Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 16, 17 and 18. If the 3/5 or more of House members vote to override Blagojevich’s veto, the bill will become law.
SB2374 would eliminate provisions in Illinois law that set up a slower, 55 mph speed limit for any vehicle over 8,000 pounds traveling on rural interstates. Other vehicles on those roads can travel 65 mph; all speed limits would remain 55 mph in urban areas.
The bill cleared the Senate the first time on March 4, passing by a vote of 37-15. It gained approval in the House with a vote of 81-37 on May 18. However, Blagojevich vetoed the measure Aug. 18, as he did a similar bill last year.
The Senate override vote came in the late afternoon Tuesday, Nov. 9. Senators voted to override 41-17.

11/9/04-The Senate voted Nov. 9 to override Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s veto and end the split speed limit in Illinois.
The bill that would end the split, SB2374, now heads to the House, which must also vote to override the veto before the bill becomes law.
SB2374 would eliminate provisions in Illinois law that set up a slower, 55 mph speed limit for any vehicle over 8,000 pounds traveling on rural interstates. Other vehicles on those roads can travel 65 mph; all speed limits would remain 55 mph in urban areas.
The bill cleared the Senate the first time on March 4, passing by a vote of 37-15. It gained approval in the House with a vote of 81-37 on May 18. However, Blagojevich vetoed the measure Aug. 18.
The Senate override vote came in the late afternoon Tuesday, Nov. 9. Senators voted to override 41-17.
However, truckers will have to wait till next week to find out if the measure will become law. The House Clerk’s office said the chamber has not yet scheduled a vote on a possible override, and the lower chamber has now adjourned for the week. House members will not be back in session until Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 16, 17 and 18.

Click here to read OOIDA’s most recent Call to Action on the issue.

10/19/04-Supporters of the effort to end Illinois’ split speed limit plan to attempt to override the governor’s veto during the first week of the veto session, Nov. 8, 9 and 10.
The vote will likely occur in the Senate on Nov. 9 or 10.
The bill’s chances look good. Both the Senate and House votes on it this year were more than the three-fifths necessary to override Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s veto.
SB2374 would eliminate provisions in Illinois law that set up a slower, 55 mph speed limit for any vehicle over 8,000 pounds traveling on rural interstates. Other vehicles on those roads can travel 65 mph; all speed limits would remain 55 mph in urban areas.

Click here to read OOIDA’s most recent Call to Action on the issue.

8/13/04-Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday, Aug. 12, vetoed a bill to eliminate provisions in Illinois law that set up a slower speed limit for any vehicle weighing more than 8,000 pounds traveling on rural interstates.
Currently, those vehicles are required to travel 10 mph below the 65 mph speed limit for other vehicles. Under SB2374, all vehicles would be permitted to drive 65 mph.
The measure passed the House May 18 by a vote of 81-37; it passed the Senate by a vote of 37-15 March 4. Both votes are more than the three-fifths necessary to override the governor’s veto. However, despite similar majorities last year on a nearly identical bill – HB1186 – many lawmakers changed their votes when asked to override the veto, and the bill died.
Supporters of this year’s version could call for an override attempt when lawmakers return to the state Capitol in November for a veto session.

6/18/04-A bill to end the state’s split speed limit arrived at Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s desk June 16.
Blagojevich, who is expected to veto the measure, has 60 days from the 16th to either sign the bill into law or veto it.
SB2374, would eliminate provisions in Illinois law that set up a slower, 55 mph speed limit for any vehicle over 8,000 pounds traveling on rural interstates. Other vehicles on those roads can travel 65 mph; all speed limits would remain 55 mph in urban areas.
The measure passed the House May 18 by a vote of 81-37; it passed the full Senate by a vote of 37-15 March 4. Both votes are more than the three-fifths necessary to override a veto should Blagojevich reject the bill. However, despite similar majorities last year on a nearly identical bill – HB1186 – many lawmakers changed their votes when asked to override the veto, and the bill died.
Now, a similar battle is shaping up around SB2374.
“He vetoed it last year and he will do the same this year,” Rebecca Rausch, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, said recently. The governor’s reasons are the same this time.
An official with Rausch’s office told Land Line the governor still planned a veto, but did not know when the action would be taken, as the governor was dealing at that time with “more pressing matters.”
OOIDA is encouraging its members and all other truckers to call the governor and express their opinion about the bill. Truckers can send correspondence for Gov. Blagojevich through e-mail to governor@state.il.us or mail through the U.S. Postal Service to the Office of the Governor, 207 State House, Springfield, IL, 62706. You can also call his office at (217) 782-0244.

5/19/04-A bill that would overturn the split speed limit in the state has passed the House and is now headed to Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is likely to veto the measure.
SB2374 would eliminate provisions in Illinois law that set up a slower, 55 mph speed limit for any vehicle over 8,000 pounds traveling on rural interstates. Other vehicles on those roads can travel 65 mph; all speed limits would remain 55 mph in urban areas.
The bill passed the House May 18 by a vote of 81-37. It passed the Senate by a vote of 37-15 March 4. Both votes are more than the three-fifths necessary to override a veto should Blagojevich reject the bill.
And a veto is likely.
“He vetoed it last year and he will do the same this year,” said Rebecca Rausch, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The governor’s reasons are the same this time as last time.
“He filed a veto message last year when he vetoed what looks like a very similar bill, if not identical,” Rausch said. “This is a safety issue; there are statistics that point to the devastating impact an increase in speed for truckers would do.”
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is encouraging truckers to contact the governor and let him know how important this issue is to them.
Send correspondence for Gov. Blagojevich to governor@state.il.us or to the Office of the Governor, 207 State House, Springfield, IL, 62706; (217) 782-0244 or 1-888-261-3336.
For bill status, call (217) 782-4517.

4/28/04-The House Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee voted 14-3 April 28 in favor of a bill that would end the split speed limit in the state.
The measure now heads to the House floor. If approved, it would go to Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
SB2374, sponsored by Sen. George Shadid, D-Pekin, would eliminate provisions in Illinois law that set up a slower, 55 mph speed limit for any vehicle over 8,000 pounds traveling on rural interstates. Other vehicles on those roads can travel 65 mph; all speed limits would remain 55 mph in urban areas.
For bill status, call (217) 782-4517.

4/22/04-The House Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee has scheduled a hearing on a bill to eliminate the split speed limit in the state.
The hearing will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 27, in Room 114 of the State Capitol building in Springfield. April 27 is the next day the House is in session, but it comes only two days before the April 29 deadline for the bill to pass out of committee and move to the full House.
SB2374 would eliminate provisions in Illinois law that set up a slower, 55 mph speed limit for any vehicle over 8,000 pounds traveling on rural interstates. Other vehicles on those roads can travel 65 mph; all speed limits would remain 55 mph in urban areas.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. George Shadid, D-Pekin, passed the full Senate by a vote of 37-15 on March 4. It was then passed on to the House, where it sat for nearly 20 days before receiving a first reading. It was moved to the Transportation Committee April 20.
For bill status, call (217) 782-4517.

3/14/04-The full Senate approved a bill to eliminate the split speed limit in Illinois.
SB2374, introduced by Sen. George Shadid, D-Pekin, won approval March 4 by a 37-15 vote. It now heads to the House for consideration.
The measure would eliminate provisions in Illinois law that set up a slower, 55 mph speed limit for any vehicle over 8,000 pounds traveling on rural interstates. Other vehicles on those roads can travel 65 mph; all speed limits would remain 55 mph in urban areas.
For bill status, call (217) 782-4517.

2/24/04-A bill to eliminate the split speed limit in Illinois has passed the Senate Transportation Committee and is headed to the full Senate for consideration.
SB2374, introduced by Sen. George Shadid, D-Pekin, was approved by the panel 8-1 on Feb. 19.
The measure would eliminate provisions in Illinois law that set up a slower, 55 mph speed limit for any vehicle over 8,000 pounds traveling on rural interstates. Other vehicles on those roads can travel 65 mph; all speed limits would remain 55 mph in urban areas.
For Senate bill status, call (217) 782-4517.

2/11/04-Sen. George Shadid, D-Pekin, has introduced a new bill that would eliminate the split speed limit in the state.
SB2374, introduced Feb. 3, would eliminate provisions in Illinois law that set up a slower, 55 mph speed limit for any vehicle over 8,000 pounds traveling on rural interstates. Other vehicles on those roads can travel 65 mph; all speed limits would remain 55 mph in urban areas.
The bill, which is now before the Senate Transportation Committee, is the second recent attempt to eliminate the split speed. Last year, Rep. Dan Reitz, D-Sparta, sponsored a measure that would have eliminated the split. That bill passed handily in both houses, but was vetoed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich. An attempt to overturn the veto failed in the House by two votes.
For Senate bill status, call (217) 782-4517.