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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The 99th General Assembly of the State of Illinois
3has submitted House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment
436, a proposition to amend the Illinois Constitution, to the
5voters of Illinois at the November 2016 general election; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The Illinois Constitution Amendment Act requires
7the General Assembly to prepare a brief explanation of the
8proposed amendment, a brief argument in favor of the amendment,
9a brief argument against the amendment, and the form in which
10the amendment will appear on the ballot, and also requires the
11information to be published and distributed to the electorate;
12therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
15SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the proposed new Section 11 of
16Article IX shall be published as follows:
 
17
"ARTICLE IX
18
REVENUE

 
19SECTION 11. TRANSPORTATION FUNDS
20    (a) No moneys, including bond proceeds, derived from taxes,
21fees, excises, or license taxes relating to registration,

 

 

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1title, or operation or use of vehicles, or related to the use
2of highways, roads, streets, bridges, mass transit, intercity
3passenger rail, ports, airports, or to fuels used for
4propelling vehicles, or derived from taxes, fees, excises, or
5license taxes relating to any other transportation
6infrastructure or transportation operation, shall be expended
7for purposes other than as provided in subsections (b) and (c).
8    (b) Transportation funds may be expended for the following:
9the costs of administering laws related to vehicles and
10transportation, including statutory refunds and adjustments
11provided in those laws; payment of highway obligations; costs
12for construction, reconstruction, maintenance, repair, and
13betterment of highways, roads, streets, bridges, mass transit,
14intercity passenger rail, ports, airports, or other forms of
15transportation; and other statutory highway purposes.
16Transportation funds may also be expended for the State or
17local share of highway funds to match federal aid highway
18funds, and expenses of grade separation of highways and
19railroad crossings, including protection of at-grade highways
20and railroad crossings, and, with respect to local governments,
21other transportation purposes as authorized by law.
22    (c) The costs of administering laws related to vehicles and
23transportation shall be limited to direct program expenses
24related to the following: the enforcement of traffic, railroad,
25and motor carrier laws; the safety of highways, roads, streets,
26bridges, mass transit, intercity passenger rail, ports, or

 

 

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1airports; and the construction, reconstruction, improvement,
2repair, maintenance, operation, and administration of
3highways, under any related provisions of law or any purpose
4related or incident to, including grade separation of highways
5and railroad crossings. The limitations to the costs of
6administering laws related to vehicles and transportation
7under this subsection (c) shall also include direct program
8expenses related to workers' compensation claims for death or
9injury of employees of the State's transportation agency; the
10acquisition of land and the erection of buildings for highway
11purposes, including the acquisition of highway rights-of-way
12or for investigations to determine the reasonable anticipated
13future highway needs; and the making of surveys, plans,
14specifications, and estimates for the construction and
15maintenance of flight strips and highways. The expenses related
16to the construction and maintenance of flight strips and
17highways under this subsection (c) are for the purpose of
18providing access to military and naval reservations,
19defense-industries, defense-industry sites, and sources of raw
20materials, including the replacement of existing highways and
21highway connections shut off from general use at military and
22naval reservations, defense-industries, and defense-industry
23sites, or the purchase of rights-of-way.
24    (d) None of the revenues described in subsection (a) of
25this Section shall, by transfer, offset, or otherwise, be
26diverted to any purpose other than those described in

 

 

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1subsections (b) and (c) of this Section.
2    (e) If the General Assembly appropriates funds for a mode
3of transportation not described in this Section, the General
4Assembly must provide for a dedicated source of funding.
5    (f) Federal funds may be spent for any purposes authorized
6by federal law."; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That a brief explanation of the proposed
8amendment, a brief argument in favor of the amendment, a brief
9argument against the amendment, and the form in which the
10amendment will appear on the ballot shall be published and
11distributed as follows:

 

 

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1
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
2
TO ADD SECTION 11 TO ARTICLE IX
3
OF THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION

 
 
 
4
That will be submitted to the voters
5
November 8, 2016

 
 
 
6
This pamphlet includes

 
7
EXPLANATION OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT
8
ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT
9
ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE AMENDMENT
10
FORM OF BALLOT

 

 

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1To the Electors of the State of Illinois:
 
2The Illinois Constitution establishes a structure for
3government and laws. There are three ways to initiate change to
4the Illinois Constitution: (1) a constitutional convention may
5propose changes to any part; (2) the General Assembly may
6propose changes to any part; or (3) a petition initiative may
7propose amendments limited to structural and procedural
8subjects contained in the Legislative Article. The people of
9Illinois must approve any changes to the Constitution before
10they become effective. The purpose of this document is to
11inform you of proposed changes to the Illinois Constitution and
12provide you with a brief explanation and a summary of the
13arguments in favor of and in opposition to the proposed
14amendment.
 
15
EXPLANATION

 
16The proposed amendment adds a new Section to the Revenue
17Article of the Illinois Constitution that provides revenue
18generated from transportation related taxes and fees (referred
19to as "transportation funds") shall be used exclusively for
20transportation related purposes. Transportation related taxes
21and fees include motor fuel taxes, vehicle registration fees,
22and other taxes and user fees dedicated to public highways,
23roads, streets, bridges, mass transit (buses and rail), ports,

 

 

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1or airports.
 
2Under the proposed amendment, transportation funds may be used
3by the State or local governments only for the following
4purposes: (1) costs related to administering transportation
5and vehicle laws, including public safety purposes and the
6payment of obligations such as bonds; (2) the State or local
7share necessary to secure federal funds or for local government
8transportation purposes as authorized by law; (3) the
9construction, reconstruction, improvement, repair,
10maintenance, and operation of highways, mass transit, and
11railroad crossings; (4) expenses related to workers'
12compensation claims for death or injury of transportation
13agency employees; and (5) to purchase land for building
14highways or buildings for to be used for highway purposes.
 
15This new Section is a limitation on the power of the General
16Assembly or a unit of local government to use, divert, or
17transfer transportation funds for a purpose other than
18transportation. It does not, and is not intended to, impact or
19change the way in which the State and local governments use
20sales taxes, including the sales and excise tax on motor fuel,
21or alter home rule powers granted under this Constitution. It
22does not seek to change the way in which the State funds
23programs administered by the Illinois Secretary of State,
24Illinois Department of Transportation, and operations by the

 

 

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1Illinois State Police directly dedicated to the safety of
2roads, or entities or programs funded by units of local
3government. Further, the Section does not impact the
4expenditure of federal funds, which may be spent for any
5purpose authorized by federal law.
 
6
Arguments In Favor of the Proposed Amendment

 
7Historically, the State and units of local government have used
8portions of revenue from transportation funds for other
9purposes. Approval of this amendment will ensure that
10transportation funds are used only for transportation
11purposes. This limitation provides a dedicated source of
12funding for projects that will increase the quality of
13Illinois' roads, bridges, bridge and road safety inspections,
14and mass transit. Improving the quality of our roads and
15highways will help reduce accidents and damage to vehicles
16caused by road conditions or hazards.
 
17
Arguments Against the Proposed Amendment

 
18Approval of the proposed amendment unnecessarily limits the
19power of the State and local governments to appropriate public
20revenues for the general welfare of all Illinoisans in order to
21protect funding for one particular purpose - transportation.
22Our elected officials should be asked to prioritize the use of

 

 

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1public funds, but this amendment would restrict their ability
2to spend funds as the elected officials and taxpayers deem fit.
3As a result, elected officials may be asked to reduce funding
4for other priorities, such as education or social service
5programs.
 
6
FORM OF BALLOT

 
7
Proposed Amendment to the 1970 Illinois Constitution
8
Explanation of Amendment

 
9The proposed amendment adds a new section to the Revenue
10Article of the Illinois Constitution. The proposed amendment
11provides that no moneys derived from taxes, fees, excises, or
12license taxes, relating to registration, titles, operation, or
13use of vehicles or public highways, roads, streets, bridges,
14mass transit, intercity passenger rail, ports, or airports, or
15motor fuels, including bond proceeds, shall be expended for
16other than costs of administering laws related to vehicles and
17transportation, costs for construction, reconstruction,
18maintenance, repair, and betterment of public highways, roads,
19streets, bridges, mass transit, intercity passenger rail,
20ports, airports, or other forms of transportation, and other
21statutory highway purposes, including the State or local share
22to match federal aid highway funds. You are asked to decide
23whether the proposed amendment should become part of the

 

 

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1Illinois Constitution.
 
2-------------------------------------------------------------
3       YES            For the proposed addition -
4----------       of Section 11 to Article IX
5       NO         of the Illinois Constitution.
6-------------------------------------------------------------