Bill Text: IL HB2778 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Veto Message

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Amends the Fire Protection of Unprotected Area Act. Provides that if a property owner of an unprotected area refuses a request for annexation for fire protection, the State Fire Marshal shall assign the unprotected area coverage. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that in order to obtain property insurance for property located in an unincorporated area of a county, the owner of the property must submit verification that the property has fire protection coverage by a fire protection jurisdiction. Effective January 1, 2018.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-11-09 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 100-0547 [HB2778 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-HB2778-Veto_Message.html

August 25, 2017

To the Honorable Members of

The Illinois House of Representatives,

100th General Assembly:

Today, I veto House Bill 2778, which amends the Fire Protection District Act to allow a fire protection district to annex into its jurisdiction any property for which that district provides coverage under the Emergency Telephone System Act.

Fire protection districts play a critical role in the State of Illinois, but we must weigh the authority of such districts against our residents’ property rights. This bill affords fire protection districts too much discretion to not only annex properties, but also to subject annexed-property owners to fire protection district fees thereafter. Our state’s residents already feel the overwhelming weight of one of the heaviest property tax burdens in the country. This bill, however, would add to the property tax burden for those properties annexed by fire protection districts. As a State, we should pass legislation to relieve such financial pressures of our residents, not to add to them.

Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return House Bill 2278, entitled “AN ACT concerning regulation,” with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.

Sincerely,

Bruce Rauner

GOVERNOR

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