Bill Text: IL SR0404 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urges Congress to fully fund Amtrak and the high speed rail program, and urges Congress to eliminate any provision that would reduce the federal investment in State-supported Amtrak service.

Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2012-05-17 - Resolution Adopted [SR0404 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-SR0404-Introduced.html

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SR0404 LRB097 14075 HEP 58735 r
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Amtrak Illinois service has been an excellent
investment in mobility for Illinois' economy for more than 30
years; and
WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has for decades been a
partner of Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger
Corporation, in financing additional service in Illinois
beyond the national network of long-distance passenger trains;
and
WHEREAS, Illinois has enjoyed a bipartisan, statewide
consensus on the value of passenger train service to link the
State's universities, smaller communities, suburbs, and
Chicago; and
WHEREAS, With ever-increasing traffic on the State's
highways, especially in the Chicago area, investing in
passenger rail to alleviate automobile traffic is a prudent use
of taxpayer dollars; and
WHEREAS, A robust passenger train system is an essential
component of national security in the event of a mass
evacuation, as demonstrated by the aftermath of the September
11 attacks and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; and

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WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly in 2006 doubled its
commitment to Amtrak Illinois service, setting the nation on a
path for growth in passenger rail, and has reaped doubled
ridership on almost all routes in the State, sparking real
estate development around train stations and frequently
selling out trains; and
WHEREAS, An essential tool for rural economic development
is passenger trains connecting small towns to the economic
engines of large cities and universities; and
WHEREAS, The United States House of Representatives passed
a budget bill that precludes the use of any federal dollars for
State-supported Amtrak routes such as the Lincoln Service, the
Illini, the Saluki, the Carl Sandburg, and the Hiawatha; and
WHEREAS, The provision in the House budget bill would
essentially eliminate most Amtrak service in Illinois,
stranding almost 2 million annual passengers; and
WHEREAS, The House budget bill woefully underfunds Amtrak
and the high speed rail program; and
WHEREAS, In light of Illinois' continued robust capital and
operating investment in Amtrak and high speed rail, it is

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particularly shortsighted for the federal government to
eliminate or cut back its investment in passenger rail;
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United
States Congress to fully fund Amtrak and the high speed rail
program; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge the United States Congress to
eliminate any provision that would reduce the federal
investment in State-supported Amtrak service, as this
partnership is a model to be emulated, not discouraged; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be presented to
Senators Dick Durbin, Mark Kirk and the entire congressional
delegation of the State of Illinois.