Governor Pritzker has signed Senate Bill 2111, a wide-ranging transit law that raises taxes and reallocates state revenue to support Chicago area transit agencies. This includes higher sales taxes for suburban communities and increased financial pressure on families that rely on toll roads or commute long distances.
For downstate communities, the law redirects millions of dollars of motor fuel sales tax revenue away from local road projects and sends those dollars to Chicago. Many communities that rely on this funding for road repairs and infrastructure improvements will face new challenges as a result.
Critics argue that the law places the burden of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s transit problems on families who do not use the system and who are already struggling with rising costs.
State Senator Sue Rezin says the law deepens the divide between Chicago and the rest of the state by placing new financial burdens on communities that gain nothing from the changes. She says families should not be asked to pay for a system they do not rely on while their own transportation needs go unmet.