Gov. Rod Blagojevich said in Chicago today that he may offer up another temporary state bailout of Chicago-area mass transit systems if a permanent solution isn't found. The governor said that a permanent solution to the crisis is looking less likely with each passing day, so he wants to be ready. The word is that the RTA hasn't accessed all of the money the governor promised it before, so there's a pile of available cash.
Leading up to the governor's press conference, some Chicago news outlets were reporting that House Speaker Michael Madigan could pass the stalled transit bailout plan by tomorrow.
So, I went back and looked at the roll call from the last time the bailout bill was voted on. Back then, the proposal received 61 votes, ten votes shy of the required extraordinary majority.
Republicans voting "Yes" were: Bassi, Coulson, Mathias, Mulligan and Winters.
One of those previous "Yes" votes may change to "No," I’m told, and Rep. Mathias has filed an amendment to the bill for some local pork.
Absent members were: Rich Bradley (D), Dunn (R), Krause (R), May (D), McAuliffe (R), Pihos (R) and Poe (R).
