Illinois State Parks Spared from Off-Road Vehicle Onslaught
Thanks to lobbying by Sierra Club members like you from across Illinois, Governor Blagojevich's veto of a proposal to provide funding for ORV routes in existing state parks was narrowly upheld by the Illinois House during their veto session last November.
Governor Blagojevich vetoed Senate Bill 2272 last summer, after it passed the House and Senate. SB 2272 would have allowed funds from the Off-Highway Vehicle Trust Fund to be used to open up lands owned or managed by the Department of Natural Resources, including existing state parks, to all-terrain vehicle use. Sierra Club members from across the state called, wrote, and visited their legislators to counter pressure from off-road enthusiasts. After the Illinois Senate voted to override the veto, the motion to do so in the Illinois House received 66 votes, short of the 72 required to override Blagojevich's veto. Find out how your State Representative and Senator voted.
We expect the off-road vehicle lobby to try again in 2005, so please thank your legislator if they voted no on the motion to override the Governor's veto. Unfortunately, both the House and Senate did override Blagojevich's veto of SB 2273, which restricts the funding available to the Department of Natural Resources for enforcement against illegal ORV use. This makes it even more important that these loud, dangerous machines aren't given access to our peaceful parks.
If you would like to hear from us before your legislators vote on important issues like protecting our state parks from off-road vehicles, sign up for our free Illinois Sierra Club Action Network (ISCAN).