Press Release

Latino Community Leaders Thank Senate President John Cullerton

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LATINO COMMUNITY LEADERS THANK SENATE PRESIDENT JOHN CULLERTON FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN PASSING HIGHWAY SAFETY LEGISLATION WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT AND VETO PROOF SUPERMAJORITY

Mass followed by blessing of Cullerton Street in honor of President Cullerton

Today Latino community leaders and members of The Highway Safety Coalition thanked and honored Senate President John Cullerton for his leadership in passing the highway safety legislation, SB 957 with historic bipartisan support and veto proof supermajority.  The community honored President Cullerton at his family’s ancestral church St. Pius Church in Pilsen, and then bless Cullerton Street.

This past week the Highway safety legislation, SB 957, received historic bipartisan support by passing the Senate with an unprecedented 41 votes, or a supermajority of the Senate.  It now goes to the House for a vote in January and finally to Governor Pat Quinn’s desk for his signature. Governor Quinn has committed to signing the bill into law.  If passed, the legislation will go into effect 10 months after the governor’s signature.

“This historic legislation is helping countless of Latino families from being ripped apart,” said Father Brendan Curran of St. Pius Church.

Illinois is home to approximately 250,000 immigrant motorists who are unable to get a driver’s license and insurance.  Unlicensed and uninsured immigrant drivers cost Illinois residents $64 million in damage claims each year.  Last year 42% of all fatal crashes in Illinois involved unlicensed drivers, and nationwide, unlicensed motors are five times more likely to be in a fatal crash than licensed drivers.

The highway safety legislation is sensible and reasonable legislation to protect our highways and families, and will provide $3.75 million in new revenue, ease the burden on jails and courts, assist first responders and healthcare providers, and increase the pool of urgently needed organ donors.

The highway safety legislation was co-sponsored by Senate President John Cullerton and, in the House, by Assistant Majority Leader Edward Acevedo.  The legislation enjoys strong bipartisan support from political leaders:  Governor Pat Quinn, Former Governor Jim Edgar, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown, Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, among others, who endorse the legislation as a sensible solution to keep our highways safe and families secure.

“We thank President Cullerton for his leadership and applaud the Senate’s deep bipartisan support,” said ICIRR’s CEO Lawrence Benito.  “We look forward to the same bipartisanship in the House in January to ensure that our highways are safe and families secure.”