093_SB1529 SRS093 00068 ARK 00068 b 1 AN ACT in relation to highways. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Toll Highway Act is amended by adding 5 Section 21.1 as follows: 6 (605 ILCS 10/21.1 new) 7 Sec. 21.1. Binding referendum on abolition of the 8 Authority. In each county in which any portion of the toll 9 highway system is located, a binding referendum shall be held 10 at the general primary election in 2004 to determine whether 11 the electors of the county favor abolishing the Authority in 12 exchange for an increase in the motor fuel tax in those 13 counties to maintain the system. The question shall be 14 certified under Section 28-5 of the Election Code. The 15 question shall be in substantially the following form: 16 "Recognizing that in 2002, the Illinois Department of 17 Transportation received an additional $47.5 million from the 18 federal government due to the fact that Illinois included the 19 tollways within the Illinois highway system for federal 20 reporting purposes, shall the motor fuel tax imposed by the 21 State of Illinois in each county in which any portion of the 22 toll highway system is located, be increased by 5 cents per 23 gallon, with the proceeds going to the Illinois Department of 24 Transportation to pay for the maintenance of the current toll 25 highway system, in exchange for abolishing the Illinois State 26 Toll Highway Authority?" 27 The votes shall be recorded as "yes" or "no". 28 Six months after the approval of the referendum by a 29 majority of the voters voting on the question, the Authority 30 shall be abolished and a 5 cents per gallon motor fuel tax 31 shall be imposed for the purposes provided in the referendum. -2- SRS093 00068 ARK 00068 b 1 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 2 becoming law.