Illinois quick hits: Pritzker to sign tax, toll increases to bail out transit

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Pritzker to sign tax, toll increases to bail out transit

Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he looks forward to signing public transit legislation into law. The General Assembly passed the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act in the final hours of the fall veto session early Friday.

The bill authorizes the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) to raise sales taxes by a quarter of a percent in Cook County and the collar counties outside Chicago. It also increases tolls on Illinois tollways and takes gas tax money from the state’s road fund.

Prisoners to get personal phone calls

The Illinois Department of Corrections has announced a new pilot program providing phone calls to individuals in custody at correctional facilities statewide.

Beginning Nov. 3, each individual in custody will receive 775 free domestic phone call minutes, or approximately $6.20 per month, to call loved ones.

The program utilizes a phone dialer application on tablets that have come under scrutiny for delays in scanning inmate mail to prevent contraband from entering IDOC facilitIes.

Reminder to inspect smoke, CO alarms

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is reminding residents to test, inspect and replace any broken or expired smoke and CO alarms with the end of daylight savings time.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by about 60%, while the majority of civilian home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working alarms. The state fire marshal says smoke alarms have a life span of 10 years before they need to be replaced.

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