April 11, 2013
SPRINGFIELD (April 11)—The Illinois House of Representatives voted 113-0 to adopt UTU-sponsored legislation giving local officials authority to bar parades from using routes that cross an active railroad line at grade.
House Bill 3255 is now expected to move to the Senate for committee consideration.
The legislation was introduced in order to make sure that Illinois never experiences an incident like the November 15, 2012 tragedy in Midland, Tex., in which four U.S. military veterans were killed when the float carrying them in a parade was struck by a freight train at a grade crossing.
“Once again, state legislators have heeded our union when it called for practical and achievable measures to protect the safety of the public and our members,” said UTU Illinois Legislative Director Robert W. Guy.
Guy thanked members who called their state representatives and asked for their vote.
“State legislators know the UTU is a grass-roots organization in which members look out for one another and for the public,” he said. “They respect what we’re doing and take our views seriously.”
