Inside Illinois' Funding Fight, Party Politics Trump Potholes

Intraparty politics are threatening infrastructure in Illinois, where state legislators remain deadlocked over a mammoth capital bill to fund road, transit, school and other projects. Two different versions of a bill called "Illinois Works" were considered in the previous legislative session -- a $34-billion package and a scaled-down $25-billion version. Meanwhile, corruption charges have embroiled the administration of Gov Rod Blagojevich. Criticism aside, House Speaker Michael Madigan believes there is the need for a capital plan, says Steve Brown, the speaker's spokesman. Illinois businesses, planners and politicians have been pushing for a capital bill for years. Even the state tollway supports a capital plan, though its improvements are funded separately through user fees.