Legislative Update

House Bill 124, which provides full funding for tourism (including the Tourism Promotion Fund), passed the Senate yesterday and now goes to the Governor.  Thanks to all the hard grassroots efforts by ICCVB members that made this “full funding” tourism legislation possible in the most difficult budget year ever.

Senate Bill 2413, which would have zeroed out the Tourism Promotion Fund was not called in the House and is dead this session.

Senate Bill 1918, an initiative of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (CCTB) and the municipality of Rosemont is expected to be called for a vote in the House and Senate for a final vote today.  Among other things, it redirects CCTB’s EXISTING share of the Convention and Trade Show Incentive Fund, Local Tourism Fund, International Tourism Fund to the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) for grants to CCTB.  This consistent with how MPEA’s airport departure fee revenue flows.  The legislation would not impact CVB’s other than CCTB.

Senate Bill 744, the proposal to give Chicago, Lake County, the south suburbs, Danville and Rockford new casinos, plus allow racetracks and the State Fair to open "racinos" and give more positions to existing casinos passed the House with 65 votes. The bill will be considered in the Senate today, which has previously supported gaming expansion bills.