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  BWI’s goal is to ensure that the capital program is fully funded and implemented in order to put Illinois back to work NOW, fund thousands of critical road, school and public works projects across the state, and generate new revenues to support municipal and county services, promote economic development and provide tax relief.
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 Business, Labor & Community Organizations Renew Call for Hearings on Video Gaming and Capital Investment Plan (CHICAGO – April 19, 2012). Business, labor and civic groups have renewed their call for hearings on lifting Chicago’s ban on video gaming in order to fully fund critical road, transit, school and other key projects identified in the 2009 State of Illinois Capital Plan. The 2009 Capital Plan, the state’s first in more than a decade, is a $31 billion infrastructure investment program and was projected to create more than 439,000 jobs over the life of the program. To fund these projects, the General Assembly approved a mix of revenue sources, including a new, state-managed video gaming system. However, state officials have noted that a lack of funding threatens the viability of the capital plan. Community, Business, Labor Leaders Support Full Funding of Capital Plan Call for full hearings on ending gaming ban in order to fund critical projects, put people back to work (Chicago, IL – April 18, 2012): A diverse coalition of community, business and labor leaders joined John Coyle, Chicago resident and member of Carpenters Local 141, at a press conference at City Hall on Wednesday to introduce an ordinance lifting Chicago’s ban on gaming. The coalition called for hearings on how the lifting the ban will help fund the 2009 State of Illinois Capital Plan, create thousands of jobs, invest in roads, schools, transit and other infrastructure projects and reduce the burden on Chicago taxpayers. BWI Coalition Member on Politics Tonight CLTV - Politics Tonight July 11, 2011
Below is a video of Omar Duque, President and CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, on CLTV's Politics Tonight. Omar discusses the many benefits of the 2009 Illinois Capital Plan, and what the recent Illinois Supreme Court decision means for residents throughout the state.
Click on the box below the play the video.
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  The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the state’s 2009 capital plan and its funding sources on July 11, 2011. This bill will help put Illinois workers back to work, implement critical infrastructure projects and generate new revenues for local municipalities. Among those revenue plans verified by the Supreme Court’s action is the Video Gaming Act, which will provide host municipalities with a key revenue source, enhance law enforcement and institute needed reform of the state’s unregulated gaming system.
The Illinois Supreme Court overturned an Appellate Court ruling that questioned the structure and format of the capital bill and its various funding sources. The decision gives the go-ahead for the $31 billion capital program that will save or create more than 400,000 jobs across the state over the next five years and infuse much needed capital in the state’s infrastructure. The bill and its funding sources was passed and approved in 2009 with strong, statewide, bi-partisan support. Back to Work Illinois, a broad coalition of civic, business, community and labor organizations, will be educating local communities on the benefits of opting back in to video gaming. The coalition will help communities understand that they will control 5 percent of video gaming tax revenues collected locally to be used for local priorities. That means new jobs and support for vital projects. With the formation of the coalition and its educational campaign in 2010, fewer municipalities across the state have opted out of video gaming.
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