March 14, 2011

To the Honorable Members of the

Illinois Senate,

96^th General Assembly:

            In accordance with Article IV, Section 9(b) of the Illinois Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 2969 from the 96^th General Assembly.

            The Illinois Commercial Safety Towing Law represents an important step towards protecting consumers from unscrupulous practices. Under this law, consumers must authorize the towing of a vehicle before it occurs, the tower must disclose the location of where the car is being towed to, and the costs associated with the towing must be disclosed. This law protects consumers by ensuring that operators operate in a transparent manner.

            I cannot approve a bill that weakens these protections and allows consumers in any county to be placed at risk of harm. While I understand that the law may place burdens upon legitimate operators, I do not believe that eliminating consumer protections is the answer. I encourage the sponsors to work towards a more narrowly tailored measure that addresses specific concerns while continuing to protect consumers.

            Therefore, pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(b) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 2969, entitled “AN ACT concerning transportation.”, vetoed in its entirety with this statement of objections.

Sincerely,

Pat Quinn

Governor