* Congressional candidate calls for special session within 10 days even though nobody has anything ready to actually vote on once they get to town…

bring long overdue reforms and sustainable funding to our transit system. There is no time to waste. We must act NOW to prevent delays in service and thousands of workers from receiving pink slips! (2/2)

— Senator Mike Simmons (@SenMikeSimmons) August 20, 2025

It’s easy to say “the time is now,” when you aren’t involved in either crafting a bill or shepherding it through both chambers to reach the required three-fifths super majorities (and, notice that the Senate’s chief transit bill sponsor isn’t demanding an immediate return). This stuff doesn’t happen by magic. And, by the way, the Senate’s bill, which Sen. Fine didn’t vote for, has no chance in the House.

* Senate President Harmon talked earlier this month about a special session…

As soon as there’s an agreement on how to put this together, I will happily call the Senate back into session to vote on it. But until there’s an agreement, it’s counterproductive. […]

I worry that if we go down to Springfield without an agreement, all we’re going to do is gin up a bunch of Chicago-bashing and other counterproductive rhetoric that will dig people in deeper and make it harder for us to pass a meaningful bill that benefits the folks who take the ‘L’ or the bus.

Not to mention that if the GA does come back early, the Chicago Teachers Union will be demanding action on their fiscal agenda, which will only intensify the Chicago-bashing.

But, this empty call will probably give these three a little press bump, which is what it’s probably all about.

…Adding… The RTA is considering moving some money around to delay any cuts to the CTA, according to the Tribune…

Allocating more money to the CTA, the RTA has said, would push CTA’s fiscal cliff back two or three months until the middle of 2026, leaving more time for state lawmakers to pass long-term funding for public transit throughout the entire region.

Keep in mind that the transit systems are receiving an unexpected $150 million in new sales tax revenue this calendar year, and that will increase next year.

…Adding… CTU is already on board with the fantasy session…

The governor talked about this today…

What CTU and the mayor are talking about, which is, you know, providing another billion or billion six for Chicago public schools. That’s just not going to happen. And it’s not because we shouldn’t. We should, we should try to find the money, but we don’t have those resources today, and we’re not going to see the resources from the federal government level either.