By Cole Lauterbach for the Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD, IL. (IRN) — With billions of dollars in automobile-related tax revenue being divvied up across Illinois to fund infrastructure projects, a court case in Chicago could determine how much of the tax money can, or cannot be spent.

The lawsuit, filed in 2018, alleged that Cook County officials used tax revenue generated from transportation-related things to pay for criminal justice projects. A coalition of road builders filed suit claiming that the use of the funds for that purpose went against the rules set forth by the 2016 Safe Roads Amendment to the Illinois Constitution. The so-called Lockbox Amendment said road funds could only be used for road projects.

Cook County Circuit Judge Peter Flynn ruled in February that the constitutional amendment didn’t cancel out a local home-rule unit of government’s ability to spend money how it wished.

The contractors appealed, saying “Under the circuit court’s interpretation, the Safe Roads Amendment means nothing and can be enforced by no one,” in a court filing. “That interpretation is wrong.”

Should the Circuit court’s ruling be upheld, it could have repercussions for how transportation funds are spent across Illinois, the filing said.

“…if the plaintiffs do not have standing to challenge violations of the amendment, the circuit court’s analysis would suggest that no one does,” it read.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce supports the contractors’ position.

“If you’re going to tax us for transportation, the money has to go to transportation,” said Todd Maisch, chamber president. “You’d be opening up an opportunity for a lot of mischief and misuse of dollars.”

Some organizations have criticized the state’s $45 billion infrastructure plan, saying it’s not just going to fund “horizontal” infrastructure spending on things like road and bridge maintenance but rather a collection of pet projects that were the initiatives of individual lawmakers.