Cory Martin
Illinois State Legislative Board Chairman
Congressman Chuy Garcia
Had an excellent conversation with Congressman Chuy Garcia this morning. As you can expect, he is very squarely behind the Railway Safety legislation moving through the US Congress. I stressed to him the importance that ALL of the items and protections must stay in...
Just so you know, this is now who we have on T&I…
Nehls Leads Call for Biden Administration to Prioritize Rail Safety Over Special Interests? Washington, D.C. - Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), Chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, led fellow T&I Committee Republicans in urging the...
Minnesota ISLB Quadrennial Meeting
Got some quality time with our National officers Vince Verna and Brendan Sullivan while attending Minnesota's Quadrennial meeting. Special thanks to State Chairman Joel Mueller for inviting Illinois to participate.
REMINDER ANOUNCEMENT! MAY 1st DUE DATE.
The annual ISLB Don Little Memorial Scholarships for 2023. The Illinois State Legislative Board will be awarding up to (3) $1000 scholarships to Illinois member’s children going to college. Applications MUST BE SUBMITTED by May 1st 2023. I have posted the documents in...
2023 Don Little Scholarship Applications
The BLET’s Illinois State Legislative Board is currently accepting applications for its Don Little Memorial Scholarship Fund, which was established in 2013. Up to Three (3) $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to applicants whose parent or guardian is a BLET member in...
Congratulations to the 2022 Don Little Memorial Scholarship Winners!
We proudly announce the two recipients of the 2022 Don Little Memorial Scholarships. Haley Dahl from Belvidere, IL and Jacob Harris from Pittsboro, IN. Congratulations!
Don Little Memorial Scholarship Fund
The BLET’s Illinois State Legislative Board is currently accepting applications for its Don Little Memorial Scholarship Fund, which was established in 2013. Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to applicants whose parent or guardian is a BLET member in good...
Call To Action!
March 11, 2021 Brothers and Sisters, Once again, I am asking you to rise to the occasion, once again a call to action! The Illinois House Bill HB2524 – VEH CD- FREIGHT TRAIN LENGTH has been assigned to a committee and we MUST “slip” this committee as a proponent...
Train Length Legislation
February 16, 2021 Brothers and Sisters, First, a little news regarding some recent legislative developments within Illinois. SMART- TD has spear headed and introduced train length legislation in multiple states throughout the US. Small variations in the exact language...
Covid-19 Mishandling Reporting
Brothers and Sisters, Please exercise all caution during this COVID 19 pandemic emergency. I am asking you to report to me any practices at your respective railroads that are contrary to the recommendations of the CDC or Illinois Department of Public Health. I will...
Chicago, Ill., area transit agencies see improved ridership
Chicago, Ill., area transit agencies see improved ridership Chicago, Ill.,'s transit systems have seen an increase in ridership in a post COVID-19 pandemic timeline, as the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Northern Illinois notes May 2024 showed the highest...
New Amtrak Service Proves That Even Slow-Ass Trains Can Beat The Airlines
New Amtrak Service Proves That Even Slow-Ass Trains Can Beat The Airlines Trains! They’re too slow, goes the refrain. Too old-fashioned, or too expensive in the case of their high-speed brethren. And yet, run the numbers, and you’ll find that Americans actually want...
AFL-CIO President Applauds Biden Administration Action to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler released the following statement in response to a newly proposed standard from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to protect workers from the dangers of extreme heat: “As we enter the second summer with temperatures...
Project 2025 Is A Blueprint For Business Disaster
Project 2025 Is A Blueprint For Business Disaster A Race Few Wanted Though it's only June, we're already back in presidential election season. This week saw the earliest-ever general election debate in our history, as President Joe Biden and former President Donald...
AFL-CIO President Condemns Supreme Court Decision Weakening Federal Agencies
AFL-CIO President Condemns Supreme Court Decision Weakening Federal Agencies AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless Inc. v. Department of...
SCOTUS limits power of federal government to regulate environmental, energy issues
SCOTUS limits power of federal government to regulate environmental, energy issues The US Supreme Court curtailed the power of federal regulatory agencies, including those responsible for environmental and energy policy, in a series of decisions issued as its term...
NTSB derailment investigation renews concerns about detectors, tank cars and Norfolk Southern
NTSB derailment investigation renews concerns about detectors, tank cars and Norfolk Southern The National Transportation Safety Board’s daylong hearing on what caused the disastrous East Palestine train derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border last year gave the...
Illinois lawmaker wants ‘two and a half’ hour rail service from Chicago to St. Louis
Illinois lawmaker wants ‘two and a half’ hour rail service from Chicago to St. Louis T. LOUIS – An Illinois lawmaker makes his case for a faster high-speed rail service between Chicago and St. Louis, specifically a route that could cut most commutes by car or train...
STB chairman takes a parting shot at activist investor’s plans for Norfolk Southern
STB chairman takes a parting shot at activist investor’s plans for Norfolk Southern CHICAGO — Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman on Wednesday blasted activist investor Ancora Holdings, saying that its plans for Norfolk Southern are a threat to...
Union Pacific undermined regulators’ efforts to assess safety, US agency says
Union Pacific undermined regulators’ efforts to assess safety, US agency says OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific managers undermined the U.S. government’s efforts to assess safety at the railroad in the wake of several high-profile derailments across the industry...