SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) has been appointed Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee by Senate President Don Harmon.

“I will work with Vice-Chairperson Hunter, Minority Spokesperson DeWitte, my other Senate and House colleagues, and Governor Pritzker to create and implement an open, transparent, and accountable process for legislation that will maintain and improve our transportation and infrastructure system in an equitable way,” Villivalam said.

Senator Villivalam’s priorities include:
• Creating and implementing an open, transparent, and accountable process in which the Transportation Committee will operate
• Moving toward a data- and equity-driven model of allocating transportation funds
• Vigilant implementation of last year’s historic $45 billion capital construction plan to ensure we raise the state’s infrastructure rating for the safety of Illinoisans and to maintain the state’s reputation as a transportation hub
• Ensuring systems facilitate inclusion and diversity in state- and local-contracting for the entire industry, not any one company
• Improving and expanding Illinois’ public transportation

The committee is responsible for working on transportation and infrastructure related issues and is expected to meet in February.