Gov. Pat Quinn breathed a sigh of relief Monday following the Illinois Supreme Court's unanimous vote to uphold a $31 billion state construction program.
Quinn said he's eager to "move forward" with the plan to fund capital improvement projects and send to work the 52,000 construction workers he claimed would be out of a job if the bill wasn't approved.
The program -- partially funded by the legalization of video poker, as well as higher taxes on alcohol, candy, soft drinks and beauty products -- was thrown out earlier this year by an appeals court.
Quinn met with Illinois lawmakers last month to hammer out dates for a special legislative session to pass the bill to fund projects along the state's highways and avoid a work stoppage.
He even gave a deadline, before which Illinois Senate President John Cullerton confirmed his colleagues would approve the bill without the roughly $400 million in social service riders they'd wanted.
"This agreement will ensure that the state's biggest jobs program continues, creating thousands of jobs building roads and repairing bridges throughout our state, and boosting our economic
recovery," Quinn said after Cullerton's announcement.
