An Illinois group that wants to prevent transportation funds from being diverted elsewhere has spent about $2.5 million for television advertising.
Figures released Thursday by the Center for Public Integrity show that Citizens to Protect Transportation Funding spent the money to air their ads nearly 1,300 times this election cycle.
Since 2003, an estimated $6.8 billion in transportation funds generated by tolls, license fees and the gas tax have been used by state government for other things. That's according to the Transportation for Illinois Coalition.
The so-called "lockbox amendment" on the Nov. 8 ballot proposes the money be used solely for transportation-related purposes.
