A Senate bill to create the South Suburban Airport Authority, which would put control of an airport at Peotone in the hands of Will County if an airport is ever built, has gained sponsorship in the Illinois House.

U.S. Rep. Brent Hassert, R-Romeoville has added his name to the bill eight days after it arrived in the House.

Beginning in the Senate, SB2063 was sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson who is also running for the U.S. Congress in November. The bill moved quickly toward approval in the upper chamber Thursday, April 17. Four days later it went to the House.

Though Hassert’s district lies miles away from eastern Will County where the airport is proposed, he is very familiar with the topic. Hassert is a former Will County Board Member, serving from 1986 to 1990. That was near the beginning of the third airport debate, when Democrats opposed the project and Republicans led the push for a new airport to supplement O’Hare and Midway.

In those early days, thousands of jobs were touted at a new airport that would be large enough to confine the noise to the airport grounds – 23,000 acres in size. To further protect area residents a buffer zone was proposed to encompass it. Some expected a ribbon-cutting to take place around the year 2000.

In those days, the state was officially considering four different locations for what was to be the largest public works project the state has ever undertaken. Later, a fifth site – Lake Calumet — was added.

We now know that the Peotone site was always considered a frontrunner for those promoting a new airport and that O’Hare foes, then as now, were behind its push. South suburban officials helped those in the northwest suburbs carry the banner for Peotone.

John Giles of Bensenville is one of the constants in the equation. In those early days, he was tied to former Senate Majority Leader James “Pate” Philip, R-Wooddale and former House Speaker Lee Daniels, R-Elmhurst, whose work was bolstered by their representative in Congress, the late Henry Hyde. The formidable political team tangled directly with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley intent on protecting Chicago’s interests. At one point, the Republicans even tried to snatch control of O’Hare by establishing a new airport authority that would encompass O’Hare along with a new airport. But, it failed.

Today, Giles is partnered with U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., D-Chicago and south suburban mayors. The motive remains the same; a new airport near Peotone and opposition to a growing O’Hare.

Little has been accomplished since those early days to advance the airport project. Supporters continue to try, as if trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. The once grandiose plans, begun under former Gov. James Thompson and passed down to Govs. Jim Edgar and George Ryan now lie in the hands of Rod Blagojevich. The huge airport has been whittled down to just one runway and a terminal building.

But the onus no longer seems to be to push the project. It is now all about control, if an airport is ever built. Many believe that has been the issue all along. The competition remains fierce and conflicted.

Jackson wants his self-established airport authority to control a new airport. But Will County also wants control of an airport outside of Jackson’s district and wholly in Will County.

The legislation – SB2063 — to accomplish that sits in the Rules Committee in the General Assembly.

On Wednesday, May 7, State Rep. Renee Kosel, R-Mokena and Rep. Jack McGuire, D-Joliet became co-sponsors of the bill.