Another bill to reduce the Commercial Distribution Fee is making its way through the Illinois Statehouse.

A law passed last year added a 36 percent surcharge on previous registration rates for trucks in the state. The new bill, SB1936, would reduce the current 36 percent surcharge to 21.5 percent next year, and then to 14.35 percent the year after that. The bill would also restore some parts of the state’s rolling stock exemption back to their previous levels.

The fee has been a subject of considerable controversy in the state, and a number of trucking companies in Illinois said the fee drove them to either close their doors or leave the state.

The provision of SB1936 regarding registration fees was added by the House and must be approved now by the Senate. The Benton Evening News reported recently that Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who supported creation of the Commercial Distribution Fee, planned to support the bill.