From the department of outrage: ILLINOIS — The ISU student newspaper The Daily Vidette is reporting that the Illinois legislature is diverting funds from the state motorcycle safety account to other uses.

Robert Ritter, director of Northern Illinois University’s Motorcycle Safety Program said, “The Illinois Cycle Rider Safety Training Program Act is a user paid program, it is not a tax-payer program.”

The funds are generated from fees for motorcycle operator licenses and motorcycle registration fees. That money is then deposited into a special account that is not supposed to be used for any other purpose than motorcycle safety projects, primarily motorcycle rider education courses.

Vernon Hanks, director of ISU’s Motorcycle Safety Program, said the funds are not being appropriated. “We have been led to believe from our contacts at IDOT that money will be swept from the accounts. It’s not like we’re asking for funding that isn’t there, we just need it appropriated.”

The end result will likely be fewer rider training classes and thus <shudder> more newbies on the road without training.

If I was an Illinois resident I’d be all over the state legislators on this issue. Let’s hope this is not flying under the ABATE of Illinois radar.