SPRINGFIELD - A House panel said Wednesday that Illinois' interstates are safer with semi-trucks driving slower than the pace of smaller vehicles. In fact, they said it twice.

If either of the two nearly identical pieces of legislation one proposed by state Rep. David Reis, R-Willow Hill, the other by state Rep. Jil Tracy, R-Mount Sterling - had been approved in committee, the legislature could have found itself voting on raising the interstate speed limit for trucks for the fourth time in recent years.

However, both proposals were rejected by the House Driver's Education Committee on 6-5 votes. The only difference between the two proposals were the words used to exclude Chicago and its surrounding suburbs from the speed change.

Both pieces of legislation were guided by the premise that rural interstate highways are safer if semi-trucks travel at a rate closer to those of the cars and SUVs on the road.

"We felt like if everyone were going the same speed, there's less chance for interaction," said Mike Hart, associate director for Mid-West Truckers Association.

Currently, the speed limit for cars on rural Illinois interstates is 65 mph and 55 mph for trucks. Legislation to raise the limit for trucks up to 65 mph has been vetoed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich three times.

"We decided to come back this year with a compromise bill to raise the speed limit on interstates to 60 mph; we're giving five mph, the opponents are giving five mph," Reis said. "It'll close the gap towards bringing uniform speed limits to our interstates; truck drivers call (Illinois) a speed bump."

Committee chairman John D'Amico, D-Chicago, a one-time advocate for increasing the speed limit for trucks to 65 mph, voted "no" on both proposals. D'Amico said roads are safer without trucks traveling any faster, and "trucking companies aren't taking a loss because of the speed. They're doing pretty well."

State Reps. Mike Boland, D-East Moline and Reis voted "yes" on both bills. State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, voted "no" on both.