CHICAGO Long-time Chicago motorcoach operator Donald Ferrone has initiated an effort to resurrect the Illinois Motorcoach Association, which flourished for all of about 18 months early in this decade.

Ferrone has sent a letter to operators throughout the state, asking them to pony up $100 each "to start the ball rolling" toward reviving the association.

He also is contacting motorcoach manufacturers, plus the United Motorcoach and American Bus associations, about supporting the effort.

Ferrone plans to conduct an organizational meeting later this month or early next month at a yet-to-be-announced central location.

"We have a president from Illinois, a Senate leader from Illinois (Richard Durbin, the assistant majority leader) and 90 percent of the White House senior staff are from Chicago, and we as an industry do not have an Illinois Motorcoach Association," says Ferrone. "We need to do it now even if there are only 10 or 15 companies."

As often happens in the motorcoach industry, the Illinois Motorcoach Association was born in the wake of an onerous state law that largely breezed through the legislature because - without a watchdog state association - operators were neither aware the measure was being considered nor organized to fight it.

The triggering legislation in 2003 was a new law requiring motorcoach drivers in Illinois to have a state school bus license in addition to their CDL -- to transport children on school-related trips.

It took nearly six months of hard work and a pile of money for lobbyists to convince the Illinois lawmakers to throw out the controversial and costly licensing requirement.

The UMA, working with Illinois operators, initially spearheaded the effort to overturn the law. The ABA joined the drive, along with additional operators and industry suppliers. A lobbying organization, Consulting4Biz, was hired to push the campaign. Most of the costs were borne by UMA and ABA.

A new law eliminating the school licensing requirement was passed and went into effect Jan. 1, 2004.

The drive to overturn the law led to the formation of the Illinois Motorcoach Association, which ended up being managed by Consulting4Biz. (See June 1 and Nov. 15, 2003, and Jan. 15, 2004, issues of Bus & Motorcoach News.)

However, the association flamed out less than two years later from lack of interest and financial support.

Ferrone, whose company is American Sightseeing Chicago, was one of the key organizers of the association six years ago. He has met with Tim Hennessey, president of Consulting4Biz, asking if he could restart the association and "take it back." Hennessey told him yes.

Ferrone can be contacted at (312) 251-3100.