The coalition, which includes the Teamsters, Illinois AFL-CIO and the Chicago Federation of Labor, raised concerns about the bill, saying they fear it could jeopardize public safety and the jobs of some or all of its hundreds of thousands of workers with problematic technology. Sponsored by Democratic state Rep. Kam Buckner of Chicago and Republican state Rep. Jeff Keicher of Sycamore, the legislation would authorize autonomous vehicle pilot programs in a handful of Illinois counties, including Cook, before opening the door to statewide legalization of self-driving cars three years later. It is among several high-profile measures taken up by lawmakers this spring that respond to technological innovation during the advent of artificial intelligence. The bill hasn’t gained any traction, however, remaining stuck in the House Rules Committee, which means it’s unclear whether it’s going to advance through the legislative process anytime soon. Other bills that would regulate these pilot programs also remain in limbo. The debate comes as Waymo, the self-driving car company already operating fully autonomous robo-taxi services in cities in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and other U.S. cities, has been pushing to expand into Illinois. Company representatives have said Waymo “strongly supports” the Buckner-Keicher legislation. Dozens of union members or advocates held signs, some of which read “AI DOESN’T VOTE. WE DO,” before a news conference urging lawmakers to take a pause on the legislation. “Putting an autonomous vehicle in any form takes away a job. You keep eliminating jobs, who’s going to buy your goods? We’re not going to have the money. So, as they get greedier, we step backwards,” said Keith Hill, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241, which represents Chicago Transit Authority and Pace employees. “If you introduce it now, it’s a major domino effect against the middle class. The middle class