Illinois State Senate

Illinois State Senate
General Information
Party control:	Democrat
Session start:	January 8, 2025
Session end:	May 31, 2025
Term length:	2-4-4 year system[1]
Term limits:	None
Redistricting:	Legislature-dominant
Salary:	$89,250/year + per diem
Members
Total:	59
Democrats:	40
Republicans:	19
Other:	0
Vacancies:	0
Leadership
President:	Don Harmon (D)
Maj. Leader:	Kimberly Lightford (D)
Min. Leader:	John Curran (R)
Elections
Last election:	November 5, 2024
Next election:	November 3, 2026

The Illinois State Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly. Alongside the Illinois House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the Illinois state government and works alongside the governor of Illinois to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Illinois State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Illinois State Senate meets in the state capitol building in Springfield, Illinois.

This page contains the following information on the Illinois State Senate.

• Which party controls the chamber
• The chamber's current membership
• Partisan control of the chamber over time
• Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
• A district map
• How redistricting works in the state
• Legislation currently under consideration
• Legislative session dates
• Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
• A list of committees

Party control[edit]

Current partisan control[edit]

The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Illinois State Senate as of January 2025:

Members[edit]

Leadership and members[edit]

• Senate president: Don Harmon (D)
• Majority leader: Kimberly Lightford (D)
• Minority leader: John Curran (R)

Salaries[edit]

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

Swearing in dates[edit]

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Illinois legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January.^[3]

Membership qualifications[edit]

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article IV of the Illinois Constitution states: "To be eligible to serve as a member of the General Assembly, a person must be a United States citizen, at least 21 years old, and for the two years preceding his election or appointment a resident of the district which he is to represent."^[4]

Historical party control[edit]

Democrats won control of the Illinois State Senate in 2002. In 2024, they won a 40-19 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the Illinois Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Before 1992[edit]

From 1900 to 2022, the Illinois State Senate switched partisan control nine times.

Trifecta history[edit]

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Illinois was under the following types of trifecta control:

• Democratic trifecta: 2003-2014, 2019-2023
• Republican trifecta: 1995-1996
• Divided government: 1992-1994, 1997-2002, 2015-2018

Elections[edit]

Elections by year[edit]

Under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, senators are divided into three groups, each group having a two-year term at a different part of the decade between censuses, with the rest of the decade being taken up by two four-year terms. Depending on the election year, roughly ⅓, ⅔, or all of the senate seats may have terms ending.^[5] Illinois holds elections for its legislature in even years.

2026[edit]

See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2026

Elections for the Illinois State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.

2024[edit]

See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2024

Elections for the Illinois State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was March 19, 2024. The filing deadline was December 4, 2023.

In the 2024 election, the partisan breakdown did not change. Democrats maintained their majority of 40-19.

2022[edit]

See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2022

Elections for the Illinois State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for June 28, 2022. The filing deadline was March 14, 2022.

In the 2022 elections, Democrats lost one net seat, decreasing their majority to 40-19. On December 9, 2022, former State Sen. Scott Bennett, who won his former seat, died due to complications of a brain tumor. In January 2023, State Sen. Jason Barickman resigned. These vacancies are not reflected on the chart below.

2020[edit]

See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2020

Elections for the office of Illinois State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 17, 2020. The filing deadline was December 2, 2019.

In the 2020 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the Illinois State Senate from 40–19 to 41–18.

2018[edit]

See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2018

Elections for the Illinois State Senate took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on March 20, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was December 4, 2017.^[6]

In the 2018 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the Illinois State Senate from 37-22 to 40-19.

2016[edit]

See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the Illinois State Senate were held in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was November 30, 2015.^[7] A total of 40 seats out of the 59 seats in the Illinois State Senate were up for election in 2016.

Heading into the election, Democrats held a 39-20 majority. Democrats lost two seats in the election, giving them a 37-22 majority.

Click [show] to see election information dating back to 2000

2014[edit] See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2014 Elections for the Illinois State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on March 18, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was December 2, 2013. A total of 19 seats out of the chamber's 59 seats were up for election in 2014. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 40-19 majority. Democrats lost one seat in the election, giving them a 39-20 majority. Illinois State Senate Party As of November 3, 2014 After November 4, 2014      Democratic Party 40 39      Republican Party 19 20 Total 59 59 2012[edit] See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2012 Elections for the office of Illinois State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on March 20, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was December 5, 2011. All 59 seats were up for election, as the election was the first following redistricting. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 35-24 majority. Democrats gained five seats in the election, giving them a 40-19 majority. Illinois State Senate Party As of November 5, 2012 After the 2012 Election      Democratic Party 35 40      Republican Party 24 19 Total 59 59 The table below details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election in 2012. 2012 Margin of Victory, Illinois State Senate District Winner Margin of Victory Total Votes Top Opponent District 23 Tom Cullerton 2.4% 79,749 Carole Pankau District 31 Melinda Bush 2.7% 82,823 Joe Neal District 49 Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant 6.5% 85,442 Garrett Peck District 38 Sue Rezin 7.6% 88,950 Christine Benson District 46 David Koehler 8.4% 83,158 Pat Sullivan District 29 Julie Morrison 8.8% 85,760 Arie Friedman District 36 Mike Jacobs 9.6% 93,188 Bill Albracht District 48 Andy Manar 10.6% 85,590 Mike McElroy District 47 John Sullivan 12.7% 91,017 Randy Frese District 28 Daniel Kotowski 14.6% 79,691 Jim O'Donnell (Illinois) 2010[edit] See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2010 Elections for the office of Illinois State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on February 2, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was November 2, 2009. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 37-22 majority. Democrats lost two seats in the election, giving them a 35-23 majority with one vacancy. Illinois State Senate Party As of November 1, 2010 After the 2010 Election      Democratic Party 37 35      Republican Party 22 23      Vacancy 0 1 Total 59 59 In 2010, the total amount of contributions raised in state Senate campaigns was $19,051,437. The top 10 donors were:[8] 2010 Donors, Illinois State Senate Donor Amount Illinois Senate Democratic Fund $3,849,507 Republican State Senate Campaign Cmte of Illinois $1,493,465 Illinois Democratic Party $1,454,869 Illinois Republican Party $1,016,221 Illinois Healthcare Association $459,144 Illinois Education Association $395,908 Illinois State Medical Society $315,142 Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois $282,582 AT&T $282,495 Illinois Laborers $261,618 2008[edit] See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2008 Elections for the office of Illinois State Senate consisted of a primary election on February 5, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $30,470,315. The top 10 contributors were:[9] 2008 Donors, Illinois State Senate Donor Amount Republican State Senate Campaign Cmte of Illinois $2,301,102 Illinois Senate Democratic Fund $1,572,783 Illinois Republican Party $852,827 Illinois Education Association $656,321 Friends of Clayborne $501,750 Illinois Healthcare Association $415,163 Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois $356,981 Illinois State Medical Society $343,516 AT&T $287,963 Illinois Federation of Teachers $264,526 2006[edit] See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2006 Elections for the office of Illinois State Senate consisted of a primary election on March 21, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $33,836,264. The top 10 contributors were:[10] 2006 Donors, Illinois State Senate Donor Amount Illinois Senate Democratic Fund $3,555,572 Republican State Senate Campaign Cmte $1,813,469 Illinois Republican Party $1,095,432 Illinois Education Association $906,460 Watson, Frank $646,334 Citizens for Frank Watson $505,865 Illinois State Medical Society $425,159 Illinois Federation of Teachers $403,876 AT&T $354,418 Illinois Pro-Choice $325,511 2004[edit] See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2004 Elections for the office of Illinois State Senate consisted of a primary election on March 16, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $27,180,039. The top 10 contributors were:[11] 2004 Donors, Illinois State Senate Donor Amount Illinois Senate Democratic Fund $3,261,028 Republican State Senate Campaign Cmte of Illinois $2,086,919 Illinois Education Association $657,415 Illinois State Medical Society $370,459 Illinois Federation of Teachers $257,559 Illinois Hospital & Health Systems Association $240,579 Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois $213,725 Service Employees Illinois Council $204,569 Illinois Realtors Association $186,706 Citizens for Frank Watson $185,786 2002[edit] See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2002 Elections for the office of Illinois State Senate consisted of a primary election on March 19, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $35,390,771. The top 10 contributors were:[12] 2002 Donors, Illinois State Senate Donor Amount Republican State Senate Campaign Cmte of Illinois $2,823,523 Illinois Democratic Party $1,661,354 Citizens for Emil Jones Jr $1,187,000 Illinois Education Association $1,073,385 Illinois Senate Democratic Fund $923,181 Illinois Federation of Teachers $305,228 Illinois State Medical Society $302,041 Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois $285,050 Afscme Council 31 $283,270 Illinois Trial Lawyers Association $252,450 2000[edit] See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2000 Elections for the office of Illinois State Senate consisted of a primary election on March 21, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $21,381,359. The top 10 contributors were:[13] 2000 Donors, Illinois State Senate Donor Amount Illinois Democratic Party $1,894,672 Republican State Senate Campaign Cmte of Illinois $1,768,327 Illinois Education Association $335,602 Illinois Hospital & Health Systems Association $201,906 Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois $197,600 Illinois State Medical Society $187,800 Ameritech $174,649 Illinois Manufacturers Association $153,433 Kompac State Victory Fund $144,550 Illinois Federation of Teachers $133,422

Vacancies[edit]

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Illinois General Assembly, the state constitution mandates that the seat must be filled by appointment when allowed by law. The appointment must be made within 30 days after the vacancy. If a vacancy occurs in the Senate with more than twenty-eight months remaining in the term, the appointment is interim until the next general election, when a special election must be held. All other House and Senate vacancies are to be filled by an appointment from the same political party that last held the seat.^[14] If the vacated seat was held by an independent (no party affiliation), the governor is to appoint an independent successor within 30 days.^[15]

The vacancy must be filled by the respective party organizations covering the legislative district.^[16] The respective committeemen and committeewomen representing the legislative district must vote on a replacement.^[17] The person selected for the seat serves for the remainder of the unfilled term.^[18]

See sources: Illinois Const. Art. 4, Sec. 2(d) and Illinois Rev. Stat. ch. 10, § 5/25-6

District map[edit]

See also: Illinois state legislative districts

The state of Illinois has 59 state Senate districts. Each district elects one senator.

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Redistricting[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Illinois

The Illinois General Assembly is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. Both chambers of the state legislature must approve a redistricting plan. The governor may veto the lines drawn by the state legislature.^[19]

In the event that both chambers of the state legislature do not approve a legislative redistricting plan, a backup commission must draw the lines. The majority and minority leaders of each chamber must appoint two members each to the commission (one legislator and one general citizen). Of the eight commission members, no more than four may belong to the same political party. In the event that these eight members cannot approve a plan, the Illinois Supreme Court must select two individuals (from different political parties) as potential tiebreakers. The secretary of state must then appoint one of these individuals to the backup commission to break the tie.^[19]

The Illinois Constitution requires that state legislative districts be "contiguous and reasonably compact." There are no such requirements in place for the state's congressional districts.^[19]

State law also mandates the establishment of state legislative districts "that allow racial or language minority communities to elect--or influence the election of--the candidates of their choice, even if no comparable district would be required by the federal Voting Rights Act."^[19]

2020[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Illinois after the 2020 census

The Illinois State Legislature approved new state legislative maps in a special session on August 31, 2021. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed the new maps into law on September 24, 2021.^[20] These maps were revised versions of maps enacted on June 4, 2021, that the legislature based on non-census population estimates. Following the release of census data in August, the legislature reconvened to develop and approve a revised map. These maps were later subject to a federal lawsuit that was decided on December 30, 2021, with the court upholding the maps enacted on September 24, 2021.^[21] Learn more here.

District map before and after 2020 redistricting[edit]

Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.

2010[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Illinois after the 2010 census

Following the completion of the 2010 United States Census, Illinois lost one congressional seat. At the time of redistricting, Democrats held majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. On May 30, 2011, the Illinois House of Representatives approved a congressional redistricting plan. The Illinois State Senate approved the plan on May 31, 2011, and Governor Pat Quinn (D) signed it into law on June 24, 2011. Legal suits were filed challenging the new congressional district map, but these were all ultimately dismissed.^[19][22][23]

The state legislative redistricting plan was passed by the legislature on May 27, 2011. Quinn signed the map into law on June 3, 2011. As with the congressional map, lawsuits were filed challenging the new state legislative districts. These suits were ultimately dismissed.^[19]

Sessions[edit]

Legislation[edit]

The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Illinois State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

Dates of legislative sessions in Illinois by year[edit]

2025[edit]

See also: 2025 Illinois legislative session and Dates of 2025 state legislative sessions

In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 8, 2025, and adjourn on May 31, 2025.

Click [show] for past years' session dates.

2024[edit] See also: 2024 Illinois legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 16, 2024, and adjourn on May 29, 2024. 2023[edit] See also: 2023 Illinois legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 11, 2023, and adjourn on May 27, 2023. 2022[edit] See also: 2022 Illinois legislative session and Dates of 2022 state legislative sessions In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 5, 2022, and adjourn on April 9, 2022. 2021[edit] See also: 2021 Illinois legislative session and Dates of 2021 state legislative sessions In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 13, 2021, and adjourn on June 1, 2021. 2020[edit] See also: 2020 Illinois legislative session and Dates of 2020 state legislative sessions In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 8, 2020, and adjourn on May 23, 2020. Effect of coronavirus pandemic[edit] See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 Coronavirus pandemic Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The Illinois General Assembly suspended its session, effective March 16, 2020. The suspension was originally set to expire the week of March 23, 2020. It was subsequently extended. The legislature reconvened on May 20, 2020, before adjourning on May 23, 2020.[24][25][26][27][28][29] 2019[edit] See also: 2019 Illinois legislative session and Dates of 2019 state legislative sessions In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 9, 2019, through November 14, 2019. 2018[edit] See also: 2018 Illinois legislative session and Dates of 2018 state legislative sessions In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 8, 2018, through May 31, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. 2017[edit] See also: Dates of 2017 state legislative sessions In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 11, 2017, through May 31, 2017. The legislature held its first special session from June 21, 2017, to July 6, 2017. The legislature held its second special session from July 26, 2017, to July 31, 2017. The state Senate met on August 13, 2017, to override Gov. Bruce Rauner's (R) veto of a school funding formula. The state House met on August 16, but did not override the veto. The Illinois state Legislature met again from August 28 to August 29 in special session over school funding. The legislature held a veto session from October 24 to November 9. Click [show] to read about the 2017 Illinois budget debates. In 2017, disagreements between Governor Bruce Rauner (R) and the Democratic-controlled Illinois General Assembly over the state budget drew national attention when S&P Global Inc. and Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Illinois' credit rating and some government services, including transportation projects and the state lottery, were on the verge of being shut down.[30][31] Rauner and the legislature failed to come to an agreement on a budget during the regular session, which ended on May 31, leading Rauner to call a special session from June 21 to June 30, the last day of the 2017 fiscal year. A budget agreement was not reached before June 30, meaning Illinois entered the 2018 fiscal year without a budget. A budget was passed on July 6, 2017, when the legislature overrode Rauner's vetoes of a $36 billion spending plan and a $5 billion tax increase. In the votes in the Illinois House, 10 Republicans joined the Democrats in voting for the overrides. Up to this point, Illinois had not passed a budget since 2014, when Pat Quinn (D) served as governor. According to The Associated Press, two years was the longest any state had gone without a budget in recent memory.[32] Important issues surrounding the budget debate included differences in Democratic and Republican plans concerning income tax rate increases, a property tax freeze, changes to regulations related to injured worker compensation, and the state's pension liabilities. The budget deal that eventually passed increased the personal income tax rate from 3.75 to 4.95 percent, increased the corporate tax rate from 5.25 to 7 percent, and left overall spending at $36 billion for fiscal year 2018.[33] The budget had an impact beyond the state, costing Wisconsin millions from its state budget. This was because, as of July 2017, Illinois and Wisconsin had a reciprocity agreement to account for the greater number of Wisconsinites that cross the state border to work in Illinois, but not pay state income taxes, than Illinoisans who came to work in Wisconsin. With higher incomes taxes in Illinois, Wisconsin's reciprocity payment increased.[34] Coverage of the budget negotiations centered on the relationship between Rauner and Speaker of the House Michael Madigan (D).[35] As of July 6, 2017, Rauner was seeking re-election as governor in 2018 and Madigan was defending the Democrats' 67-51 majority in the state house. Rauner and Madigan disagreed on a number of issues including whether the income tax increases should have been permanent.[36] Education funding[edit] $8.2 billion in state aid for public schools was included in the budget agreement. However, language was also included that said $6.76 billion of the aid had to be dispersed through a funding formula that calculated state aid for school districts based on the cost of strategies that supporters say are proven to improve student performance. The funding for districts could be increased by elements such as income, property wealth, and English-learning needs.[37][38][39] On August 29, the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill that included the necessary funding formula. Read more the timeline of events below. On May 31, the Legislature passed SB 1, which contained the necessary funding formula. Gov. Rauner indicated that he would veto the bill, causing Senate President John Cullerton (D) to hold it in the chamber.[40] According to Rauner's office, the governor would not support the bill because he believed it would benefit Chicago at the expense of other areas of the state.[41] On July 24, Rauner called the General Assembly into a special session starting July 26 to address education funding. He had set a deadline of 12:00pm CT on July 24 for Cullerton to send him SB 1 so that he could use his amendatory veto power to make unspecified changes to the provisions he disagreed with. When the deadline passed without Cullerton sending him the bill, he called the special session.[42] On July 31, the last day of the special session, SB 1 was transmitted to Rauner.[43] Rauner issued an amendatory veto on August 1, rewriting SB 1 to remove a $250 million block grant to Chicago Public Schools and changing how the funding formula determines state aid.[44] According to the Illinois State Board of Education, Rauner's changes would result in a $463 million decrease in funding for Chicago Public Schools in the 2017-2018 school year.[45] The Illinois Senate met on August 13 and overrode the veto by a 38-19 vote, with all Democrats and Republican Sam McCann voting to override.[46] The Illinois House was scheduled to vote on the override on August 23, but Speaker Madigan cancelled the vote on August 22. He said that progress had been made in negotiations with Rauner and Republicans.[47][48][49] On August 24, the four leaders in the General Assembly— Madigan, Cullerton, Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady (R), and House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R)— announced that they had reached a compromise agreement on SB 1. According to Politico, the agreement kept the funding formula from SB 1 and included $75 million in subsidies for private school education.[50] On August 28, 2017, the Illinois House rejected the agreement in a 46-61 vote.[51] The chamber next voted on an override of SB 1. After the override vote received just 63 of the 71 votes it needed to pass, the chamber took up the compromise bill again and passed it 73-34.[52] On August 29, the Illinois Senate passed the compromise bill by a 38-13 vote.[53] Gov. Rauner signed the bill into law on August 31.[54] According to The Chicago Sun-Times, some schools in low-income areas cannot remain open without the state money that is allocated by the budget.[37] In addition to the state aid in the budget, education funding in Illinois also comes from property taxes levied by local governments. Areas that pay more in property taxes can spend more on schools and are less dependent on state aid.[55] 2016[edit] See also: Dates of 2016 state legislative sessions In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 13 through May 31. 2015[edit] See also: Dates of 2015 state legislative sessions In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 14 through December 7 (extended session).[56] Major issues in 2015[edit] Major issues during the 2015 legislative session included a potential income tax increase, a statewide minimum wage and federal healthcare funding.[57] 2014[edit] See also: Dates of 2014 state legislative sessions In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 29 through June 2. Major issues in 2014[edit] Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included the pending expiration of a temporary income tax, corporate tax incentives, Chicago pension reform, and capital construction.[58] 2013[edit] See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 9 to May 31. Major issues in 2013[edit] Major issues during the 2013 legislative session included regulation of horizontal hydraulic fracturing, concealed carry, same-sex marriage, and pension reform.[59][60][61][62] 2012[edit] See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions In 2012, the General Assembly was in regular session from January 11 to May 31. 2011[edit] See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions In 2011, the General Assembly was in session from January 12-June 1. A special session was called by Governor Pat Quinn (D) to settle disputes regarding Illinois construction projects on June 22, 2011.[63] 2010[edit] See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions In 2010, the General Assembly was in regular session from January 13th to May 7th.

About legislative sessions in Illinois[edit]

The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.^[64] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

Article IV of the Illinois Constitution establishes when the Illinois General Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 5 of Article IV states that the General Assembly will convene its regular session on the second Wednesday of January.

Section 5 also creates rules for the convening of special sessions. The section allows the Governor of Illinois to convene the General Assembly or the Senate alone. When the Governor calls a special session, the General Assembly can generally only deal with matters related to the purpose of the session, as stated by the Governor's proclamation of the session, but they can also deal with impeachments or confirmation of appointments. Section 5 also allows the presiding officers of both houses of the General Assembly to convene a special session through joint proclamation.

Legislative roles and procedures[edit]

Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.

Veto overrides[edit]

See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Illinois are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Three-fifths of members in both chambers.

Are there other special rules?

Authority: Article IV, Section 9 of the Illinois Constitution.

Role in state budget[edit]

See also: Illinois state budget and finances

Illinois on

Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:

Budgets • Civil liberties • Education • Elections • Energy • Environment • Healthcare • Pensions

Illinois operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is:^[65][66]

1. In September and October of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year, the governor sends budget instructions to state agencies.
2. In October and November, agencies submit their budget requests to the governor.
3. Budget hearings with the public are held from February through May.
4. On the third Wednesday in February, the governor submits his or her proposed budget to the Illinois General Assembly.
5. The General Assembly passes a budget in May.

Illinois is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.^[66][67]

The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature must pass a balanced budget.^[66]

Committees[edit]

See also: List of committees in Illinois state government

Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

• Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
• Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
• Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Illinois State Senate has 30 standing committees:

Constitutional amendments[edit]

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

The methods in which the Illinois Constitution can be amended:

See also: Article XIV of the Illinois Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Illinois

The Illinois Constitution provides four mechanisms for amending the state constitution—a constitutional convention, a legislative process, and a citizen-initiated process.

Initiative[edit]

See also: Initiated constitutional amendment

An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.

In Illinois, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8% of votes cast for governor in the previous gubernatorial election. Initiated measures in Illinois may only amend Article IV of the Illinois Constitution, which addresses the structure of the Illinois State Legislature. All amendments must be approved by either a majority of those voting in the election or three-fifths of those voting on the amendment itself.

Legislature[edit]

See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

According to Article XVI, the state Legislature can refer constitutional amendments to the ballot for voters to decide. A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for the Illinois General Assembly to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 71 votes in the Illinois House of Representatives and 36 votes in the Illinois State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Convention[edit]

See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

According to Article XIV of the Illinois Constitution, a question about whether to hold a constitutional convention is to automatically appear on the state's ballot every 20 years starting in 1918. Illinois is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question. A constitutional convention question can also be placed before the state's voters if 60% of the members of both houses of the Illinois General Assembly vote in the affirmative. If such a question does appear on the ballot, it must be affirmed by a supermajority vote of 60% of those voting on the question or a majority of those who cast a ballot for any office in that election.

The table below shows the last and next constitutional convention question election years:

2026 measures:

See also: 2026 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

No measures to list

Potential:

The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2026.

No measures to list

2025 measures:

Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2025 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway through the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2025.

See also: 2025 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

No measures to list

Potential:

The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2025.

No measures to list

See also[edit]

Elections	Illinois State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
Illinois State Senate elections, 2024 Illinois State Senate elections, 2022 Illinois State Senate elections, 2020 Illinois State Senate elections, 2018	Illinois General Assembly Illinois House of Representatives Governor of Illinois Illinois Supreme Court	State legislative elections: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018	State government trifectas State government triplexes State executives State courts Ballot measures The State Legislative Decade

External links[edit]

• Illinois General Assembly

Footnotes[edit]

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