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2018 Illinois legislative session

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2018 legislative sessions coverage
Illinois General Assembly

Seal of Illinois.png
General information
Type:   State legislature
Term limits:   None
Session start:   January 8, 2018
Session end:   May 31, 2018
Website:   Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President:   John Cullerton (D)
House Speaker:  Michael J. Madigan (D)
Majority Leader:   Senate: James Clayborne (D)
House: Barbara Flynn Currie (D)
Minority Leader:   Senate: Bill Brady (R)
House: Jim Durkin (R)
Structure
Members:  59 (Senate), 118 (House)
Length of term:   4 years (Senate), 2 years (House)
Authority:   Art IV, Illinois Constitution
Salary:   $67,836/year + per diem
Elections
Redistricting:  Illinois General Assembly has control

This page provides an overview of the 2018 Illinois General Assembly and its general and special sessions. The timelines below contain noteworthy events from the sessions Ballotpedia curated throughout the year.

If you know of any additional events that should be added to this page, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Overview

In 2018, the Illinois General Assembly was in session from January 8 through May 31. The General Assembly held a veto session from November 12 to November 29.

Partisan control

Illinois was one of 16 states under a divided government in 2018, meaning it did not have a state government trifecta. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about divided governments and state government trifectas, click here.

The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Illinois General Assembly.

Senate

Party As of July 2018
     Democratic Party 37
     Republican Party 22
     Vacancies 0
Total 59

House

Party As of July 2018
     Democratic Party 66
     Republican Party 51
     Vacancies 1
Total 118

Leadership in 2018

Senate

House

Regular session

Status of legislation at the end of the regular session

Click [show] on the table below for an overview of the legislation we covered during the 2018 regular session.

February 28, 2018

Illinois lawmakers advance four firearm-related bills
The Illinois House of Representatives, controlled by Democrats, passed four bills related to firearms.

SB 1657 proposed requiring firearms dealers to obtain five-year licenses for $1,000 from the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. It also proposed creating a gun dealer licensing board to assist in enforcing the bill.[1]
According to The Associated Press, opponents of the bill argued firearms dealers were already required to obtain licenses from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives at the time of SB 1657's passage.[1]
Bill sponsor Rep. Kathleen Willis (D) said more state oversight would help prevent criminals from possessing firearms.[1]
  • House Bill 1467 passed by a vote of 83-31. The bill proposed prohibiting the manufacture, sale, or possession of bump stocks. The bump stock, which allows semi-automatic firearms to fire similarly to automatic weapons, was linked with the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. Gov. Bruce Rauner's (R) press secretary said the governor would support a bump stock ban.[1]
  • House Bill 1465 advanced in a 64 to 51 vote. HB 1465 proposed increasing the age requirement for purchasing or possessing assault-style weapons from 18 to 21.
  • House Bill 1468 passed in a 79 to 37 vote. The bill proposed requiring a 72-hour waiting period before buyers could pick up assault-style weapons. At the time of HB 1468's passage, Illinois law already required a waiting period for handguns.[1]


House Bills 1467, 1465, and 1468 were sent to the state Senate for approval. Read more here.

Update:
  • Gov. Rauner vetoed SB 1657 March 13.
  • The Senate approved HB 1467 and HB 1465 with amendments March 14. At the end of the 2018 session, the bills were waiting for a concurrence vote in the House.
  • The Senate approved HB 1468 March 14. Gov. Rauner made an amendatory veto May 14. The bill died after the General Assembly did not approve or override the changes. However, the House approved a bill similar to the governor's proposal May 30. The Senate approved the bill May 31.

March 7, 2018

Fix to school funding formula advances to state Senate
The state House approved HB 5812, a school funding bill, in a 76 to 31 vote. According to The State Journal-Register, "state officials said [the bill] is necessary to ensure money is properly distributed under the new plan," referring to school funding changes that became law in 2017. The law instituted a new school funding formula directing money to districts based on need. At the time of HB 5812's passage, school funds had not been distributed under the 2017 law, which state officials said contained errors.[2]

Update: The Senate approved HB 5812 March 14 and it became law March 23.

March 13, 2018

Gov. Rauner vetoes firearm legislation (SB 1657)
Gov. Rauner vetoed SB 1657, legislation that would have required firearms dealers to obtain five-year renewable licenses from the state. The state Senate approved SB 1657 April 27, 2017, and the state House passed it February 28, 2018.

A state press release said Rauner thought "the bill created onerous, duplicative bureaucracy that does little to improve public safety."[3]

Illinois held a primary election for the 2018 gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election March 20. In the Republican primary, Rauner faced state Rep. Jeanne Ives (R), who voted against SB 1657.

March 14, 2018

Illinois Senate approves firearms-related legislation
One day after Gov. Rauner vetoed legislation (SB 1657) related to firearm licenses, the state Senate, controlled by Democrats, approved three firearms measures the state House passed February 28.

  • House Bill 1468, which proposed a three-day waiting period before buyers could take home assault-style weapons, was sent to Gov. Rauner's desk. It passed the Senate by a 43-15 vote.
  • The Senate amended House Bill 1467, which proposed a bump stock ban. The Senate added a provision to allow cities to enact local measures prohibiting assault weapons. The state's 2013 concealed carry law repealed city authority to implement such measures. The Senate passed HB 1467 37-16, sending the legislation to the House for a concurrence vote.
  • The Senate also proposed changing House Bill 1465, a bill to raise the minimum age requirement for purchasing firearms from 18 to 21. The Senate suggested inserting a provision to allow adults under the age of 21 who already own assault weapons to lawfully possess their weapons should the bill become law.[4][5] The Senate voted 33-22 for the bill.
Update:
  • At the end of the 2018 legislative session, HB 1467 and HB 1465 were waiting for a House concurrence vote.
  • Gov. Rauner made an amendatory veto of HB 1468 May 14. The bill died after the General Assembly did not approve or override the changes. However, the House approved a bill similar to the governor's proposal May 30 and the Senate concurred May 31.

State Senate approves fix to school funding formula
The state Senate approved 38-17 HB 5812. HB 5812's goal was to resolve issues with a new school funding formula passed in 2017. The 2017 funding formula was designed to provide more resources to the neediest school districts without decreasing funding levels for other districts. HB 5812 cleared up discrepancies in the new formula and allowed the Illinois State Board of Education to begin implementing the formula.[6]

The state House approved the bill March 7.

Update: Gov. Rauner signed HB 5812 March 23.

March 23, 2018

Governor signs school funding legislation into law
Gov. Rauner signed HB 5812 into law.[7] The bill resolved discrepancies with a new funding formula that became law in 2017. It passed the state House March 7 and the state Senate March 14.

April 11, 2018

House approves bill to prevent use of state funds in sexual harassment cases
The state House unanimously approved HB 4243, which proposed prohibiting the use of state funds in sexual harassment cases against lawmakers. The bill states, "No public funds ... shall be paid to any person in exchange for his or her silence or inaction related to an allegation or investigation of sexual harassment." The bill was sent to the state Senate for consideration.

Update: The state Senate approved the bill May 23. Gov. Rauner signed it August 10.

April 26, 2018

Senate passes bump stock ban
The state Senate approved Senate Bill 2343 by a 38-10 vote. SB 2343 proposed prohibiting the sale, manufacture, purchase, or possession of a bump stock or trigger crank. Bump stocks and trigger cranks are devices that increase the rate of fire of a firearm. The bill was sent to the state House for consideration.

The House approved a similar measure, HB 1467, earlier in 2018, but the Senate approved the bill with amendments. Bill sponsor Sen. Kwame Raoul (D) said SB 2343 was meant to serve as a compromise.

Gov. Rauner vetoed SB 1657, a bill related to firearm dealer licensing March 13, but he expressed support for a bump stock ban.[8] Read more here.

Update: At the end of the 2018 legislative session, SB 2343 had been referred to the House Rules committee.

Bill allowing medical marijuana to replace opioid prescriptions advances to state House
The state Senate voted 44 to 6 for Senate Bill 336 (SB 336), which proposed authorizing doctors to prescribe medical marijuana instead of opioids. The bill also proposed requiring patients to present an opioid prescription and a signed doctor's note to a marijuana dispensary. The dispensary would have to verify the doctor's approval. Patients would be able to purchase 2.5 ounces of medical marijuana every two weeks for up to 12 months.[9]

Update: SB 336 passed the state House May 31. Gov. Rauner signed it August 28.

April 27, 2018

State House approves bill creating grants for schools to hire mental health professionals
The state House approved HB 4208 by a 64-25 vote. HB 4208 proposed allowing schools to apply for a grant if they promised to reallocate funding meant for school security officers to mental health services.[10][11]

Rep. Peter Breen (R) opposed the bill, arguing schools should hire more law enforcement to protect students from school shootings.[11] Michelle Mbekeani-Wiley, a staff attorney with the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, said adding more police in schools would not necessarily make schools safer and would increase the likelihood that minority students would enter the criminal justice system.[10][12]

Update: The state Senate passed HB 4208 May 31. Gov. Rauner issued an amendatory veto August 26.

May 14, 2018

Governor makes amendatory veto of HB 1468
Gov. Rauner issued an amendatory veto of HB 1468, which passed the House February 28 and the Senate March 14. The bill would have required a 72-hour waiting period before purchasing assault-style rifles.

Rauner's veto proposed:

  • Expanding the bill's 72-hour waiting period from assault-style rifles to all gun purchases.
  • Prohibiting bump stocks and trigger cranks.
  • Creating a new homicide category called death penalty murder that would apply to individuals aged 18 and over charged with killing police officers or two or more people.
  • Raising the standard of determining guilt for death penalty murder from guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to guilt beyond all doubt.
  • Allowing gun violence restraining orders to confiscate firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others.
  • Requiring judges and prosecutors to explain why charges were reduced in plea agreements of violent offenders in gun cases.
  • Authorizing school authorities to use revenue from the County School Facilities Sales Tax statute to hire school resource officers and mental health professionals.[13][14]

Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady supported Rauner's amendments. "The governor’s action today recognizes the need for a multi-pronged approach to dealing with deadly assaults. As part of that, those who choose to murder innocent victims in mass attacks or kill law enforcement officers should know they face the severest of sentences."[14]

The American Civil Liberties Union encouraged the legislature to reject the governor's changes. Khadine Bennett, advocacy and intergovernmental affairs director at the ACLU of Illinois, said, "Illinois has seen the harm that a flawed death penalty system can do, all while adding nothing to our public safety. Suggesting a return to this failed policy is particularly disappointing from a governor who has proclaimed that the concept of redemption must be a critical part of criminal justice reforms."[14]

Update: HB 1468 died after the General Assembly did not act on the governor's amendments. However, the House approved a bill similar to the governor's proposal May 30 and the state Senate concurred May 31.

May 17, 2018

Illinois Senate votes on bill to raise teacher pay
The state Senate voted 37-16 in favor of SB 2892, which proposed raising the minimum public school teacher salary to $40,000 per year over the next five years. Bill sponsor Sen. Andy Manar (D) said the bill would attract more teachers to the state. Sen. Kyle McCarter (R) said the state did not have enough money to pay for increased pension costs that would accompany higher pay.[15] Streater High School Superintendent Matt Seaton said the bill would negatively impact school districts by taking away local control and expecting districts to fund the raises themselves.[16]

At the time of the bill's passage in the Senate, state law establishing a minimum salary for teachers had not been updated since 1980. According to Fox Illinois, the law set the minimum salary at $11,000 for teachers with a master's degree, $10,000 for teachers with bachelor's degrees, and $9,000 for teachers with less than a bachelor's degree.[17] Illinois News reported the average teacher salary, based on information from the Illinois State Board of Education, was $64,516 and beginning teachers made about half of that ($32,258).[16]

The bill was sent to the state House for consideration.

Update: SB 2892 passed the state House May 30. Gov. Rauner vetoed the bill August 26.

May 23, 2018

Illinois House approves extreme risk protection order legislation
The state House approved HB 2354 by an 80-32 vote. The bill proposed allowing judges to suspend an individual's access to firearms if the judge found the individual posed a threat to him- or herself and/or to others. Judges could suspend access for up to six months.

Bill sponsor Rep. Kathleen Willis (D) said the measure would prevent mass shootings and other types of gun violence by empowering families and friends of individuals who show signs of distress. "This is something that can enable them to help convince the person to get help," she said. Rep. Jeanne Ives (R) questioned whether the bill would shift responsibility from family members to the courts, saying, "If I have somebody in my family that I know has made a threat against me, I’m taking their guns myself." Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R) opposed the bill because he found it too restrictive.

HB 2354 was sent to the state Senate, where SB 559, a similar bill sponsored by Sen. Julie Morrison (D), was under consideration.[18]

Update: The state Senate approved HB 2354 May 30 and Gov. Rauner signed it July 16.
See also: Extreme risk protection orders in state legislatures

State Senate approves legislation prohibiting use of taxpayer funds to settle sexual harassment cases
The state Senate unanimously approved HB 4243, which passed the state House April 11. The bill proposed prohibiting the use of taxpayer funds to settle allegations of sexual harassment involving a member of the Illinois General Assembly.

Update: Gov. Rauner signed HB 4243 August 10.

May 30, 2018

Illinois House approves 72-hour wait for firearm purchases
The state House voted 72-44 on SB 3256 after amending the bill to expand the wait time before purchasing firearms. Illinois law at the time of the bill's passage required a 72-hour wait to purchase handguns and a 24-hour wait for all other guns.[19][20]

The bill also included a provision to reinstate the death penalty for mass murderers and those convicted of killing law enforcement officers. The provisions were part of Gov. Rauner's public safety proposal.[19][20]

The bill was sent to the state Senate for agreement on amendments.[19][20]

HB 1468, a similar bill requiring a 72-hour waiting period died in May after the governor issued an amendatory veto adding death penalty provisions. Click here to read more about the governor's veto. Read more here.

Update: The Senate concurred SB 3256 and the governor signed it July 16.

State Senate passes extreme risk protection order legislation
The state Senate approved HB 2354 by a 43-11 vote. The bill proposed authorizing family members or law enforcement officials to petition the court to confiscate firearms from individuals deemed dangerous to themselves or others. According to a press release from bill sponsor Sen. Julie Morrison (D), "If a judge finds clear and convincing evidence that the respondent is a danger, the court can require firearms to be temporarily removed from the respondent’s possession." The bill was based on a similar law in California.[21]

On May 31, the National Rifle Association's Institute of Legislative Action released a statement encouraging residents to contact the governor and ask him to veto parts of HB 2354. The NRA argued the bill contained "egregious violations of your rights" by allowing "Second Amendment rights to be revoked without due process." The group also criticized the bill for doing "nothing to incapacitate the subjects of the orders, as there is no requirement that they receive mental health treatment."[22]

Update: Gov. Rauner signed HB 2354 July 16.
See also: Extreme risk protection orders in state legislatures

State House approves increase to minimum teacher pay
The state House voted 65-47 on SB 2892, a bill to raise minimum teacher pay to $40,000. The bill proposed gradually raising the minimum teacher pay, beginning at roughly $32,000 in the 2019-2020 school year and increasing by $2,500 over the next two school years. The minimum annual salary would reach $40,000 in the 2022-2023 school year and would then increase annually based on changes in the Consumer Price Index.

Supporters of the bill, such as Rep. Christian Mitchell (D), said it would attract and retain teachers. Critics, such as Rep. Jeanne Ives (R), said teacher salaries should be negotiated at the local level.[23] The Illinois Policy Institute encouraged the governor to veto the bill, arguing that "dictating teachers’ salaries from Springfield would impose costly mandates on local school districts and expose struggling communities to property tax hikes across the state."[24]

Update: On August 26, Gov. Rauner vetoed the bill.

Illinois General Assembly votes to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment
The General Assembly voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), the main clause of which states, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." The United States Congress approved the ERA March 22, 1972, with an initial seven-year deadline—later extended to 10 years (1982)—in which 38 states needed to ratify the amendment. Thirty-five (35) states approved the amendment by 1982. Prior to Illinois' vote, Nevada was the most recent state to ratify the amendment with a vote in 2017.[25] Efforts to consider the bill in 2018 failed in Virginia, Arizona, and Florida.[26]

May 31, 2018

House approves bill allowing medical marijuana to replace opioid prescriptions
The state House voted 73-28 for SB 336, which passed the state Senate April 26. SB 336 proposed amending the state's Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act by allowing individuals to receive medical marijuana prescriptions rather than opioid prescriptions. It also proposed allowing patients with criminal records to access medical marijuana, which state law prohibited at the time of SB 336's passage.[27]

Supporters of the bill, such as Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D), said it aimed to prevent opioid addiction and lessen the epidemic. "This is a compassionate and commonsense approach to dealing with something we universally acknowledge is a problem," she said. Sen. Don Harmon (D) agreed, "Opioid addiction takes the lives of thousands of Illinoisans every year. We should be open to any reasonable alternative treatment—and no one has ever died of a cannabis overdose."[28]

Aaron Weiner, director of addiction services at Lindon Oaks Behavioral Health in Naperville, Illinois, expressed concern that the bill would put patients at risk. "People are prescribed opioids inappropriately all the time. That doesn't mean they should be smoking pot."[29]

Update: Gov. Rauner signed SB 336 August 28.

State Senate passes legislation allowing schools to apply for grants to hire mental health professionals
The state Senate voted 36-16 on HB 4208, a bill to allow schools to apply for grants to hire mental health professionals. The House approved the bill April 27. The Senate removed a provision in the bill that said schools could only access the funds if they replaced armed security guards with mental health professionals. The Senate version would not allow schools to use the grant money to pay for security guards. The House concurred the Senate's changes and sent the bill to the governor.[30]

Update: Gov. Rauner issued an amendatory veto August 26.

August 26, 2018

Governor vetoes bill raising minimum teacher salary
Gov. Rauner vetoed SB 2892, legislation raising the minimum salary for Illinois teachers to $40,000 per year. In his veto message, Rauner said, "Teachers are our greatest asset in ensuring the future of our youth and they deserve to be well-compensated for their hard work. However, minimum pay legislation is neither the most efficient nor the most effective way to compensate our teachers. Things like pay-for-performance, diversified pay for teachers in hard-to-staff schools or subjects, or pay incentives for teachers with prior work experience are all viable options to provide greater compensation for teachers."

State Sen. Andy Manar (D), who sponsored the legislation, criticized Rauner's veto: "Refusing to guarantee professional educators a livable minimum wage is no way to lure more teachers to Illinois. I'm disappointed in the governor's veto, and I know thousands of dedicated, hard-working, creative educators throughout the state are too."[31]

Governor issues amendatory veto on mental health grants bill
The governor issued an amendatory veto of HB 4208. In Illinois, an amendatory veto allows the governor to propose changes to a bill the General Assembly already passed. The governor's veto message proposes changes that the General Assembly can:

1. override. An amendatory veto override requires a three-fifths majority vote in each chamber, at which point the bill would become law without the governor's changes.
2. approve through a simple majority vote in each chamber.
3. neither approve nor override, in which case the bill dies.[32]

In his veto message, Rauner recommended removing a provision that prohibited schools from using grant funds to hire law enforcement or security personnel. The legislation required schools to use the grant to hire mental health professionals, expand alternative disciplinary and/or drug treatment programs, and/or provide conflict resolution training.[33][34]

Veto session

November 29, 2018

General Assembly overrides governor veto of bill on inmate testimony
The General Assembly voted to override Gov. Rauner's veto of SB 1830, which directed the state to expand restrictions on using inmate testimony in criminal prosecutions. The governor vetoed the bill July 20, saying, "We should not further hinder the ability of our State’s Attorneys to prosecute these serious crimes or curb the role of juries in appropriately weighing the testimony presented to them."[35]

Opponents said the bill would prevent prosecutors from doing their job and prevent juries from hearing evidence.[36] Supporters of the bill, such as The Innocence Project, said use of inmate testimony can result in false testimony.[37][38] The Innocence Project described its mission as "to free the staggering number of innocent people who remain incarcerated, and to bring reform to the system responsible for their unjust imprisonment."[39]

SB 1830 aims to change the process of using inmates to provide testimony in criminal trials. The bill requires prosecutors:

  • to inform defense attorneys of plans to use inmate testimony at least 30 days before trial.
  • to disclose the benefits prosecutors plan to give the inmate in exchange for his or her testimony.
  • to disclose other cases in which the inmate testified.
  • to prove to a judge that the inmate's testimony is reliable and admissible.[37]

Budget

2018

On June 4, Gov. Rauner signed HB 109, a $38.5 billion budget bill—the first complete budget he signed since taking office in 2015. The General Assembly approved the budget on bipartisan lines and sent the bill to the governor May 31.

House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said, "Both sides did not get everything they hoped for, but our priorities - Republican and Democrat - have been met." Rauner said in a statement, "I'm signing this legislation because it is a step in the right direction, but it is not perfect. ... We still need to enact reforms that bring down the cost of government, make the state friendlier to job creators, and ignite our state economy so it grows faster than government spending."

Among its provisions, the budget:

  • fully funded the education formula signed into law in 2017.
  • increased K-12 school funding by $350 million, early childhood education funding by $50 million, and higher education funding by $25 million.
  • contributed $50 million to the state scholarship program.
  • introduced changes to the pension system. According to a press release from the governor's website, the changes were projected to save $445 million in fiscal year 2019.
  • created adoption tax credits of up to $5,000 per child.
  • gave $500 million to the University of Illinois System for economic development initiatives.
  • invested $53 million in fiscal year 2019 for the construction of a veterans' home in Quincy, Illinois.[40][41][42] Read more here.

Process

See also: Illinois state budget and finances
Illinois on Public Policy Logo-one line-on Ballotpedia.png
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:[43][44]

  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.[44][45]

The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature must pass a balanced budget.[44]

Noteworthy events

Sexual misconduct in the state capitol

See also: Sexual assault and harassment in American politics (2017-2018)

Starting in October 2017, the #MeToo movement led to an increase in the number of women bringing forth allegations of sexual harassment and assault. #MeToo was sparked by allegations against Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein. See this page for more on #MeToo and responses by the federal government and state governments.

Below is a list of noteworthy individuals in Illinois accused of engaging in or facilitating sexual assault or harassment from 2017 to 2018.


Legislatively referred constitutional amendments

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

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

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

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:

State Interval Last question on the ballot Next question on the ballot
Illinois 20 years 2008 2028



2019 measures:

See also: 2019 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures were certified for the ballot.

No measures to list

2018 measures:

Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2018 ballot by the legislature.

See also: Illinois 2018 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures were certified for the ballot.

No measures to list

See also

Elections Illinois State Government State Legislatures State Politics
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State Courts-Tile image.png

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Daily Herald, "Illinois House OKs assault-weapon age-limit, bump-stock ban," February 28, 2018
  2. ↑ The State Journal-Register, "House approves school funding reform cleanup," March 7, 2018
  3. ↑ Illinois.gov, "Rauner vetoes onerous gun store regulation," March 13, 2018
  4. ↑ NPR Illinois, "State Senators Stage Walk Out, Vote On More Gun Regulation," March 14, 2018
  5. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Attempt to override Rauner gun veto put off as assault weapons restrictions approved," March 14, 2018
  6. ↑ US 92.7, "Illinois Senate Passes School Funding Cleanup Bill," March 14, 2018
  7. ↑ Illinois.gov, "Governor takes bill action," March 23, 2018
  8. ↑ The State Journal-Register, "Bump stock ban passes Illinois Senate," April 26, 2018
  9. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "People with opioid prescriptions could get medical marijuana instead under Illinois Senate plan," April 27, 2018
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 U.S. News & World Report, "Correction: School Security-Illinois Story," April 20, 2018
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Herald & Review, "Illinois House OKs amended plan adding school therapists," April 27, 2018
  12. ↑ The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law describes itself as assisting "multi-state networks to advance an anti-poverty and racial justice agenda."
  13. ↑ Illinois.gov, "Gov. Rauner proposes death penalty for mass murderers and killers of law enforcement officers," May 14, 2018
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Illinois News Network, "Gov. Rauner issues amendatory veto on gun bill, seeks to partially reinstate death penalty," May 14, 2018
  15. ↑ The Pantagraph, "Illinois Senate votes to raise teacher salaries," May 17, 2018
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Illinois News Network, "New plan would guarantee Illinois teacher pay starts at $40,000 a year," April 12, 2018
  17. ↑ Fox Illinois, "Bill would set minimum starting salary for teachers at $40K," April 11, 2018
  18. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Illinois House approves plan allowing six-month suspension of gun rights for people showing 'red flags,'" May 24, 2018
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 The Pantagraph, "State House approves expanded 72-hour wait for guns," May 30, 2018
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 The State Journal-Register, "Gun bills advance in Illinois legislature," May 30, 2018
  21. ↑ Illinois Senate Democrats, "Morrison passes updated ‘Red Flag’ proposal, creates Firearms Restraining Order Act," May 30, 2018
  22. ↑ NRA-ILA, "Illinois: Ask Governor Rauner to Veto Firearm Surrender Bill," May 31, 2018
  23. ↑ The Associated Press, "Illinois House sends governor bill raising teacher salaries," May 30, 2018
  24. ↑ Illinois Policy Institute, "Illinois General Assembly passes bill mandating $40,000 minimum salary for teachers," June 4, 2018
  25. ↑ The New York Times, "The Equal Rights Amendment Was Just Ratified by Illinois. What Does That Mean?" May 31, 2018
  26. ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Equal Rights Amendment, Left for Dead in 1982, Gets New Life in the #MeToo Era," June 4, 2018
  27. ↑ Illinois Policy Institute, "General Assembly passes bill expanding medical marijuana access as opioid alternative," June 7, 2018
  28. ↑ Marijuana.com, "Illinois Lawmakers Consider Allowing Medical Marijuana as Opioid Alternative," June 4, 2018
  29. ↑ Illinois Newsroom, "An Opioid Prescription In Illinois Could Be A Ticket For Medical Marijuana," June 8, 2018
  30. ↑ Daily Herald, "The Latest: Illinois school mental-health grant approved," May 31, 2018
  31. ↑ Governing, "Illinois Governor Vetoes $40,000 Minimum Teacher Salary," August 27, 2018
  32. ↑ Illinois Policy Institute, "Illinois' gubernatorial veto procedures," August 2, 2017
  33. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Governor amendatory veto message," accessed September 7, 2018
  34. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Full text of HB4208," accessed September 7, 2018
  35. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Full Text of SB1830: Governor's Message," July 20, 2018
  36. ↑ NPR Illinois, "Rauner Vetoes Bill On 'Jailhouse Snitches,'" July 24, 2018
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 U.S. News & World Report, "Overriding Rauner’s Veto, Illinois Passes Law Reforming Use of Jailhouse Snitches," November 28, 2018
  38. ↑ The State Journal-Register, "Innocence Project criticizes Gov. Rauner over bill veto," July 30, 2018
  39. ↑ The Innocence Project, "About," accessed December 4, 2018
  40. ↑ Illinois.gov, "With no new taxes, Gov. Rauner signs FY19 budget into law," June 4, 2018
  41. ↑ Reuters, "Illinois budget speeds through legislature, heads to governor," May 31, 2018
  42. ↑ Bloomberg, "Illinois Passes Budget, Moving to Avert Repeat of Impasse," May 31, 2018
  43. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Experiences with Annual and Biennial Budgeting," accessed February 4, 2021
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
  45. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
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