Illinois House of Representatives

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Illinois House of
Representatives
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:   Democrat
Session start:   January 10, 2024
Session end:   May 24, 2024
Term length:   2 years
Term limits:   None
Redistricting:  Legislature-dominant
Salary:   $85,000/year + per diem
Members
Total:  118
Democrats:  78
Republicans:  40
Other:  0
Vacancies:  0
Leadership
Speaker:   Chris Welch (D)
Maj. Leader:   Robyn Gabel (D)
Min. Leader:   Tony McCombie (R)
Elections
Last election:  November 8, 2022
Next election:  November 5, 2024

The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Illinois General Assembly. Alongside the Illinois State Senate, 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 House of Representatives 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 House of Representatives meets in the state capitol building in Springfield, Illinois.

  • All 118 Illinois House seats were up for election in 2022. The chamber's Democratic supermajority increased from 73-45 to 78-39 (with one vacancy).
  • All 118 Illinois House seats were up for election in 2020. The chamber's Democratic supermajority decreased from 74-44 to 73-45.
  • Illinois has a Democratic trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

  • This page contains the following information on the Illinois House of Representatives.

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Illinois House of Representatives as of January 2024:

    Party As of January 2024
         Democratic Party 78
         Republican Party 40
         Other 0
         Vacancies 0
    Total 118

    Members

    Leadership

    The speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body and is elected by its full membership. Duties of the speaker include preserving order and decorum, deciding all points of order, signing all bills and acts of the House, and appointing all chairs, co-chairs, and vice chairs of committees, as well as appointing all majority caucus members of committees. The minority leader appoints all minority caucus members to committees.[1]

    Leadership and members


    Office Name Party Date assumed office
    Illinois House of Representatives District 1 Aaron Ortiz Democratic January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 2 Elizabeth Hernandez Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 3 Eva Dina Delgado Democratic 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 4 Lilian Jiménez Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 5 Kimberly du Buclet Democratic May 15, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 6 Sonya Harper Democratic 2015
    Illinois House of Representatives District 7 Emanuel Welch Democratic January 9, 2013
    Illinois House of Representatives District 8 La Shawn Ford Democratic 2007
    Illinois House of Representatives District 9 Yolonda Morris Democratic September 13, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 10 Jawaharial Williams Democratic May 17, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 11 Ann M. Williams Democratic 2011
    Illinois House of Representatives District 12 Margaret Croke Democratic January 13, 2021
    Illinois House of Representatives District 13 Hoan Huynh Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 14 Kelly Cassidy Democratic May 16, 2011
    Illinois House of Representatives District 15 Michael Kelly Democratic November 23, 2021
    Illinois House of Representatives District 16 Kevin Olickal Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 17 Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz Democratic January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 18 Robyn Gabel Democratic 2010
    Illinois House of Representatives District 19 Lindsey LaPointe Democratic July 24, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 20 Brad Stephens Republican June 29, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 21 Abdelnasser Rashid Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 22 Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar Democratic February 25, 2021
    Illinois House of Representatives District 23 Edgar Gonzalez Jr. Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 24 Theresa Mah Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 25 Curtis Tarver II Democratic January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 26 Kambium Buckner Democratic 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 27 Justin Slaughter Democratic 2017
    Illinois House of Representatives District 28 Robert Rita Democratic 2003
    Illinois House of Representatives District 29 Thaddeus Jones Democratic 2011
    Illinois House of Representatives District 30 William Davis Democratic 2003
    Illinois House of Representatives District 31 Mary E. Flowers Democratic 1985
    Illinois House of Representatives District 32 Cyril Nichols Democratic April 8, 2021
    Illinois House of Representatives District 33 Marcus Evans Democratic 2012
    Illinois House of Representatives District 34 Nicholas Smith Democratic January 26, 2018
    Illinois House of Representatives District 35 Mary Gill Democratic March 29, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 36 Kelly M. Burke Democratic 2011
    Illinois House of Representatives District 37 Tim Ozinga Republican January 13, 2021
    Illinois House of Representatives District 38 Debbie Meyers-Martin Democratic January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 39 Will Guzzardi Democratic 2015
    Illinois House of Representatives District 40 Jaime Andrade Democratic 2013
    Illinois House of Representatives District 41 Janet Yang Rohr Democratic January 13, 2021
    Illinois House of Representatives District 42 Terra Costa Howard Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 43 Anna Moeller Democratic 2014
    Illinois House of Representatives District 44 Fred Crespo Democratic 2007
    Illinois House of Representatives District 45 Jenn Ladisch Douglass Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 46 Diane Blair-Sherlock Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 47 Amy Grant Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 48 Jennifer Sanalitro Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 49 Maura Hirschauer Democratic January 13, 2021
    Illinois House of Representatives District 50 Barbara Hernandez Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 51 Nabeela Syed Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 52 Martin McLaughlin Republican January 13, 2021
    Illinois House of Representatives District 53 Mark Walker Democratic January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 54 Mary Beth Canty Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 55 Martin J. Moylan Democratic 2013
    Illinois House of Representatives District 56 Michelle Mussman Democratic 2011
    Illinois House of Representatives District 57 Jonathan Carroll Democratic 2017
    Illinois House of Representatives District 58 Bob Morgan Democratic January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 59 Daniel Didech Democratic January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 60 Rita Mayfield Democratic July 6, 2010
    Illinois House of Representatives District 61 Joyce Mason Democratic January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 62 Laura Dias Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 63 Steven Reick Republican 2017
    Illinois House of Representatives District 64 Tom Weber Republican January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 65 Dan Ugaste Republican January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 66 Suzanne Ness Democratic January 13, 2021
    Illinois House of Representatives District 67 Maurice West II Democratic January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 68 Dave Vella Democratic January 13, 2021
    Illinois House of Representatives District 69 Joe Sosnowski Republican 2011
    Illinois House of Representatives District 70 Jeff Keicher Republican July 17, 2018
    Illinois House of Representatives District 71 Daniel Swanson Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 72 Gregg Johnson Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 73 Ryan Spain Republican 2017
    Illinois House of Representatives District 74 Brad Fritts Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 75 Jed Davis Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 76 Lance Yednock Democratic January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 77 Norma Hernandez Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 78 Camille Y. Lilly Democratic April 20, 2010
    Illinois House of Representatives District 79 Jackie Haas Republican December 8, 2020
    Illinois House of Representatives District 80 Anthony DeLuca Democratic 2009
    Illinois House of Representatives District 81 Anne Stava-Murray Democratic January 9, 2019
    Illinois House of Representatives District 82 Nicole La Ha Zwiercan Republican December 21, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 83 Matt Hanson Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 84 Stephanie Kifowit Democratic January 9, 2013
    Illinois House of Representatives District 85 Dagmara Avelar Democratic January 13, 2021
    Illinois House of Representatives District 86 Lawrence Walsh, Jr. Democratic 2012
    Illinois House of Representatives District 87 Bill Hauter Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 88 Dan Caulkins Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 89 Tony McCombie Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 90 John M. Cabello Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 91 Sharon Chung Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 92 Jehan Gordon-Booth Democratic 2009
    Illinois House of Representatives District 93 Travis Weaver Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 94 Norine Hammond Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 95 Mike Coffey Republican January 10, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 96 Sue Scherer Democratic 2013
    Illinois House of Representatives District 97 Harry Benton Democratic January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 98 Natalie Manley Democratic 2013
    Illinois House of Representatives District 99 Randy Frese Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 100 C.D. Davidsmeyer Republican 2012
    Illinois House of Representatives District 101 Chris Miller Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 102 Adam Niemerg Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 103 Carol Ammons Democratic 2015
    Illinois House of Representatives District 104 Brandun Schweizer Republican December 21, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 105 Dennis Tipsword Jr. Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 106 Jason Bunting Republican February 5, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 107 Brad Halbrook Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 108 Wayne Arthur Rosenthal Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 109 Charles E. Meier Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 110 Blaine Wilhour Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 111 Amy Elik Republican January 13, 2021
    Illinois House of Representatives District 112 Katie Stuart Democratic 2017
    Illinois House of Representatives District 113 Jay C. Hoffman Democratic 2013
    Illinois House of Representatives District 114 Kevin Schmidt Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 115 David Friess Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 116 Dave Severin Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 117 Patrick Windhorst Republican January 11, 2023
    Illinois House of Representatives District 118 Paul Jacobs Republican January 11, 2023


    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2023
    SalaryPer diem
    $85,000/year$157/day

    Swearing in dates

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

    Illinois legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January.[2]

    Membership qualifications

    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."[3]

    Historical party control

    Democrats won control of the Illinois House of Representatives in 1996. In 2022, they won a 78-40 majority.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the Illinois House following every general election from 1992 to 2022. 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.

    Illinois House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22
    Democrats 67 54 60 62 62 66 65 66 70 64 71 71 67 74 73 78
    Republicans 51 64 58 56 56 52 53 52 48 54 47 47 51 44 45 40

    Before 1992

    From 1900 to 2022, the Illinois House of Representatives switched partisan control 15 times.


    Trifecta history

    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

    Illinois Party Control: 1992-2024
    Eighteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Two years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    Governor R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D
    Senate D R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    House D D D R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

    Elections

    Elections by year

    Illinois state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. Illinois holds elections for its legislature in even years.

    2024

    See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2024

    Elections for the Illinois House of Representatives will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. A primary is March 19, 2024. The filing deadline was December 4, 2023.

    2022

    See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2022

    Elections for the Illinois House of Representatives 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, the Democratic majority in the Illinois House of Representatives increased from 74–44 to 78–39 with one vacancy.[4]

    Illinois House of Representatives
    Party As of November 8, 2022 After November 9, 2022
         Democratic Party 73 78
         Republican Party 45 39
         Vacancies 0 1
    Total 118 118

    2020

    See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2020

    Elections for the office of Illinois House of Representatives 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, the Democratic majority in the Illinois House of Representatives decreased from 74–44 to 73–45.

    Illinois House of Representatives
    Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
         Democratic Party 74 73
         Republican Party 44 45
    Total 118 118

    Selection of speaker

    On January 13, 2021, Emanuel Welch (D) was elected speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. Welch replaced former House Speaker Michael Madigan (D), the longest-serving statehouse speaker in American history and chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party. To read more about the events leading up to Welch's election, click here.

    2018

    See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2018

    Elections for the Illinois House of Representatives 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.[5]

    In the 2018 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the Illinois House of Representatives from 67-51 to 74-44.

    Illinois House of Representatives
    Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
         Democratic Party 67 74
         Republican Party 51 44
    Total 118 118

    2016

    See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2016

    Elections for the Illinois House of Representatives 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.[6] All 118 seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 2016.

    Heading into the election, Democrats held a 71-47 majority. Democrats lost four seats in the election, giving them a 67-51 majority.

    Illinois House of Representatives
    Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
         Democratic Party 71 67
         Republican Party 47 51
    Total 118 118

    Vacancies

    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.[13] If the vacated seat was held by an independent (no party affiliation), the governor is to appoint an independent successor within 30 days.[14]

    The vacancy must be filled by the respective party organizations covering the legislative district.[15] The respective committeemen and committeewomen representing the legislative district must vote on a replacement.[16] The person selected for the seat serves for the remainder of the unfilled term.[17]

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

    District map

    See also: Illinois state legislative districts

    The state of Illinois has 118 state House districts. Each district elects one representative each.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.



    Redistricting

    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.[18]

    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.[18]

    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.[18]

    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."[18]

    2020

    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.[19] 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.[20] Learn more here.

    District map before and after 2020 redistricting

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

    Illinois State House Districts
    until January 10, 2023

    Click a district to compare boundaries.

    Illinois State House Districts
    starting January 11, 2023

    Click a district to compare boundaries.


    2010

    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.[18][21][22]

    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.[18]

    Sessions

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Illinois House of Representatives has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the House to the Senate 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

    2024

    See also: 2024 Illinois legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions

    In 2024, the legislature is scheduled to convene on January 10, 2024, and adjourn on May 24, 2024.

    2023

    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.



    About legislative sessions in Illinois

    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.[63] 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 House 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

    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

    Veto Override Graphic-Democratic Party.png

    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.

    Three fifths of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 71 of the 118 members in the Illinois House of Representatives and 36 of the 59 members in the Illinois State Senate. Illinois is one of seven states that requires a three-fifths vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    Are there other special rules?

    If the governor uses the line item veto to reduce an appropriation, that reduction can be overturned by a majority vote in both chambers.

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

    "The house to which a bill is returned shall immediately enter the Governor's objections upon its journal. If within 15 calendar days after such entry that house by a record vote of three-fifths of the members elected passes the bill, it shall be delivered immediately to the second house. If within 15 calendar days after such delivery the second house by a record vote of three-fifths of the members elected passes the bill, it shall become law."

    Role in state budget

    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:
    BudgetsCivil libertiesEducationElectionsEnergyEnvironmentHealthcarePensions

    Illinois operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is:[64][65]

    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 43 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[65]

    The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature must pass a balanced budget.[65]

    Committees

    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 House of Representatives has 47 standing committees:


    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. There are 18 states that 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



    2025 measures:

    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

    2024 measures:

    Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway through the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2024.

    See also: 2024 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 2024.

    No measures to list

    See also

    Elections Illinois State Government State Legislatures State Politics
    Ballotpedia Elections Badge-VOTE-no shadow-Square.jpg
    Illinois State Flag-Close Up.jpg
    State Houses-Tile image.png
    State Courts-Tile image.png

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. Illinois General Assembly, "Rules of the House of the Illinois 101st General Assembly," accessed February 4, 2021
    2. Illinois General Assembly, "Constitution of the State of Illinois," accessed February 4, 2021
    3. Illinois General Assembly, "Constitution of the State of Illinois," accessed February 10, 2023
    4. Representatives Tim Butler (R) and Jim Durkin (R) resigned prior to the 2023 legislative session. Mike Coffey was appointed to fill Butler's seat before the 2023 session.
    5. Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election and campaign finance calendar 2018," accessed August 16, 2017
    6. Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election and Campaign Finance Calendar," accessed November 30, 2015
    7. Follow the Money, "Illinois House 2010 Campaign Contributions," accessed July 6, 2011
    8. Follow the Money, "Illinois 2008 Candidates," accessed July 18, 2013
    9. Follow the Money, "Illinois 2006 Candidates," accessed July 18, 2013
    10. Follow the Money, "Illinois 2004 Candidates," accessed July 18, 2013
    11. Follow the Money, "Illinois 2002 Candidates," accessed July 18, 2013
    12. Follow the Money, "Illinois 2000 Candidates," accessed July 18, 2013
    13. Illinois General Assembly, "Illinois Constitution," accessed February 4, 2021 (Section Article IV, Section 2(d))
    14. Illinois General Assembly, "Illinois Compiled Statutes," accessed February 4, 2021 (Statute 10 ILCS 5/25-6)
    15. Illinois General Assembly, "Illinois Election Code," accessed February 4, 2021 (Statute 10 ILCS 5/25 6 (a), (c))
    16. Illinois General Assembly, "Illinois Election Code," accessed February 4, 2021 (Statute 10 ILCS 5/25 6 (d))
    17. Illinois General Assembly, "Illinois Election Code," accessed February 4, 2021 (Statute 10 ILCS 5/25 6 (f))
    18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 All About Redistricting, "Illinois," accessed April 16, 2015
    19. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named septmapexplain
    20. Longview News-Journal, "Court upholds Illinois legislative redistricting plan," Jan. 4, 2021
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