This week Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and statewide lawmakers returned to Springfield for the first week of the state legislature’s scheduled two-week Veto Session. There was no significant legislative activity this past week and that came as no surprise as there were no vetoes for the legislature to act on. Legislators used this week to discuss issues and policies that may need revisited before the beginning of the 104th General Assembly. Veto Session will conclude next week, at which time we will provide a wrap up of this brief session and discuss the anticipated issues for the upcoming Lame Duck session.

No REALTOR® issues have popped up during this Veto Session and we do not expect any to arise next week, but that can change at any moment. Legislation besides the bills being “vetoed” can be considered during a veto session. A week ago, the Illinois Environmental Council was urging the passage of “wetlands” legislation, which would redefine wetlands, and cause a massive private property rights issue that the REALTORS® adamantly opposed last spring. We are happy to report this issue will not be considered or heard during Veto Session, but has a possibility of being revisited during the January “lame-duck” session. “Lame-duck” session is scheduled for Jan. 2-7 before the 104th Illinois General Assembly is sworn in on Jan. 8, 2025.

Each fall, the Illinois General Assembly schedules a two-week Veto Session to address vetoes the governor may have issued over the summer on the bills sent to him from the Spring Session. They can also consider other legislative issues.

In Illinois, a governor has a few types of vetoes he/she can enact:

• Total Veto – Rejection of the entire bill outright (total veto)
• Amendatory Veto – Recommend changes to the bill
• Line Item or Reduction Veto – for appropriations bills

Officially, it is the Secretary of State that delivers the veto messages to the chamber where the bill originated. Lawmakers from that point have 15 days to either override the veto or accept the governor’s changes, at which time the bill becomes law. If no action is taken, the veto stands, the bill either dies, or in the case of an appropriations measure, the bill becomes law with the changes the governor recommended.

It takes a three-fifths majority of lawmakers in both chambers to override a veto. That number is 36 in the Senate and 71 in the House.

Illinois legislators will return to Springfield on Tuesday, Nov. 19 for the final three days of the 2024 Veto Session. Thank you for your commitment and engagement in REALTOR® advocacy and as always…Stay Tuned!