(The Center Square) – After the new year, Illinois legislators are scheduled back to wrap up the 103rd General Assembly.
The so-called “lame duck” session is also a time when some warn things could pass with legislators who have no more accountability to taxpayers. Closing out the fall veto session last month, state Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, warned of what could happen when legislators return after New Year’s Day, including the spectre of tax increases.
“Illinois once again is facing multi-billion dollar deficits. The financial strain is largely due to continued pandemic era spending, however the difference now is there’s no federal bailout money coming with it,” Halbrook said. “The projected $23 billion increase in the state’s budget by 2030 is unsustainable and places an undue burden on taxpayers without cuts.”
Legislators filed nearly 10,000 bills in the past two years of the 103rd Illinois General Assembly. They passed 479 of them. More could be coming before they wrap things up during lame duck session.
State Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, said he expects Democrats will try to “Trump proof” Illinois with the incoming Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress.
“That essentially means just doubling down on sanctuary state policies that have crippled this state and have spent billions and billions of tax dollars that should be spent for legal residents and legal citizens that have been diverted to illegal activity,” Chesney told The Center Square earlier this month.
State Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, said conversations on how the legislature should react to President-elect Donald Trump’s policies continue.
“One thing we do need to do is make sure that we are intentional, especially when it comes to next year’s spring session,” West told The Center Square. “There’s a lot of conversations that need to be had and we need to make sure that we are having those tough conversations to make sure … at the end of the day, have a balanced budget and make sure that we’re not balancing it on the backs of those who need it the most.”
After the new year, the final day of the 103rd General Assembly brings the death of thousands of bills. When the new General Assembly is seated Jan. 8, new legislative measures can then be filed.