What's on the Agenda for Veto Session?
A view of the Capitol Dome in Springfield.
NOTE: This story was originally posted for subscribers only. To receive subscriber-only newsletters and content, click here.
There could be a lot happening during the next two weeks during veto session in Springfield. Here’s a quick roundup for you:
Congressional Maps
As you likely know by now, proposed congressional maps were released Friday. There is a committee hearing scheduled for Wednesday, and we expect some sort of changes to the original map then. Some Democrats have been vocal that the districts aren’t Democratic leaning enough for them. We’re told there is still a push for Democrats to eliminate another GOP district, giving them a potential 15-2 advantage, but that seems like a stretch.
Parental Notification Repeal
Governor JB Pritzker has already said he supports the legislature repealing the state’s Parental Notification of Abortion law. It’s pretty clear Democrats have the votes to do it if they want to, and it could be a win for pro-choice forces in the state in response to the liberal pushback to the Texas abortion law.
Health Care Right of Conscience Act
There’s a little-known state law being cited in anti-vaccine suits called the Health Care Right of Conscience Act. Pritzker addressed the issue Thursday:
“Back when it was passed, there was a desire on the part of some health care providers, not users, but providers, to avoid providing reproductive health services. Back then, the politics were different, they passed the Health Care Right of Conscience Act in order to allow those health care providers not to provide that service,” he said. “Here we are, many years later, and it’s being improperly suggested, used in court proceedings, as if this somehow had something to do with the pandemic. It doesn’t. When people need to receive vaccinations or tests, they’re using this outdated law that has nothing to do with COVID in order to avoid it. I’m hopeful that the courts will see it the right way, some have, some haven’t. Perhaps the General Assembly will take the issue up.”
Gaming
There are some rumors out there that the sports gaming law that forces users to sign up in person at an Illinois casino could be repealed during veto session. Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside), who has been leading much of the sports gaming push told me yesterday he doesn’t expect in-person registration to be completely wiped out, but “we’ll see,” he said.
Firearm Rules
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart held a news conference yesterday calling on the legislature to ban so-called “ghost guns.” To think about a ghost gun, think of it essentially as a home-built computer. A user pulls together parts to build their own gun, but the parts and the gun don’t have any serial numbers. Because of that, it isn’t trackable. It’s legal under federal law to build a gun on your own, but Democrats view it as a way to potentially stop these guns, which are either stolen or built by “bad guys,” from using them in crimes. Democrats obviously want to address the crime issue, and this could be a start.
There could also be tax breaks for electric vehicles and potentially a wider clean-up bill of the energy package passed last month. There could be a lot to do and we’ll see if they can get it all done.