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There were no vetoes to override during veto session the past
two weeks. That didn’t prevent legislators from passing several
bills that were gutted and replaced with other measures.
Wednesday, state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, carried a bill
impacting various state statutes, including unemployment
insurance.
“This is agreed by business and labor and I think it’s very
important that we do in order to avoid an increase in taxes on
employers and a decrease in benefits to employees,” Hoffman
said.
Republicans criticized it, saying it included too many things
that they say should have been separated.
State Rep. Kelly Burke, D-Evergreen Park, carried a measure
Wednesday to clean issues in the tax code from measures approved
in the spring.
“With [the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity], the changes deal with the tax credits that we
approved for music and musicians tax credit and involves some
reporting requirements,” Burke said.
State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, criticized Democrats for
passing such measures in the final hours without addressing the
sunset of the Invest in Kids school choice tax credit
scholarship program.
“I don’t understand how it is we are willing to take care of
everyone else's needs but when the needs of our children are at
stake, and their futures, we’re just willing to let it go by,”
Ugaste said.
Invest in Kids expired at the end of 2023 after legislators
failed to extend the sunset.
Just before adjourning for the year Thursday, Republican state
Rep. Brad Halbrook warned about lame duck session.
“The lame duck session has historically been one of the most
risky and concerning periods for the residents of our great
state,” Halbrook said.
Previous lame duck sessions brought about controversial laws,
including in January 2021, when legislators passed the bill that
ultimately ended cash bail, and in 2023, the ban on
semi-automatic firearms and magazines.
The Illinois House and Senate adjourned Thursday. They won’t
return to the capitol until Jan. 2. The new General Assembly
elected in November will be seated Jan. 8. |
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