Legislators present issues they want addressed for Illinois’ lame duck session

[January 03, 2025]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center square) – Illinois legislators return Saturday for the start of the final days of the 103rd General Assembly. One Republican legislator says that’s an opportunity to address economic concerns for taxpayers.

State Rep. Jed Davis, R-Newark, said he’s excited for the so-called “lame duck session.”

“So I’m like, ‘let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work,’” Davis told The Center Square. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. We’ve got looming budget deficits. We’ve got families that are struggling to put food on the tables. I mean, this inflation is out of control.”

Davis notes that Illinois is among the states with the highest tax burdens. He also noted a recent Governor’s Office of Management and Budget report showing the coming fiscal year that starts July 1 with an estimated $3 billion deficit.

Davis said lawmakers could address things like reducing the gas tax for a season, or providing for school choice, or energy policy to focus on clean coal. But he doesn’t hold out much hope.

“We need to find a way to get money back into the checkbooks, the pocket books of working families here in Illinois and those are the discussions that I am desperately hoping the majority party will have during lame duck, I’m just not hopeful we’ll have them.”

Republicans in the super minority have long pushed for economic reforms to ease regulations and taxes on small businesses without much success. Davis wasn’t sure how to get Democrats to focus on what he said are real issues impacting taxpayers.

“[It’s] 2025. I’m a male, I can now get a pap smear covered under insurance. Like, that doesn’t even make sense,” he said. “Why are those the issues occupying our bandwidth in Springfield instead of ‘how do we figure out the tax burden.’ How do we instead of raising the budget year after year, what if we actually dialed it back and give the money back to the people where it came from to begin with?”

Illinois state Rep. Jed Davis, R-Newark
Greg Bishop | The Center Square

State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, said there’s a lot legislators could do. He told The Center Square he’s looking to tackle several things, like paying tribute to outgoing legislators.

“We are entering a lame-duck session, and it is essential to recognize and pay tribute to the outgoing members of the General Assembly,” Ford said in an email. “Acknowledging their contributions honors their service to the state of Illinois and emphasizes the importance of collaboration and leadership in our legislative processes.”

Ford also said legislators could look at “budget clean-up for continuing vital services.

“As we approach the end of the session, we must prioritize a budget clean-up,” he said. “This effort is critical to ensuring our partners can continue providing vital services to Illinois's most valuable populations.”

Other issues Ford hopes to address include legislation to create a pilot program for overdose prevention sites and support for “social equity cannabis.”

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, provided a statement about the upcoming lame duck session.

“We will continue our work of envisioning a bright future for every Illinoisan,” Welch said in a statement to The Center Square. “The House remains focused on advancing priorities that make our state a great place to live, work, and raise a family.”

Legislators are scheduled Saturday through Tuesday, the end of the 103rd General Assembly. The newly elected 104th General Assembly will be seated Wednesday.