102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
HC0028

 

Introduced 2/22/2021, by Rep. Michael T. Marron

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 4
ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 5
ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 6
ILCON Art. V, Sec. 2

    Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution to provide that (i) the proclamation of results of each election of members of the General Assembly must take place as soon as practical after the general election, but in no case later than seven days prior to the date the General Assembly first convenes, (ii) the General Assembly shall convene each year on the second Wednesday of December, and (iii) the General Assembly may not be in session in any general election year from the date of the general election until the second Wednesday of December, except upon a joint proclamation stating the purpose of the session. Proposes to amend the Executive Article of the Illinois Constitution to provide that (i) the proclamation of results of each election of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor must take place as soon as practical after the general election, but in no case later than seven days prior to the date the General Assembly first convenes in accordance with specified provisions and (ii) the Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall hold office for four years beginning on the second Wednesday of December. Effective upon being declared adopted.


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HC0028LRB102 14786 RJF 20139 e

1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
4HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
5SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there shall be submitted to the
6electors of the State for adoption or rejection at the general
7election next occurring at least 6 months after the adoption
8of this resolution a proposition to amend Sections 4, 5, and 6
9of Article IV and Section 2 of Article V of the Illinois
10Constitution as follows:
 
11
ARTICLE IV
12
THE LEGISLATURE

13    (ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 4)
14SECTION 4. ELECTION
15    (a) Members of the General Assembly shall be elected at
16the general election in even-numbered years.
17    (b) The proclamation of results of each election of
18members of the General Assembly must take place as soon as
19practical after the general election, but in no case later
20than seven days prior to the date the General Assembly first
21convenes under subsection (b) of Section 6 of this Article.
22(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
 

 

 

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1    (ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 5)
2SECTION 5. SESSIONS
3    (a) The General Assembly shall convene each year on the
4second Wednesday of December January.
5    The General Assembly shall be a continuous body during the
6term for which members of the House of Representatives are
7elected.
8    (b) The Governor may convene the General Assembly or the
9Senate alone in special session by a proclamation stating the
10purpose of the session; and only business encompassed by such
11purpose, together with any impeachments or confirmation of
12appointments shall be transacted. Special sessions of the
13General Assembly may also be convened by joint proclamation of
14the presiding officers of both houses, issued as provided by
15law.
16    (c) Sessions of each house of the General Assembly and
17meetings of committees, joint committees and legislative
18commissions shall be open to the public. Sessions and
19committee meetings of a house may be closed to the public if
20two-thirds of the members elected to that house determine that
21the public interest so requires; and meetings of joint
22committees and legislative commissions may be so closed if
23two-thirds of the members elected to each house so determine.
24    (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section,
25the General Assembly may not be in session in any general
26election year from the date of the general election until the

 

 

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1second Wednesday of December, except upon a joint proclamation
2stating the purpose of the session signed by the Speaker and
3the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the
4President and the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the
5Governor; and only business encompassed by such purpose shall
6be transacted.
7(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
 
8    (ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 6)
9SECTION 6. ORGANIZATION
10    (a) A majority of the members elected to each house
11constitutes a quorum.
12    (b) On the second Wednesday first day of December
13following a general election the January session of the
14General Assembly in odd-numbered years, the Secretary of State
15shall convene the House of Representatives to elect from its
16membership a Speaker of the House of Representatives as
17presiding officer, and the Governor shall convene the Senate
18to elect from its membership a President of the Senate as
19presiding officer.
20    (c) For purposes of powers of appointment conferred by
21this Constitution, the Minority Leader of either house is a
22member of the numerically strongest political party other than
23the party to which the Speaker or the President belongs, as the
24case may be.
25    (d) Each house shall determine the rules of its

 

 

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1proceedings, judge the elections, returns and qualifications
2of its members and choose its officers. No member shall be
3expelled by either house, except by a vote of two-thirds of the
4members elected to that house. A member may be expelled only
5once for the same offense. Each house may punish by
6imprisonment any person, not a member, guilty of disrespect to
7the house by disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its
8presence. Imprisonment shall not extend beyond twenty-four
9hours at one time unless the person persists in disorderly or
10contemptuous behavior.
11(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
 
12
ARTICLE V
13
THE EXECUTIVE

14    (ILCON Art. V, Sec. 2)
15SECTION 2. TERMS
16    (a) The Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the
17Comptroller, and the Treasurer These elected officers of the
18Executive Branch shall hold office for four years beginning on
19the second Monday of January after their election and, except
20in the case of the Lieutenant Governor, until their successors
21are qualified. The Governor shall hold office for four years
22beginning on the second Wednesday of December after his or her
23election and until his or her successor is qualified. The
24Lieutenant Governor shall hold office for four years beginning

 

 

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1on the second Wednesday of December after his or her election.
2    All of the elected officers of the executive branch They
3shall be elected at the general election in 1978 and every four
4years thereafter.
5    (b) The proclamation of results of each election of the
6Governor and Lieutenant Governor must take place as soon as
7practical after the general election, but in no case later
8than seven days prior to the date the General Assembly first
9convenes under subsection (b) of Section 6 of Article IV.
10(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
 
11
SCHEDULE
12    This Constitutional Amendment takes effect upon being
13declared adopted in accordance with Section 7 of the Illinois
14Constitutional Amendment Act.