99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
HC0030

 

Introduced , by Rep. Jim Durkin

 

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.


LRB099 09579 JLK 29788 e

 

HC0030LRB099 09579 JLK 29788 e

1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4NINETY-NINTH 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 of
8this resolution a proposition to amend Sections 4, 5, and 6 of
9Article 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 the
16general election in even-numbered years.
17    (b) The proclamation of results of each election of members
18of the General Assembly must take place as soon as practical
19after the general election, but in no case later than seven
20days prior to the date the General Assembly first convenes
21under subsection (b) of Section 6 of this Article.
22(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
 

 

 

HC0030- 2 -LRB099 09579 JLK 29788 e

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 committee
19meetings of a house may be closed to the public if two-thirds
20of the members elected to that house determine that the public
21interest so requires; and meetings of joint committees and
22legislative commissions may be so closed if two-thirds of the
23members 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

 

 

HC0030- 3 -LRB099 09579 JLK 29788 e

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 following
13a general election the January session of the General Assembly
14in odd-numbered years, the Secretary of State shall convene the
15House of Representatives to elect from its membership a Speaker
16of the House of Representatives as presiding officer, and the
17Governor shall convene the Senate to elect from its membership
18a President of the Senate as presiding officer.
19    (c) For purposes of powers of appointment conferred by this
20Constitution, the Minority Leader of either house is a member
21of the numerically strongest political party other than the
22party to which the Speaker or the President belongs, as the
23case may be.
24    (d) Each house shall determine the rules of its
25proceedings, judge the elections, returns and qualifications

 

 

HC0030- 4 -LRB099 09579 JLK 29788 e

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

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

 

 

HC0030- 5 -LRB099 09579 JLK 29788 e

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