From State Senator Craig Wilcox:
Lame Duck Session
Illinois lawmakers are in Springfield from Saturday, January 4 through Tuesday, January 7 for a “lame-duck session” to tackle the remaining business of the 103rd General Assembly.
In years when they occur, lame-duck sessions are held after the election and the Fall Veto Session, and before newly elected lawmakers are sworn into office.
In my opinion, it’s widely seen as a time when outgoing legislators may be more likely to vote in favor of controversial legislation without fear of political repercussions.
We see some of the worst legislation during lame duck sessions.
The most recent lame-duck session took place in January 2023 and saw the passage of
- a weapons ban and
- an expansion of abortion services.
The 2021 lame-duck session led to the passage of
- the controversial SAFE-T Act.
Back in 2011, the lame-duck session led to the passage of
- a 67% increase in the state’s income tax.
