Don’t miss the latest weekly update from NASL Member Third Reading Consulting Group.
January General Assembly Session Preview
As we enter the new year, legislators will return to Springfield to begin the second year of the 103rd General Assembly on January 16. That week is the only scheduled session time in January, but committees will continue to meet. Bill filing is expected to heat up around the middle of January, up until the bill introduction deadline of February 9. Session will resume on February 6 and is scheduled to adjourn on May 24. Legislative leadership told members to reserve May 25 through 31 as contingent session days in case additional time is required to finalize an FY 2025 budget.
Gov. Pritzker’s Proposed $1B Supplemental Budget
The General Assembly could also take up Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed $1B supplemental budget in January or early February. Given that the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) increased its FY 2024 revenue projection by $1.406B in November, Gov. Pritzker proposed a supplemental budget to address various needs that have come up since the beginning of the fiscal year. Specifically, he proposes funding increased caseload pressures at the Department on Aging and DHS, amounts needed to cover delayed Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursements to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services for COVID-related nursing staff support costs for hospitals, outstanding Department of Innovation and Technology bills, increased group insurance costs at the Department of Central Management Services, and potential Department of Human Services spending pressures related to asylum seeker costs. In addition to the supplemental budget, GOMB has proposed setting aside an additional $60M for the Budget Stabilization (rainy-day) Fund for a total contribution of $198M in FY 2024. Even after all this proposed new spending, GOMB still projects a surplus of $422M in FY 2024. However, state revenues began to dip relative to last year in November and December, which may impact the final details of the supplemental budget package.
2020 Census Revision
The 2020 U.S. Census showed that Illinois’ population declined by 18,000 from 2010 to 2020. However, the subsequent Census Bureau Post-Enumeration Survey found that the 2020 Census undercounted Illinois’ population by 1.97%, meaning that the state gained about 250,000 people throughout the 2010s. Upon learning about the 2020 Census undercount, Gov. Pritzker and other prominent Illinois elected officials requested that the Census Bureau update its official population figure to provide appropriate federal funding and political representation for the state.
On Wednesday, the Census Bureau agreed to add 46,400 people to its estimates for Illinois for the rest of the decade. Their review found 40,513 people living in senior and other care homes and 5,888 people living in dormitories who were not counted in the original 2020 figure. While not as significant a population gain as the Post-Enumeration Survey showed, the additional 46,400 people erased the population loss that was initially reported. The Census Bureau will not update its official 2020 Census figure or annual estimates before 2024, but the additional population will be added to future annual estimates and the 2030 Census and reapportionment process.
2024 Election Preview
2024 is a big election year in Illinois, with all 118 members of the House of Representatives and 20 of the 59 total Senate districts up for election. No statewide candidates are up for election this year. The 2024 primary will take place on March 19 ahead of the November 5 general election. 28 House races and 7 Senate races will have a competitive primary. Chicago will also host the 2024 Democratic National Convention on August 19, bringing national attention to Illinois’ progressive state-level policies.
Important Upcoming Dates – Statewide
January 16 – 2024 General Assembly Session Begins
January 19 – House and Senate LRB Request Deadline
February 9 – House and Senate Bill Introduction Deadline
February 21 – Governor’s Budget and State of the State Address
March 15 – Senate Committee Deadline
March 19 – 2024 Primary Election
April 5 – House Committee Deadline
April 12 – Senate Third Reading Deadline
April 19 – House Third Reading Deadline
May 3 – Opposite Chamber Committee Deadline
May 17 – Opposite Chamber Third Reading Deadline
May 24 – Adjournment
May 25-31 – Contingent Session Days for Budget
November 5 – 2024 General Election
