August 2, 2013

To the Honorable Members of the Illinois Senate

98^th General Assembly:

In accordance with Article IV, Section 9(b) of the Illinois Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 1846 from the 98^th General Assembly.

I would like to commend the sponsors for their efforts on this bill. Equal access to the courts is vitally important in a free society, and we must always strive to ensure that one’s income level does not affect that access. The establishment of a court-sponsored pro bono program is an initiative that has my full support.

However, Senate Bill 1846 contains provisions which are almost identical to House Bill 3111, which is still under consideration. In order to avoid duplication within our laws, I will not approve Senate Bill 1846.

Accordingly, I must return this bill without my approval. Therefore, pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(b) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 1846, entitled “AN ACT concerning civil law”, with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.

Sincerely,

PAT QUINN

Governor