94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
HC0031

 

Introduced 1/27/2006, by Rep. Suzanne Bassi

 

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

    Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution. Changes the terms of members of the General Assembly. Provides that Senators elected in 2008 shall serve four-year terms. Provides that Senators elected in 2010 shall serve two-year terms. Provides that Representatives elected in 2008 shall serve four-year terms. Provides that, beginning in 2012, in each ten-year period, Senators shall be divided into two groups. Provides that Senators in the first group shall first be elected for terms of six years and then for terms of four years. Provides that Senators in the other group shall first be elected for terms of four years and then for terms of six years. Provides that, beginning in 2012, Representatives shall first be elected for terms of four years, then for terms of two years, and then for terms of four years. Provides that whenever a seat in either house becomes vacant with more than 28 months remaining in the term, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment until the next general election, at which time a replacement shall be elected to serve for the remainder of the term. Provides that the General Assembly shall be a continuous body for a period beginning and ending at noon on the second Wednesday of January of consecutive odd-numbered years. Effective upon being declared adopted. Applies to the election of General Assembly members in 2008 and thereafter; does not affect the terms of members elected in 2004 or 2006.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

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

12     (ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 2)
13 SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE COMPOSITION
14     (a) One Senator shall be elected from each Legislative
15 District. Senators elected in 2008 shall serve four-year terms.
16 Senators elected in 2010 shall serve two-year terms.
17 Immediately following each decennial redistricting, the
18 General Assembly by law shall divide the Legislative Districts
19 as equally as possible into two three groups. During each
20 ten-year period, beginning with the general election in 2012,
21 Senators from one group shall first be elected for terms of six
22 years and then for terms of four years four years, four years
23 and two years; Senators from the second group, for terms of
24 four years, two years and four years; and Senators from the
25 other third group shall first be elected , for terms of two
26 years, four years and then for terms of six four years. The
27 Legislative Districts in each group shall be distributed
28 substantially equally over the State.
29     (b) Each Legislative District shall be divided into two
30 Representative Districts. In 1982 and every two years
31 thereafter One Representative shall be elected from each
32 Representative District for a term of two years.
33 Representatives elected in 2008 shall serve terms of four

 

 

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1 years. During each ten-year period, beginning with the general
2 election in 2012, Representatives shall first be elected for
3 terms of four years, then for terms of two years, and then for
4 terms of four years.
5     (c) To be eligible to serve as a member of the General
6 Assembly, a person must be a United States citizen, at least 21
7 years old, and for the two years preceding his election or
8 appointment a resident of the district which he is to
9 represent. In the general election following a redistricting, a
10 candidate for the General Assembly may be elected from any
11 district which contains a part of the district in which he
12 resided at the time of the redistricting and reelected if a
13 resident of the new district he represents for 18 months prior
14 to reelection.
15     (d) Within thirty days after a vacancy occurs, it shall be
16 filled by appointment as provided by law. If the vacancy is in
17 a Senatorial or Representative office with more than
18 twenty-eight months remaining in the term, the appointed
19 Senator or Representative shall serve until the next general
20 election, at which time a Senator or Representative shall be
21 elected to serve for the remainder of the term. If the vacancy
22 is in any other Senatorial or a Representative office or in any
23 other Senatorial office, the appointment shall be for the
24 remainder of the term. An appointee to fill a vacancy shall be
25 a member of the same political party as the person he succeeds.
26     (e) No member of the General Assembly shall receive
27 compensation as a public officer or employee from any other
28 governmental entity for time during which he is in attendance
29 as a member of the General Assembly.
30     No member of the General Assembly during the term for which
31 he was elected or appointed shall be appointed to a public
32 office which shall have been created or the compensation for
33 which shall have been increased by the General Assembly during
34 that term.
35 (Source: Amendment adopted at general election November 4,
36 1980.)
 

 

 

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1     (ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 5)
2 SECTION 5. SESSIONS
3     (a) The General Assembly shall convene each year on the
4 second Wednesday of January. The General Assembly shall be a
5 continuous body for a period beginning and ending at noon on
6 the second Wednesday of January of consecutive odd-numbered
7 years. during the term for which members of the House of
8 Representatives are elected.
9     (b) The Governor may convene the General Assembly or the
10 Senate alone in special session by a proclamation stating the
11 purpose of the session; and only business encompassed by such
12 purpose, together with any impeachments or confirmation of
13 appointments shall be transacted. Special sessions of the
14 General Assembly may also be convened by joint proclamation of
15 the presiding officers of both houses, issued as provided by
16 law.
17     (c) Sessions of each house of the General Assembly and
18 meetings of committees, joint committees and legislative
19 commissions shall be open to the public. Sessions and committee
20 meetings of a house may be closed to the public if two-thirds
21 of the members elected to that house determine that the public
22 interest so requires; and meetings of joint committees and
23 legislative commissions may be so closed if two-thirds of the
24 members elected to each house so determine.
25 (Source: Illinois Constitution.)
 
26
SCHEDULE
27     This Constitutional Amendment takes effect upon being
28 declared adopted in accordance with Section 7 of the Illinois
29 Constitutional Amendment Act and applies to the election of
30 members of the General Assembly in 2008 and thereafter. It does
31 not affect the terms of members elected in 2004 or 2006.