95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
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Introduced 1/9/2007, 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. 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. Specifies that Senators and Representatives elected in 2010 shall serve two-year terms. Effective upon being declared adopted. Applies to the election of General Assembly members in 2010 and thereafter; does not affect the terms of members elected before 2010.


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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-FIFTH 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 2010 shall serve two-year terms.
16 Immediately following each decennial redistricting, the
17 General Assembly by law shall divide the Legislative Districts
18 as equally as possible into two three groups. During each
19 ten-year period, beginning with the general election in 2012,
20 Senators from one group shall first be elected for terms of six
21 years and then for terms of four years four years, four years
22 and two years; Senators from the second group, for terms of
23 four years, two years and four years; and Senators from the
24 other third group shall first be elected , for terms of two

 

 

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1 years, four years and then for terms of six four years. The
2 Legislative Districts in each group shall be distributed
3 substantially equally over the State.
4     (b) Each Legislative District shall be divided into two
5 Representative Districts. In 1982 and every two years
6 thereafter One Representative shall be elected from each
7 Representative District for a term of two years.
8 Representatives elected in 2010 shall serve terms of two years.
9 During each ten-year period, beginning with the general
10 election in 2012, Representatives shall first be elected for
11 terms of four years, then for terms of two years, and then for
12 terms of four years.
13     (c) To be eligible to serve as a member of the General
14 Assembly, a person must be a United States citizen, at least 21
15 years old, and for the two years preceding his election or
16 appointment a resident of the district which he is to
17 represent. In the general election following a redistricting, a
18 candidate for the General Assembly may be elected from any
19 district which contains a part of the district in which he
20 resided at the time of the redistricting and reelected if a
21 resident of the new district he represents for 18 months prior
22 to reelection.
23     (d) Within thirty days after a vacancy occurs, it shall be
24 filled by appointment as provided by law. If the vacancy is in
25 a Senatorial or Representative office with more than
26 twenty-eight months remaining in the term, the appointed

 

 

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1 Senator or Representative shall serve until the next general
2 election, at which time a Senator or Representative shall be
3 elected to serve for the remainder of the term. If the vacancy
4 is in any other Senatorial or a Representative office or in any
5 other Senatorial office, the appointment shall be for the
6 remainder of the term. An appointee to fill a vacancy shall be
7 a member of the same political party as the person he succeeds.
8     (e) No member of the General Assembly shall receive
9 compensation as a public officer or employee from any other
10 governmental entity for time during which he is in attendance
11 as a member of the General Assembly.
12     No member of the General Assembly during the term for which
13 he was elected or appointed shall be appointed to a public
14 office which shall have been created or the compensation for
15 which shall have been increased by the General Assembly during
16 that term.
17 (Source: Amendment adopted at general election November 4,
18 1980.)
 
19     (ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 5)
20 SECTION 5. SESSIONS
21     (a) The General Assembly shall convene each year on the
22 second Wednesday of January. The General Assembly shall be a
23 continuous body for a period beginning and ending at noon on
24 the second Wednesday of January of consecutive odd-numbered
25 years. during the term for which members of the House of

 

 

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1 Representatives are elected.
2     (b) The Governor may convene the General Assembly or the
3 Senate alone in special session by a proclamation stating the
4 purpose of the session; and only business encompassed by such
5 purpose, together with any impeachments or confirmation of
6 appointments shall be transacted. Special sessions of the
7 General Assembly may also be convened by joint proclamation of
8 the presiding officers of both houses, issued as provided by
9 law.
10     (c) Sessions of each house of the General Assembly and
11 meetings of committees, joint committees and legislative
12 commissions shall be open to the public. Sessions and committee
13 meetings of a house may be closed to the public if two-thirds
14 of the members elected to that house determine that the public
15 interest so requires; and meetings of joint committees and
16 legislative commissions may be so closed if two-thirds of the
17 members elected to each house so determine.
18 (Source: Illinois Constitution.)
 
19
SCHEDULE
20     This Constitutional Amendment takes effect upon being
21 declared adopted in accordance with Section 7 of the Illinois
22 Constitutional Amendment Act and applies to the election of
23 members of the General Assembly in 2010 and thereafter. It does
24 not affect the terms of members elected before 2010.