99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
SC0009

 

Introduced 2/4/2015, by Sen. Chapin Rose

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 4
ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 5
ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 6
ILCON Art. V, Sec. 2

    Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution to provide that (i) the proclamation of results of each election of members of the General Assembly must take place as soon as practical after the general election, but in no case later than seven days prior to the date the General Assembly first convenes, (ii) the General Assembly shall convene each year on the first day of December (excluding Saturday and Sunday), and (iii) the General Assembly may not be in session in any general election year from the date of the general election until the first day of December (excluding Saturday and Sunday), except to respond to an act of God, act of terrorism, or other imminent threat to the safety or security of the people of the State or the United States of America. Proposes to amend the Judiciary Article of the Illinois Constitution to provide that (i) the proclamation of results of each election of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor must take place as soon as practical after the general election, but in no case later than seven days prior to the date the General Assembly first convenes in accordance with specified provisions and (ii) the Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall hold office for four years beginning on first day of December (excluding Saturday and Sunday). Effective upon being declared adopted.


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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
2
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
4ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
5CONCURRING HEREIN, that there shall be submitted to the
6electors of the State for adoption or rejection at the general
7election next occurring at least 6 months after the adoption of
8this resolution a proposition to amend Sections 4, 5, and 6 of
9Article IV and Section 2 of Article V of the Illinois
10Constitution as follows:
 
11
ARTICLE IV
12
THE LEGISLATURE

13    (ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 4)
14SECTION 4. ELECTION
15    (a) Members of the General Assembly shall be elected at the
16general election in even-numbered years.
17    (b) The proclamation of results of each election of members
18of the General Assembly must take place as soon as practical
19after the general election, but in no case later than seven
20days prior to the date the General Assembly first convenes
21under subsection (b) of Section 6 of this Article.
22(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
 

 

 

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1    (ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 5)
2SECTION 5. SESSIONS
3    (a) The General Assembly shall convene each year on the
4first day of December (excluding Saturday and Sunday) the
5second Wednesday of January.
6    The General Assembly shall be a continuous body during the
7term for which members of the House of Representatives are
8elected.
9    (b) The Governor may convene the General Assembly or the
10Senate alone in special session by a proclamation stating the
11purpose of the session; and only business encompassed by such
12purpose, together with any impeachments or confirmation of
13appointments shall be transacted. Special sessions of the
14General Assembly may also be convened by joint proclamation of
15the presiding officers of both houses, issued as provided by
16law.
17    (c) Sessions of each house of the General Assembly and
18meetings of committees, joint committees and legislative
19commissions shall be open to the public. Sessions and committee
20meetings of a house may be closed to the public if two-thirds
21of the members elected to that house determine that the public
22interest so requires; and meetings of joint committees and
23legislative commissions may be so closed if two-thirds of the
24members elected to each house so determine.
25    (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section,
26the General Assembly may not be in session in any general

 

 

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1election year from the date of the general election until the
2first day of December (excluding Saturday and Sunday), except
3to respond to an act of God, act of terrorism, or other
4imminent threat to the safety or security of the people of the
5State or the United States of America.
6(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
 
7    (ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 6)
8SECTION 6. ORGANIZATION
9    (a) A majority of the members elected to each house
10constitutes a quorum.
11    (b) On the first day of December (excluding Saturday and
12Sunday) following a general election the January session of the
13General Assembly in odd-numbered years, the Secretary of State
14shall convene the House of Representatives to elect from its
15membership a Speaker of the House of Representatives as
16presiding officer, and the Governor shall convene the Senate to
17elect from its membership a President of the Senate as
18presiding officer.
19    (c) For purposes of powers of appointment conferred by this
20Constitution, the Minority Leader of either house is a member
21of the numerically strongest political party other than the
22party to which the Speaker or the President belongs, as the
23case may be.
24    (d) Each house shall determine the rules of its
25proceedings, judge the elections, returns and qualifications

 

 

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1of its members and choose its officers. No member shall be
2expelled by either house, except by a vote of two-thirds of the
3members elected to that house. A member may be expelled only
4once for the same offense. Each house may punish by
5imprisonment any person, not a member, guilty of disrespect to
6the house by disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its
7presence. Imprisonment shall not extend beyond twenty-four
8hours at one time unless the person persists in disorderly or
9contemptuous behavior.
10(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
 
11
ARTICLE V
12
THE EXECUTIVE

13    (ILCON Art. V, Sec. 2)
14SECTION 2. TERMS
15    (a) The Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the
16Comptroller, and the Treasurer These elected officers of the
17Executive Branch shall hold office for four years beginning on
18the second Monday of January after their election and, except
19in the case of the Lieutenant Governor, until their successors
20are qualified. The Governor shall hold office for four years
21beginning on first day of December (excluding Saturday and
22Sunday) after his or her election and until his or her
23successor is qualified. The Lieutenant Governor shall hold
24office for four years beginning on the first day of December

 

 

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1(excluding Saturday and Sunday) after his or her election.
2    All of the elected officers of the executive branch They
3shall be elected at the general election in 1978 and every four
4years thereafter.
5    (b) The proclamation of results of each election of the
6Governor and Lieutenant Governor must take place as soon as
7practical after the general election, but in no case later than
8seven days prior to the date the General Assembly first
9convenes under subsection (b) of Section 6 of Article IV.
10(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
 
11
SCHEDULE
12    This Constitutional Amendment takes effect upon being
13declared adopted in accordance with Section 7 of the Illinois
14Constitutional Amendment Act.