The Illinois General Assembly is in the final stages of the year’s veto session.  This is when the General Assembly discusses and votes on bills the governor has fully or partially vetoed.  The two chambers can also each take action on bills which the other chamber has already passed.  There are a number of top priorities among lawmakers and the governor during this time period, with a wide range of views on them as expected. 

Dr. Kent Redfield is a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois-Springfield.  He says when the governor gives a line-item or reduction veto to a bill, there is a higher vote threshold to back the original bill, compared to ratifying the modifications.

The big issues in this veto session include insurance regulation, energy reform, and funding for the public transit systems in Chicago. 

Away from Springfield, President Donald Trump has sought to send National Guard troops to Chicago.  He has authorized the move, but rulings from a federal judge and appeals court have blocked the deployments.  This all comes as local governments in the Chicagoland area are addressing the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in their jurisdictions. 

More information on UIS’s political science program is available at www.uis.edu/spia.

Dr. Kent Redfield appeared as a guest on the WTIM Morning Show.