Quincy Reporter

Illinois State Senator Jil Tracy (R) shared information regarding the upcoming legislative session in a newsletter published on Friday.

"A lame-duck session is a period where the General Assembly meets after the November election but before sitting legislators’ terms have expired," the newsletter read. "In Illinois, a lame-duck session is traditionally held after the first of the year because bills that pass prior to May 31 in a calendar year only need a simple majority vote, rather than a three-fifths majority vote, to have an immediate effective date. Because the inauguration of the new General Assembly isn’t until Jan. 11, lawmakers have five scheduled days of session to push through potential legislation that can be immediately enacted."

The lame-duck session is set to begin on January 4 and end on January 10, according to a legislative schedule shared by Tracy in the newsletter. Said schedule also confirms the January 11 inauguration of the 103rd General Assembly, as well as important dates regarding the spring session.

Tracy also discussed the December hiring report in the newsletter, noting that there was an increase in Illinois' small business hiring freezes. She also noted that Illinois leads the nation in small business hiring freezes, with 82% of small businesses planning on ceasing hiring additional staff until Spring 2023 at the earliest.