Lame duck session underway in Springfield

Lawmakers report to Springfield this week to wrap up 2022 enterprise and sit up for the 2023 spring session, which begins Jan. 11.

Why it issues: This offers outgoing lawmakers an opportunity to vote on laws earlier than their phrases finish subsequent week.

• Despite the fact that the lame-duck session often takes on smaller gadgets, lawmakers in each chambers try to maneuver ahead on a invoice to ban assault weapons statewide.
• The invoice has are available response to the shootings in Highland Park final Fourth of July, the home model of which was launched by State Rep. Bob Morgan, a Democrat from the North Shore.

State of play: There is a good probability an assault weapons ban invoice will likely be voted on earlier than the brand new Normal Meeting is sworn in.

• Democratic leaders in each chambers have tremendous majorities, but leaders are nonetheless wrangling the votes, in accordance with Politico.

Sure, however: The Illinois Rifle Affiliation’s Richard Pearson informed NPR the invoice is unconstitutional and that the group will struggle it in court docket if it passes.

In the meantime, lawmakers might additionally tackle gasoline taxes. Gov. JB Pritzker suspended the fuel tax due to inflation again in July 2022, however that ended Jan. 1.

• If lawmakers do not counter the tax, drivers will proceed to see a rise of three.1 cents per gallon on the pump.

• The general tax on gasoline in Illinois is 42.4 cents per gallon, the second-highest within the nation, behind California’s.
• The grocery tax will stay suspended till July.

What they’re saying: “Illinois residents are not any strangers to tax will increase, however the weight of inflation partnered with elevated taxes isn’t sustainable,” Rep. Chris Bos, a Republican from Lake Zurich co-sponsoring a Home invoice, mentioned in an announcement.

The intrigue: When the governor moved to droop each the fuel and grocery tax final July, Republicans referred to as it an “election 12 months gimmick.”