Rockford Sun

State Senator Dave Syverson announced that the legislature would reconvene for a lame duck session starting January 2, 2025. He made this announcement in a Facebook post on December 19.

"When we are called back to Springfield on January 2, 2025, we will enter what is called a "lame duck" session, where elected officials who will not be returning for the next General Assembly get to vote on new laws," said Syverson, according to Facebook. "Some of the worst bills passed by Democrats have come through during lame duck session, and we expect much of the same this time around. Illinois residents deserve better. Say No to Lame Duck Democrats."

According to Syverson, he shared a graphic from the House Republicans outlining what they termed "some of the worst bills passed by Illinois Democrats" during previous lame duck sessions. These include legislation from 2011, 2013, 2019, 2021, and 2023. In 2011, the controversial bills included SB 2505, which enacted significant income tax hikes; SB 3088, instituting a new nursing home bed tax; and SB3539, repealing the death penalty. In 2013, SB957 created the Temporary Visitor’s Driver’s License Program for illegal immigrants. The year 2019 saw Senate Bill 3531 introducing a pay hike for gubernatorial appointees.

Screenshot of State Sen. Dave Syverson's Dec. 19 Facebook post | State Senator Dave Syverson's Facebook page

The graphic also highlighted the SAFE-T Act from the 2021 session, which placed mandates on law enforcement and ended cash bail. In 2023, Senate Bill 1720 was noted for creating what was termed as a Politician Pay Hike and Pritzker "slush fund." Other highlighted bills included House Bill 5471, described as an unconstitutional gun ban; House Bill 4412 restricting local zoning for green energy projects; House Bill 45 requiring judicial map redrawing; and House Bill 1064 allowing early release of certain offenders.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) reported on a potential lame duck session in November after the veto session concluded. Their November 22 press release indicated that Governor JB Pritzker and his allies were looking to "Trump proof" the state with possible legislation covering labor, environment, and immigration issues. The NFIB also mentioned discussions around tax increases and revenue streams as potential topics for this four-day session.

Syverson has been serving in the Illinois Senate since 1993 and is an Illinois resident. He holds several committee positions including Spokesperson for various committees such as Insurance Committee and Health and Human Services Committee. Additionally, he serves as Co-Chair of both the bipartisan Hospital Transformation Committee and Medicaid Reform Committee.