97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
HC0009

Introduced , by Rep. Mike Fortner

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 6

Proposes to amend The Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution. Limits a person's total service in the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, Minority Leader of the House, or Minority Leader of the Senate to a total of 8 years in any one office and 12 years combined in 2 or more offices. Effective upon being declared adopted and applies to service on or after the second Wednesday in January, 2014.
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HC0009LRB097 08053 RCE 48176 e
1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
3 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
5SENATE CONCURRING 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 Article IV of the
9Illinois Constitution by changing Section 6 as follows:
10
ARTICLE IV
11
THE LEGISLATURE
12 (ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 6)
13SECTION 6. ORGANIZATION
14 (a) A majority of the members elected to each house
15constitutes a quorum.
16 (b) On the first day of the January session of the General
17Assembly in odd-numbered years, the Secretary of State shall
18convene the House of Representatives to elect from its
19membership a Speaker of the House of Representatives as
20presiding officer, and the Governor shall convene the Senate to
21elect from its membership a President of the Senate as
22presiding officer. A person may serve no more than a total of 8
23years in any one of the following offices and no more than a

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1combined total of 12 years in any 2 or more of the following
2offices: Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of
3the Senate, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, or
4Minority Leader of the Senate; provided that service before the
5second Wednesday in January of 2014 shall not be considered in
6the calculation of a person's service.
7 (c) For purposes of powers of appointment conferred by this
8Constitution, the Minority Leader of either house is a member
9of the numerically strongest political party other than the
10party to which the Speaker or the President belongs, as the
11case may be.
12 (d) Each house shall determine the rules of its
13proceedings, judge the elections, returns and qualifications
14of its members and choose its officers. No member shall be
15expelled by either house, except by a vote of two-thirds of the
16members elected to that house. A member may be expelled only
17once for the same offense. Each house may punish by
18imprisonment any person, not a member, guilty of disrespect to
19the house by disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its
20presence. Imprisonment shall not extend beyond twenty-four
21hours at one time unless the person persists in disorderly or
22contemptuous behavior.
23(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
24
SCHEDULE
25 This Constitutional Amendment takes effect upon being

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1declared adopted in accordance with Section 7 of the Illinois
2Constitutional Amendment Act.