Illinois Lawmakers Convene Veto Session Amid Redistricting Push, Energy and Transit Debates

Illinois lawmakers convened in Springfield for a veto session following their regular legislative session, which ran from January to May 2025. Gov. JB Pritzker signed more than 560 bills passed during that period into law, and separately issued three outright vetoes and three amendatory vetoes. One of Pritzker's vetoes blocked a bill that would have ended Illinois' 35-year moratorium on new nuclear reactor construction; Pritzker cited a lack of adequate regulatory safety protections as his reasoning. The bill's sponsor has filed paperwork seeking to attempt a legislative override of that veto. During the fall veto session, discussion also centered on reform of public transportation agencies and rising energy costs, according to reporting on the session's proceedings. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made a late push with Illinois legislative leaders to add congressional redistricting to the veto session agenda, a move tied to a broader national redistricting battle between the parties. Democrats currently hold 14 of Illinois' 17 congressional districts. The reporting indicates this redistricting proposal met a cool reception among state lawmakers, though the outcome of any override attempt on the nuclear moratorium veto and the fate of the redistricting push remain unresolved.