Illinois lawmakers to tackle immigration and budget deficit in veto session

CHICAGO (WGN) — The Illinois General Assembly’s veto session gavels in Tuesday with a massive to-do list and significant questions about whether anything can pass. 

Springfield lawmakers have three days this week and three more days later in October to take up major unresolved issues from the spring. 

With immigration raids sweeping across Chicagoland, and the legal fight over federalizing the National Guard playing out in court, the Democratic supermajority would like to respond. The Illinois TRUST Act limits local law enforcement’s involvement in federal immigration enforcement, but House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch says he wants to do more.

“If we can find a way to keep U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from going into hospitals while people are recovering from injuries and surgeries, we want to keep them out of hospitals. If we can keep them out of courts, areas around the courts, and we can do that properly, I would love to do that,” Welch said.

Republican-leaning strategist Patrick Pfingsten predicts Democrats will put on a show this week, but it’s unlikely they’ll pass meaningful new Sanctuary State laws.

“The reality is, though, that unless they move real legislation – whether it’s something that relates to the Trust Act, whether it’s something that relates to masking, whether it’s something that relates to protection of immigrants, the real battle is being waged in court,” Pfingsten said.

Lawmakers must also consider a growing budget deficit. New figures released by the Pritzker administration late last week show the state on track to run a $267 million deficit. The Pritzker administration pins some of problem on uncertainty over tariffs and Congress’ Big Beautiful Bill.

“HR1, the Big BS Bill that was passed in July, has certainly blown a hole into the budget that we passed in May,” Welch said.

To avoid decreased revenues for programs like Medicaid, Welch says lawmakers could consider separating the state’s tax code from the federal code. A transit bailout also remains on the table. New estimates from the Regional Transportation Authority show the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) won’t face a funding shortfall until the middle of 2026. But CTA, RTA, PACE, and Metra still say they’re short more than $200 million next year.

Finding new taxes to pay for transit has been a tough sell among Republicans and even some downstate House Democrats..

“The real fight is going to be over whether there is a statewide tax solution here,” Pfingsten said. “You’ll remember the Senate passed the delivery tax, the Amazon tax, the pizza tax, whatever you want to call it, back in May, which was essentially a dead-on-arrival in the House. I have a hard time believing you’re going to get downstate Democrats who are already in fights for their political lives voting for a statewide transit tax that’s mostly going to benefit the Chicago region.”

And then there’s the issue of changing tax law to help the Chicago Bears build a new stadium in Arlington Heights. Welch says the Bears have been meeting with Chicago area lawmakers, but he doesn’t expect action during the veto session.

“I don’t know if support is there to do anything Chicago Bears-related specifically,” Welch said.

Chicago lawmakers oppose the Bears leaving the city, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has called on the team to pay off $534 million in debt left from renovations of Soldier Field 22 years ago.