Veto Session Lobby Day in Springfield

11/1/23

Back where we belong, back in Springfield and back in the Capitol!

Our return to in-person Lobby Day on Tuesday, October 24 was a success. Members from 18 local Leagues traveled from across the state to meet with state legislators during the first fall veto session.

We advocated in favor of or in opposition to the following bills:

• In opposition to the so-called ‘Invest in Kids Act,’ which allows public dollars to fund private school scholarships.

• In favor of SB0690, which makes a technical change to the 708 Mental Health Board wording in order to allow mental health board referendums that were passed in the last election to remain intact without the need for a second referendum. 

• In favor of HB1259, which addresses the nursing shortage by amending the Nurse Practice Act, allowing individuals to apply for a program that provides a full tuition reimbursement to those who: (1) graduated from an education program based in Illinois; and (2) commit to working in a safety-net hospital in Illinois for at least five years.

• In favor of Karina’s Bill, which would clarify and strengthen existing laws by requiring a firearm be removed from a home when a domestic violence survivor is granted an order of protection with the firearm remedy.

Thanks to our speakers: Cassie Creswell, Director of Illinois Families for Public Schools, Hannah Meisel, journalist with Capitol News Illinois, and Eileen Lynch, Chief of Staff for Illinois state Senator Don Harmon.

We are already planning for our return trip in the spring, so be on the lookout for future announcements.