By Dave Dahl and Howard Packowitz

SPRINGFIELD – May 31 was not the adjournment date, after all.

Enough unfinished business remains – including a capital construction plan and a gambling bill that includes sports betting – that the House is in Saturday and possibly Sunday, and the Senate in within a few days, as well.

The action of Friday included a $40.628 billion budget, which House Majority Leader Greg Harris described as “totally balanced,” passing both chambers.

House Republicans, including State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington), made it a bipartisan budget vote.

“There are four things that people in my district asked me to do in regards to a budget. The first, they asked us to make it balanced. The second, they asked us to pay down debt. The third, fund and stabilize pensions, and the fourth was help education, not only K-12, but higher education. This budget does that,” said Rep. Brady.

The Reproductive Health Act, which supporters say preserves existing policy but which opponents say grossly expands abortion rights, also went to the governor.

SB 25 (RHA) has passed the House, 64-50-4, and the Senate, 34-20-3, and goes to the governor.

SB 262 (budget) has passed the House, 83-35, and the Senate, 40-19, and goes to the governor.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]