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Legislative Information

The Illinois Senate will convene on November 12 in Springfield for the first week of fall veto session. The Illinois House of Representatives had cancelled their first week of veto session. The House will convene on November 19 for three scheduled days of session. The Senate will also meet on those days.

While both chambers have already acted upon bills vetoed by Gov. Blagojevich, two key items are in play for state senators. For the
Senate's majority Democratic caucus, the procedure for replacing
retiring Senate President Emil Jones Jr. may top the agenda. Senate President Jones did not stand for re-election in his district. His son, Emil Jones III, was elected November 4 in the 14th district on Chicago's far south side. The formal vote on Senate president will take place January 14, 2009, when both representatives and senators will be sworn in for
the 96th session of the Illinois General Assembly.

Senate Republicans are also faced with replacing a leader. Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson has announced he will not seek
re-election to the post. He is recovering from a mild stroke.