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Local News

New Year State Changes

The new year will bring changes in procedure for the Illinois House of Representatives. The House has been in special session since June of this year because of the lack of state budget. State Representative Avery Bourne says they will be in regular session again because of the start of the new year.

"So what that means is that to pass a bill it only requires a simple majority, so that should make it easier to get a bill passed and to reach a compromise. Also it begins with all new legislation, so we've been going through the legislative drafting process in my office with constituent requests for new laws or changes to laws. So that should begin some new discussions, hopefully. I also think it just brings forward a new, fresh start and hopefully we can use that as kind of a springboard for some changes.

The House will meet next on January 13th.
Bourne says her first year as state representative brought a lot of change and learning.

"If you had asked me a year ago what I would have learned, I would have never told you, 'Oh, well I will have been in the Illinois State House for almost a year.' It's crazy to think about how much can change in a year. But also I think that this year in Springfield has been very different than even the most seasoned legislators expected it to be. So I think it's driven home, even more, the need to be bipartisan and to come about legislating and governing with a very open and fresh perspective and I think it's proven, not only to me, but to all of Illinois the dangerous words of - 'This is how it's always been done' - we really need to change that dynamic. So hopefully the new year can bring more cooperation, more discussion and more openness in looking at how we do things.

You can hear the full interview with State Representative Avery Bourne here: December InterviewThomack 12/31/15

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