What policies to watch during veto session: Energy, transit and pensions
Illinois Policy Institute experts available to comment on various bills and topics being discussed during veto session

CHICAGO (Oct. 28, 2025) – Illinois’ legislative session resumes today as lawmakers return to Springfield for veto session.

On the docket for discussion includes bills related to energy, public transportation and pensions with major implications for taxpayers through new taxes and fees and long-term costs to state and local governments.

Experts from the Illinois Policy Institute are available to comment on the following policy issues and bills. 

Which issues to watch during veto session: 

• Energy: Lawmakers will discuss Senate Bill 25, an 800-page energy package that includes language to end the nuclear moratorium and streamline permitting for solar and energy storage projects. It also adds a variety of new state costs through expanded state oversight, long-term utility planning and new programs.
• Transit: Lawmakers will weigh how to fill Chicagoland’s $200 million public transportation funding deficit for 2026. The fiscal cliff will grow to $790 million in 2027. Among the proposed tax hikes to fill the gap includes an added $1.50 delivery tax across Illinois and raising surcharges on rideshare services. Notably absent are spending freezes and consolidation.
• Pensions: Committees will hear debate about Senate Bill 1937, a plan to expand pension benefits for state workers hired after 2011 that would add over $64 billion in new pension debt by 2049. This level of spending could crowd out available funds for education, public safety and infrastructure.

Statement from Josh Bandoch, head of policy for the Illinois Policy Institute, on the energy package: 

“While eliminating the nuclear moratorium would be a positive and necessary step toward addressing Illinois’ energy crisis, it shouldn’t be coupled with additional unstudied mandates and new funding requirements. We want to make Illinois more attractive for business, not pass new costs and taxes onto residents and businesses.”

Statement from LyLena Estabine, policy researcher for the Illinois Policy Institute, on the Regional Transit Authority budget deficit: 

“Having reliable public transportation is a real need, but Illinois lawmakers must pursue meaningful consolidation and rightsize schedules, not ask for more funding from people who don’t use the lines. Existing bills have failed to meaningfully reduce overhead costs and ignored changing ridership patterns. It isn’t fair to burden downstate residents with a new, regressive tax on every delivery in order to bailout a broken system.”

Statement from Bryce Hill, director of fiscal and economic research for the Illinois Policy Institute, on suggested Tier 2 pension sweeteners: 

“Illinois already has the worst pension crisis in the nation and sweetening Tier 2 pensions will make it astronomically worse, adding mountains of debt for future generations to pick up, guaranteeing property tax hikes and putting government workers’ retirements at risk. Earlier this year lawmakers resolved any problems with Tier 2’s wage base; no further changes are necessary. We should stop making the problem worse and start addressing solutions.”

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