FILE – In this May 30, 2019, file photo, Democratic Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan, left, and House Republican Leader Jim Durkin talk at the State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune via AP)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois General Assembly will return to Springfield for three days next week to take up a spring-session workload long delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
A letter from Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan to the House minority leader on Wednesday sets the session for May 20-22 with extraordinary measures to prevent the spread of the highly contagious and potentially lethal coronavirus. A spokesman for Senate President Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, confirmed that the Senate will gavel in at the same time.
Lawmakers must agree to pre-session testing for COVID-19 and to follow social distancing and other safety measures during the session.