The Illinois legislature: how it works
What your state legislature controls covers the general powers. This page profiles Illinois's legislature.
The basics
The Illinois General Assembly is bicameral: a 118-member House of Representatives elected to 2-year terms with no term limits, and a 59-member Senate. Senate terms follow a decade-long stagger tied to redistricting, with districts split into groups serving 4-4-2, 4-2-4, or 2-4-4 year terms, so every senator serves two 4-year terms and one 2-year term each decade. The National Conference of State Legislatures classifies Illinois as a hybrid legislature, with members devoting roughly 74 percent of a full-time job to the role, though it is frequently grouped with California, New York, and Pennsylvania as one of the more professionalized statehouses on the strength of comparatively high pay and staff support. The current General Assembly is the 104th, covering the 2025-2026 term.
Who controls it now
Illinois has a Democratic trifecta. Democrats hold a 78-40 majority in the House and a 40-19 majority in the Senate, both veto-proof supermajorities, alongside Governor J.B. Pritzker.
Where to go
- Illinois General Assembly: https://www.ilga.gov/
- Illinois Constitution, Article IV: https://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con4.htm