Sangamon Sun

Senate Republicans have renewed their call for Governor J.B. Pritzker to veto Senate Bill 328, a measure they argue would make Illinois courts more accessible to out-of-state lawsuits and increase costs for businesses and families in the state.

The bill would permit plaintiffs from outside Illinois to sue businesses that are registered in the state, even if neither party has other ties to Illinois. Critics say this change could lead to an influx of cases unrelated to Illinois, delaying court proceedings for residents and raising legal expenses for employers.

Concerns about the legislative process have also been raised. Instead of addressing a technical issue with the original bill, Democratic lawmakers used a "gut and replace" maneuver—replacing the contents of an unrelated bill just before session ended. This approach bypassed the Three Readings Rule in the Illinois Constitution and limited public discussion.

Republican leaders have responded by filing a lawsuit challenging how the bill was passed. The case is moving forward in Sangamon County Court, with oral arguments scheduled for August.

Governor Pritzker has until August 29 to act on SB 328; if he does not veto it or take other action, it will become law automatically. Senate Republicans continue urging him to reject what they describe as legislation favoring special interests over Illinois families.

In another development, Republican lawmakers are seeking greater transparency after reports indicated that Illinois may owe more than $700 million annually due to high error rates in its administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program helps low-income families purchase food but has recently been cited for having one of the highest payment error rates nationwide—worse than 38 other states according to USDA data—with an error rate of 11.56 percent in fiscal year 2024.

Federal rules require states with error rates above ten percent to repay fifteen percent of total SNAP benefits distributed. State Senator Sally Turner called for immediate action from state officials: "State Senator Sally Turner is calling for increased transparency and urging the Administration to take immediate action to fix the errors and stop the fraud and abuse in the SNAP program."

Senator Turner also hosted a Mayors and Village Presidents Breakfast in Clinton, where local leaders from across her district discussed community challenges. Representatives from several organizations provided updates, while Turner led conversations about improving partnerships and access to state resources.

Turner was elected as a Republican senator representing Illinois' 44th Senate District in 2021, succeeding Bill Brady.

https://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=102&MemberID=2976