Sangamon Sun

Illinois residents have several ways to participate in the legislative process as the General Assembly prepares for its annual Fall Veto Session in October. Residents are encouraged to communicate with their legislators using email, phone calls, or by visiting district and Springfield offices. Legislators have staff who handle communications and provide feedback to elected officials.

The Illinois General Assembly (ILGA) website serves as a key resource for those wishing to follow or engage with legislation. The site allows users to check bill statuses, file witness slips to express support or opposition, find contact information for legislators, read current bills and laws, and access live or recorded audio and video of sessions and committee hearings. The website is free and updated regularly.

Residents can also learn how to file a witness slip by watching an instructional video or following step-by-step graphics provided online. Additional resources are available for those seeking more information about the legislative process:

- To identify local, state, and national elected officials, residents can use the State Board of Elections “Find My Elected Officials” webpage or consult maps provided by Illinois Policy at https://www.illinoispolicy.org/maps/.

- Information on current members of the Illinois General Assembly, including phone numbers, biographies, addresses, sponsored bills, and committee assignments can be found at https://www.ilga.gov/senate/ and https://www.ilga.gov/house/.

- A general guide to the legislative process is available through a Citizen Guide.

- Details about filing witness slips are accessible via guides from both Microsoft Word – ILGA Dashboard User Guide.docx and the Illinois State Bar Association at https://www.isba.org/newscenter/howtofileawitnessslip.

- Live video or audio of House sessions is offered when the legislature is meeting at https://ilga.gov/houseaudvid.asp.

- For election-related information such as candidates, voting by mail, registration, and results, residents can visit the State Board of Elections website at https://www.elections.il.gov/.

- Recordings of past House or Senate sessions can be accessed through their respective links: House (https://ilga.gov/houseaudvid.asp) or Senate (https://ilga.gov/senateaudvid.asp).

Legislators also share updates through government social media accounts and websites. These platforms provide information on legislation, events, district news, projects, resources, and more.

Keicher was elected as a Republican representative for Illinois’s 70th House District in 2018 after Robert W. Pritchard stepped down.