CHICAGO - Governor Bruce Rauner took action today on the following bills:
Bill No.: HB 303
An Act Concerning Government
Action: Signed
Effective: June 1, 2016
Bill No.: HB 4096
An Act Concerning State Government
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediate
Bill No.: SB 33
An Act Concerning Health
Action: Vetoed
Note: Veto Message Below
Bill No.: SB 2040
An Act Concerning Appropriations
Action: Vetoed
Note: Veto Message Below
Veto Message for SB 33
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois Senate,
99th General Assembly:
Today I veto Senate Bill 33 from the 99th General Assembly, which would prematurely expand the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program by adding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of "debilitating medical conditions" for which a patient may be treated with medical cannabis.
The pilot program is moving forward, but remains in its early stage. Cultivation centers are just beginning to grow their crops, and the first dispensary was licensed at the end of August. No patients have yet been served, and, consequently, the State has not had the opportunity to evaluate the benefits and costs of the pilot program or determine areas for improvement or even whether to extend the program beyond its pilot period.
It is therefore premature to expand the pilot program - before any patient has been served and before we have had the chance to evaluate it.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 33, entitled "AN ACT concerning health", with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR
Veto Message for SB 2040
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois Senate,
99th General Assembly:
Today I veto Senate Bill 2040 from the 99th General Assembly.
Earlier this summer the General Assembly passed, and I vetoed, an unbalanced and unconstitutional budget, which would have spent nearly $4 billion more than expected revenues. For too long, the State of Illinois has made spending promises that exceed available revenues, relied on accounting gimmicks to make budgets appear balanced, used borrowing and cost deferral strategies to push costs into the future, and delayed payments to vendors. These practices have generated backlogs of unpaid bills, a crushing debt burden, and the worst credit rating of any state.
Senate Bill 2040 would have continued these bad practices for another month. Instead, we need a full year, balanced budget that makes only the promises we can afford to keep.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 2040, "AN ACT concerning appropriations", with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR
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