Illinois lawmakers worked right up to the May 31 deadline to pass a $55.2 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year. State Democrats say the plan accounts for an uncertain future, while Republicans say more cuts are needed to address what’s ahead.

A version of the bill passed in the Senate, sponsored by Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago. But the House adjourned early Sunday morning without concurring as some of its tax hikes became too controversial. Now, the future of Chicagoland transit is in limbo as the bill awaits further action.

The $55.2 billion spending plan is supported by $55.3 billion of revenue, including just over $1 billion in new taxes and revenue changes. The four bills making up the budget and capital spending plan were part of a flurry of thousands of pages of legislation that went from introduction to passage in the final 48 hours of the legislative session.

The bill, known as the Prescription Drug Affordability Act would put new regulations and impose new fees on a large but little understood segment of the prescription drug industry — pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs.

The bill would legalize the use of prescription drugs that aid in dying, what’s commonly referred to as physician-assisted suicide.

The bill mandates that gun owners store their firearms in a secure, locked box in any place where they know or “reasonably should know” that a minor without permission to access a firearm, an at-risk person or someone who is prohibited from obtaining a firearm can access the weapon.

The measure, filed late Wednesday night, features a new menu of revenue sources to help keep Chicago-area buses and trains running. Lawmakers believe the measure will be enough to address the anticipated $770 million fiscal cliff next year.

In the backstretch of the legislative session, horse racing advocates are pushing to revitalize the industry in Illinois and its accompanying horse betting, both long in decline.

The bill would allow trained library workers to administer opioid antagonists to potential overdose victims on library grounds, in the immediate vicinity of libraries and at library events.

The bill would replace the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees CTA, Metra, and Pace, with a new entity called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. It would be charged with creating a universal fare system and ensuring coordination of service and capital projects.

The Illinois General Assembly returned from the long weekend break for its final week of the spring session. Lawmakers have until May 31 to pass a revenue and spending plan with a simple majority of votes.

Anna’s Law is named after 22-year-old Illinois resident Anna Williams, who brought the issue of police insensitivity to victims of sexual assault to state lawmakers after her experience with law enforcement officials in 2021.

Illinois lawmakers are seeking to extend lawsuit protections to regular news reports following a recent ruling by the state’s Supreme Court that allowed a defamation suit against the Chicago Sun-Times to progress.

The General Assembly has through May 31 to pass a budget with a simple majority vote before the threshold increases to a three-fifths vote on June 1.

The bill would also allow a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling or child of any Illinois driver to submit medical information about the driver to the secretary of state if they think the person’s medical condition interferes with their driving abilities.

CTA, Metra and Pace are facing a $770 million hole in their budget next year and are urging the Illinois General Assembly to pass a public transportation funding and reform bill to avoid service cuts and major layoffs at each agency.