Illinois General Assembly

The Illinois General Assembly is like the big brain of Illinois! It's made up of two groups of people who work together to decide on rules, called laws, for everyone in the state. Think of it like your classroom having two teams that help decide on fun activities.

These rule makers meet in a very important building called the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. It's a busy place where big decisions are made for all the people in Illinois.

This rule-making team has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House has 118 people, and the Senate has 59 people. That's a lot of people!

Each person is chosen to represent a specific neighborhood or area. They all get together to talk about ideas and vote on what the new rules should be. It's like having two different clubs in your school, and they both have to agree on important things.

The rules made by the General Assembly affect almost everything you do! They help decide how schools are run, how roads are built, and even how parks are kept nice. If you want to go to a great school or play in a safe park, these rule makers are working on it! They make sure that Illinois is a good place to live for everyone, from kids to grown-ups.

This special rule-making group started way back in 1818, even before your grandparents were born! It was created when Illinois first became a state. Over the years, the rules about how the Assembly works have changed a little, but its main job has always been the same: making laws for Illinois. It's like a very old club that keeps getting new members but still does important work.