During veto session, clock runs out on time change, college athlete pay, more

The adjournment of the fall veto session Thursday night means a number of bills that failed to pass both chambers this week must wait for further action when the General Assembly returns on Jan. 28.

House Bill 3904, allowing college athletes to be paid for the use of their name and likeness, was one of the most publicized efforts that stalled this week.

Hillside Democratic Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch, who successfully moved the bill out of the House with strong bipartisan support in the first week of veto session, said he was "very disappointed" the measure failed to gain traction in the Senate.

Welch, a former baseball player at Northwestern University, said he looks forward "to continuing our fight in January of next year to do the right thing, get this bill signed into law, and give college athletes the opportunity to receive the compensation that they deserve."

"It's unacceptable that the NCAA, collegiate athletic conferences and universities are earning billions of dollars every year, while student athletes are prohibited from earning a few extra bucks from working at a meet-and-greet at a local business," he said in a statement. "I would like to thank Governor Pritzker and all the stakeholders who worked so hard to pass this bill out of the House."