Evanston Action Coalition Statement on the 2026 Spring Legislative Session and State Zoning Preemption Bills
Evanston Action Coalition welcomes the news that the Illinois General Assembly adjourned its 2026 Spring Legislative Session without passing SB 640, SB 643, or SB 635.
This is a significant outcome for residents, municipalities, civic organizations, and local officials across Illinois who raised serious concerns about rushed statewide zoning preemption and the erosion of local land-use authority.
The Chicago Tribune reported this week that Governor JB Pritzker’s multiunit housing plans for Illinois stalled after lawmakers faced concerns about local control over zoning and housing policy. The article also made clear that the issue is likely to continue, with the governor indicating that he intends to keep fighting for his broader housing and zoning preemption agenda.
Evanston Action Coalition supports housing affordability and thoughtful efforts to expand the availability of attainable housing in Illinois. However, major statewide land-use changes should not be rushed through Springfield without baseline housing-capacity analysis, infrastructure review, fiscal analysis, public process, and meaningful protections for home rule, community planning, and local accountability.
The proposals from Governor Pritzker and Senate Democrats were not minor changes. Taken together, they would have shifted major land-use decisions away from municipalities and toward statewide preemption. The original BUILD package would have required communities to permit 8-units by-right on 7,000 square foot residential lots, mandated smaller lot size minimums, by-right accessory dwelling units, reduced parking requirements, and faster outside review of development applications. These changes would have effectively ended single-family and low-density residential zoning across Illinois, and decreased public involvement in community planning.
The late-session technical-change shell bills revived major pieces of that agenda. SB 640 would have overridden local zoning authority and imposed statewide “middle-housing” mandates. SB 643 would have limited public participation, and placed strict state deadlines on municipal development review and inspections, with third-party review if deadlines were missed. SB 635 would have created a new statewide by-right multiunit and mixed use development pathway for religious organizations and their development partners.
These were sweeping changes. They deserved careful public review, fiscal and infrastructure analysis, and direct consultation with municipalities—not a rushed push at the end of session.
That did not happen by accident.
Evanston Action Coalition joined residents, municipalities, local officials, civic organizations, and advocates across Illinois in opposing both the original BUILD package and the late-session revival of major zoning preemption proposals. We are grateful to everyone who sent letters, filed witness slips, contacted legislators, shared information, and stayed engaged through the final hours of session.
This fight is not over.
Over the summer, EAC will continue to advocate for:
no rushed veto-session zoning preemption
baseline housing-capacity analysis before statewide mandates
protection of local planning and public review
infrastructure and fiscal analysis before density mandates
preservation of home rule and democratic accountability
Housing affordability matters. So do transparency, evidence, infrastructure, preservation, and local self-government.
— Evanston Action Coalition Steering Committee
Related Coverage
Jun. 1, 2026 — Chicago Tribune: Gov. JB Pritzker’s multiunit housing plans for Illinois stall in Springfield’s spring session
Coverage that Gov. Pritzker’s statewide housing package failed to pass during the spring legislative session after lawmakers faced concerns about local control over zoning and land-use decisions.
Jun. 1, 2026 — Evanston RoundTable: State legislators reel in parking minimum ban, adjourn without passing Pritzker housing plan
Local coverage explaining that the Illinois General Assembly adjourned without passing Governor Pritzker’s broader BUILD housing package, while approving a separate trailer bill narrowing the reach of the statewide parking minimum ban in parts of Evanston.
Jun. 2, 2026 — The Real Deal: Pritzker’s affordable housing package stalls as lawmakers shelve zoning overhaul
Real estate industry coverage describing the BUILD package as a stalled zoning and housing production overhaul that failed to receive a vote after opposition from local governments and suburban officials.
Resources
Jun. 1, 2026 — Illinois Municipal League: 2026 End of Session Summary, 104th General Assembly
The Illinois Municipal League’s June 1 legislative summary confirms that the major BUILD-related zoning preemption bills—including SB 635, SB 640, and SB 643—did not pass during the 2026 Spring Legislative Session, while warning that housing, land use, and zoning issues are expected to remain active in future sessions.