Many Illinois museums will continue to have to offer 52 free days a year. That's after the Illinois House failed to override a veto of legislation that would have cut that number in half.
The museum proposal is one of the few actual vetoes lawmakers had to deal with during their veto session.
Back in the spring, 79 members of the Illinois House backed the idea of cutting the number of required free days from 52 to 26. The proposal would have applied to museums and aquariums on park district land — that includes major properties like Chicago's Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium, as well as smaller institutions across Illinois.
The museums say the free days cost them a significant amount of admission receipts. But Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed the measure, saying he couldn't support limiting access to lower-income families.
During a House debate on whether to override the governor, Rep. Monique Davis, a Chicago Democrat, made a similar point.
"This is showing concern for people who don't have a big fat income who can take off of work whenever they want to," Davis said during House debate.
This time around, the proposal got 30 fewer votes — not enough to overrule the governor.
