In the waning moments of the Veto Session, the legislature approved the reinstatement of the real estate transfer tax formula, restoring a dedicated revenue stream of about $15 million annually for the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) Fund and the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund (NAAF). Senate Bill 1809, sponsored by Rep. Julie Hamos (with more than 30 co-sponsors) and Sen. Stan Weaver, passed the House by a vote of 104 – 10, and the Senate by 54 – 0. The bill was signed by Governor Ryan on January 3, 2003.

In the span of about 48 hours, the legislation passed the House Conservation and Land Use Committee unanimously, passed the full House, and was then approved unanimously by the Senate Executive Committee and the full Senate.

At the end of the Spring Session, the portion of the real estate transfer tax dedicated to OSLAD and NAAF was cut in half, from 50 percent to 25 percent. SB 1809 represented the culmination of several months of advocacy and lobbying since the formula was permanently cut in the Spring. The Illinois Environmental Council was joined by the Chicago Park District, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Illinois Association of Park Districts, Openlands Project, Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, and the Trust for Public Lands. The restoration of the cuts takes effect on July 1, 2003, at the start of the State's next fiscal year.

In other Veto Session action, the legislature overrode Governor Ryan's amendatory veto of SB 2155. This bill takes the extreme step of limiting all noise-related liability for an off-road vehicle facility, and the Governor's amendatory veto, supported by IEC and Sierra Club, would have restricted the circumstances where the liability would apply.

The Senate voted twice, with the motion to override failing at first to get the required 3/5ths majority (31-20), but narrowly succeeding on the second vote (37-16). The motion then passed the House 78-31, and the bill in its original form now becomes law. IEC and Sierra Club opposed this bill unsuccessfully in the Spring Session.