Rep. Curtis J. Tarver, II (D-25) sponsored 15 bills in the first quarter of 2019, 21 less than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 44 bills, 15 less than the average, according to a Chicago City Wire analysis of data made available by the Illinois General Assembly.
During the first quarter, 119 representatives sponsored legislation, with Rep. Michael J. Madigan (D-22) sponsoring the most with 940 bills. There were 119 representatives that co-sponsored legislation, with Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-57) co-sponsoring 169 bills, more than any other representative.
When a bill is introduced to the House, the clerk reads the bill title before the House and it is automatically referred to the Rules Committee. If the Rules Committee thinks that the bill merits further consideration, it is assigned to another committee. If the committee reports favorably on the bill to the House, or if the committee has been discharged with respect to the bill, the bill will be ready for its second reading before the House.
According to House rules, a bill can be passed only after the House clerk has read the bill before the House on three separate days. However, many bills are introduced as shell bills in order to circumvent the rule requiring three readings before they can be passed. These shell bills, which are far more common in Illinois than in other states, are created with the purpose of beginning the often lengthy process of passing a new piece of legislation. But since they would only make trivial or meaningless changes in the law in the form that they initially appear, they are either left to die or are later changed to something more substantive that can be rushed to passage without bothering with procedure. This has the unfortunate effect of leading to laws that may not have been debated or discussed sufficiently.
Representatives that sponsor an inordinately large number of bills are often sponsoring many shell bills.
The following table shows the bills that Tarver sponsored in the first quarter.
LICENSURE-CRIMINAL CONVICTION
PRE-K TEACHER-MINIMUM SALARY
CRIM ID-CANNABIS VIOLATIONS
SMALL BUSINESS TAX CREDIT
HUMAN RIGHTS-HOUSING-ARREST
CD CORR-RELEASEE-REENTRY INFO
JUV CT-AUTOMATIC EXPUNGEMENT
COMMEND-SENORITIES BRACEY
MEMORIAL-SIDNEY G. MILLER JR.
MEMORIAL-DR. VITOR WESTHELLE
COOK CTY WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
LIQUOR-LOCAL REFERENDUM EXEMPT
CIV PRO-SHORT SALE RESALE
The following table shows the bills to which Tarver was added as a co-sponsor in the first quarter.
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
ETHICS-RIGHTS OF COMPLAINANTS
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
ETHICS-RIGHTS OF COMPLAINANTS
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
ETHICS-RIGHTS OF COMPLAINANTS
Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17)
JUV CT-SPECIAL IMMIGRANT MINOR
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27)
TRAFFIC/PEDESTRIAN STOP STUDY
Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy (D-14)
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78)
Rep. Robert Martwick (D-19)
ELECTED CHICAGO SCHOOL BOARD
Rep. Melissa Conyears-Ervin (D-10)
ED EMPLOYEE-IMPASSE PROCEDURES
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39); Sen. Cristina Castro (D-22)
HUM RIGHTS-EMPLOYER-DEFINITION
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11)
GA & ST BUILDING-ACCESSIBILITY
TRANSPORTATION BENEFIT PROGRAM
Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6)
RE-ENTERING CITIZENS CIVIC ED
Rep. Michael J. Zalewski (D-23)
Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
INCARCERATED PARENTS-CHILDREN
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32); Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R-69)
VOCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY ACT
Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. (D-40)
AGING-HOMEMAKER SERVICES-WAGES
DFPR-OPTOMETRIC INVESTIGATOR
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D-31)
ENVIRONMENT-ALTERNATE FUELS
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78)
STATE AGENCY BONUS PROHIBITION
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D-31)
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D-31)
Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33); Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-17)
IL SENTENCE POL COUNCIL-EXTEND
Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6)
ENERGY-PAY AS YOU SAVE PROGRAM
Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
HOUSING-GRANTS TO HOMELESS
SUBMINIMUM WAGE PHASE-OUT
Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6)
SNAP RESTAURANT MEALS PROGRAM
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PEN CD-EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS
Rep. Melissa Conyears-Ervin (D-10)
DHS-CHILD CARE-INCOME LEVELS
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11)
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
LIMITED COOPERATIVE ASSOC ACT
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
LIMITED COOPERATIVE ASSOC ACT
Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
EQUITABLE RESTROOM-BABY CHANGE
Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
EQUITABLE RESTROOM-BABY CHANGE
Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17)
GUARDIANS-MINOR:NON-US PARENT
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
2020 CENSUS GRANT PROGRAM ACT
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40); Rep. Daniel Didech (D-59)
JURIES-UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATION
Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-17); Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113)
WORKERS' COMPENSATION REPOSE
Rep. William Davis (D-30)