Rep. Luis Arroyo (D-3) sponsored five bills in the second quarter of 2019, three less than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 30 bills, 17 less than the average, according to a Chicago City Wire analysis of data made available by the Illinois General Assembly.
During the second quarter, 117 representatives sponsored legislation, with Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113) sponsoring the most with 36 bills. There were 120 representatives that co-sponsored legislation, with Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24) co-sponsoring 129 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 Arroyo sponsored in the second quarter.
CHICAGO TRANSIT-TRAIN CREW
SCHAAF-YANG AWARENESS MONTH
The following table shows the bills to which Arroyo was added as a co-sponsor in the second quarter.
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-8)
NO REPRESENTATION WITHOUT POP
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
Rep. Michael J. Zalewski (D-23); Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18)
WILDLIFE-YOUTH DEER PERMITS
Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23)
Rep. Fred Crespo (D-44); Sen. Laura Ellman (D-21)
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Don Harmon (D-39)
KIDDIELAND AMUSEMENT PARK ROAD
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
LEGALIZED CANNABIS-AG STUDY
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
SPORTS WAGERING-IGB STUDY
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
LEGALIZED CANNABIS-AG STUDY
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24)
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
LICENSE-REMOVE CITIZENSHIP REQ
Sen. Antonio Muñoz (D-1); Rep. John Connor (D-85)
VEH CD-POLICE MEMORIAL SPOUSES
Sen. Martin A. Sandoval (D-11); Rep. John C. D'Amico (D-15)
Rep. Kelly M. Burke (D-36)
STATE TREASURER-ABLE ACCOUNT
Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz (D-1)
PEN CD-CHI TCH-RETURN TO WORK
Sen. Suzy Glowiak (D-24); Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. (D-40)
PERSONAL INFORMATION REPORT GA
Sen. Michael E. Hastings (D-19); Rep. Kelly M. Burke (D-36)
PMP-LICENSED VETERINARIANS
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz (D-1)
UNIV OF IL-STUDENT TRUSTEE
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10)
TOBACCO PRODUCTS COMPLIANCE
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D-31); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH RIGHTS
Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit (D-84); Sen. Cristina Castro (D-22)
SCH CD-SCH BOOKING STATION
Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18); Rep. Frances Ann Hurley (D-35)
EMS SYSTEMS-OVERDOSE REPORTING
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40); Rep. William Davis (D-30)
PROP TX-INCOME PRODUCING PROP
Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16); Rep. Anna Moeller (D-43)
NURSING HOME CARE ACT-VARIOUS
Sen. Antonio Muñoz (D-1); Rep. John M. Cabello (R-68)
SPEC PLATES-POLICE/FIREFIGHTER
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
SCH CD-PARENT-VICTIM-SERVICES
HOTEL CASINO EMPLOYEE SAFETY