Rep. Robert Martwick (D-19) sponsored 12 bills in the second quarter of 2019, four more than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 43 bills, four 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 Martwick sponsored in the second quarter.
PEN CD-CHI FIRE-REAL PROPERTY
STUDENT ONLINE PROTECTION
COM COL-CHICAGO-ELECT BOARD
COMMEND-DOMINIC FALAGARIO
RUUPA-PREPAID BURIAL FUNDS
PENCD-EMRGING INVSTMNT MANAGER
PEN CD-BROADCAST MEETINGS
CONAMEND-INCOME TAX RATES
UNCLAIMED PROPERTY-PENSIONS
PEN CD-COOK COUNTY-FUNDING
SCH CD-IL HISTORY INSTRUCTION
The following table shows the bills to which Martwick was added as a co-sponsor in the second quarter.
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18)
CANNABIS REGULATION & TAX ACT
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10)
BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS-DRUG PRICE
Rep. Monica Bristow (D-111)
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
Rep. Gregory Harris (D-13)
VOCATIONAL ACADEMIES-GRANTS
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
MEDICAID-TRAFFICKING VICTIMS
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27)
SCH CD-TEACHERS-EVALUATIONS
Rep. Luis Arroyo (D-3); Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Sen. Dale A. Righter (R-55)
CIR COURTS-COOK SUBCIRCUITS
Rep. Frances Ann Hurley (D-35)
PEN CD-CHI FIRE-REAL PROPERTY
Rep. Theresa Mah (D-2); Sen. Laura Fine (D-9)
DHS-MEDICAID-PRESCRIBER ED
Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98); Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-49)
Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4); Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-8)
EQUITABLE RESTROOM-BABY CHANGE
Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
Rep. Michelle Mussman (D-56)
NEW SEXUAL HARASSMENT RULES
Rep. John C. D'Amico (D-15)
MEMORIAL-RUDOLPH T. DANEL
Rep. Nathan D. Reitz (D-116)
AGRICULTURE ED TEACHER PROGRAM
Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz (D-1)
PEN CD-CHI TCH-RETURN TO WORK
Sen. Linda Holmes (D-42); Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-70)
INSURANCE-DIAGNOSTIC MAMMOGRAM
Sen. Suzy Glowiak (D-24); Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. (D-40)
PERSONAL INFORMATION REPORT GA
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10); Rep. Robert Rita (D-28)
Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33)
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
Sen. Linda Holmes (D-42); Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-57)
Rep. Bob Morgan (D-58); Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29)
ST POLICE-BURIAL REIMBURSE
Rep. Mark L. Walker (D-53)
Rep. Mark L. Walker (D-53)
Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-8); Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17)
EVIDENCE-IMMIGRATION STATUS
Sen. Scott M. Bennett (D-52); Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112)
MILITARY DISCOUNT-DEPENDENTS
Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16); Rep. Anna Moeller (D-43)
NURSING HOME CARE ACT-VARIOUS
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
Sen. Omar Aquino (D-2); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
VEH CD-LICENSE TO WORK ACT
Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98)
PUB AID-SNAP-JOB TRAINING
Sen. Melinda Bush (D-31); Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
WORKPLACE TRANSPARENCY ACT
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PUBLIC DEFENDER BAIL PROGRAM
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40)
BANKING-CANNABIS BUSINESSES
Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-51)
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
SCH CD-PARENT-VICTIM-SERVICES
SCH CD-SCHOOL COUNCIL-OFFENDER
HOTEL CASINO EMPLOYEE SAFETY