Rep. Curtis J. Tarver, II (D-25) 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 48 bills, one more 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 Tarver sponsored in the second quarter.
AGGRAVATED ENDANGERING A CHILD
PARTITION OF HEIRS PROPERTY
The following table shows the bills to which Tarver was added as a co-sponsor in the second quarter.
Rep. Kelly M. Burke (D-36)
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78)
CD CORR-REFERRAL SERVICES
Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy (D-14)
Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6); Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23)
BLOCKCHAIN BUS DEVELOPMENT ACT
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
FREEDOM TO WORK-ALL EMPLOYEES
Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-48)
PROBATE-GUARDIAN AD LITEM FEES
Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6)
EMPLOYEE BACKGROUND FAIRNESS
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Christopher Belt (D-57)
SCH CD-ANGER MANAGEMENT CLASS
Rep. Kambium Buckner (D-26); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
CON FRAUD UNSOLICITED CHECKS
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D-31); Sen. Rachelle Crowe (D-56)
PROBATE-ASSAULT OF ELDERLY
Rep. Robert Martwick (D-19); Sen. Omar Aquino (D-2)
STUDENT ONLINE PROTECTION
Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33)
METRA ELECTRIC LINE FARES
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
AFFORDABLE HOUSING-INVESTMENT
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
AFFORDABLE HOUSING-INVESTMENT
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
AFFORDABLE HOUSING-INVESTMENT
Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-101)
RECOGNIZE-NAT. DAY OF PRAYER
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
LEGALIZED CANNABIS-AG STUDY
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
SPORTS WAGERING-IGB STUDY
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
SPORTS WAGERING-IGB STUDY
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
LEGALIZED CANNABIS-AG STUDY
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24)
Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33)
Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-34); Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27); Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-60)
BLIGHTED BUILDINGS & PROPERTY
Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29)
PERSONNEL-INTERNS-DISABILITY
Rep. Martin J. Moylan (D-55)
IDOT-COMPLETE STREETS-BICYCLES
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D-31); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH RIGHTS
Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112); Sen. Andy Manar (D-48)
SCH CD-MINIMUM TEACHER SALARY
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29)
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27); Sen. Patricia Van Pelt (D-5)
STATEWIDE GANG DATABASE-REPEAL
Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit (D-84); Sen. Cristina Castro (D-22)
SCH CD-SCH BOOKING STATION
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4); Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78)
Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16); Rep. Anna Moeller (D-43)
NURSING HOME CARE ACT-VARIOUS
Sen. Robert Peters (D-13); Rep. Yehiel M. Kalish (D-16)
DCFS-APPRENTICESHIP STIPENDS
Rep. Kambium Buckner (D-26)
CONSUMER FRAUD-CRIMINAL RECORD
Sen. Emil Jones, III (D-14); Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
COMPLETE COUNT COMMISSION
Sen. Napoleon Harris, III (D-15); Rep. Kambium Buckner (D-26)
Sen. Omar Aquino (D-2); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
VEH CD-LICENSE TO WORK ACT
Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-57)
STATE TREASURER-REAL PROPERTY
Sen. Napoleon Harris, III (D-15); Rep. Kambium Buckner (D-26)
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4); Rep. Kambium Buckner (D-26)
SCH CD-COMPULSORY SCHOOL AGE
Sen. Omar Aquino (D-2); Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7)
Sen. Terry Link (D-30); Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113)
VEH CD-FREIGHT TRAIN CREW SIZE
Sen. Terry Link (D-30); Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113)
VEH CD-FREIGHT TRAIN CREW SIZE
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
SCH CD-PARENT-VICTIM-SERVICES
SCH CD-SCHOOL COUNCIL-OFFENDER