Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6) sponsored seven bills in the second quarter of 2019, one 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 Harper sponsored in the second quarter.
SCH CD-PHYSICAL EDUCATION
BLOCKCHAIN BUS DEVELOPMENT ACT
CONGRATS-LINDBLOM ACADEMY
CD CORR-PROBATION VIOLATION
CD CORR-SENTENCING-REDUCE
The following table shows the bills to which Harper was added as a co-sponsor in the second quarter.
Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18)
CANNABIS REGULATION & TAX ACT
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10)
BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS-DRUG PRICE
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D-31)
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11); Sen. Don Harmon (D-39)
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78)
CD CORR-REFERRAL SERVICES
CD CORR-PATHWAY TO COMMUNITY
Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7)
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Christopher Belt (D-57)
SCH CD-ANGER MANAGEMENT CLASS
Rep. Curtis J. Tarver, II (D-25)
HUMAN RIGHTS-HOUSING-ARREST
Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz (D-1); Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
HOSPITAL-HEALTH INSURANCE POST
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Don Harmon (D-39)
KIDDIELAND AMUSEMENT PARK ROAD
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
AFFORDABLE HOUSING-INVESTMENT
Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-92)
Rep. Celina Villanueva (D-21)
METASTATIC BREAST CANCER DAY
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. La Shawn K. Ford (D-8)
SOCIAL STATUS-BLACK MALES
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24)
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
LICENSE-REMOVE CITIZENSHIP REQ
Sen. Chuck Weaver (R-37); Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-60)
PRISONER ACCESS JOB WEBSITES
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
Rep. Anna Moeller (D-43); Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
HOME BIRTH CRISIS COMMITTEE
Sen. Don Harmon (D-39); Rep. Robert Martwick (D-19)
CONAMEND-INCOME TAX RATES
Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-49)
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D-31); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH RIGHTS
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32); Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10)
SPECIAL INTERROGATORIES-REPEAL
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29)
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27); Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
DHS-BUILDING TRADES PROGRAM
Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy (D-14); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit (D-84); Sen. Cristina Castro (D-22)
SCH CD-SCH BOOKING STATION
Rep. Lamont J. Robinson, Jr. (D-5); Sen. Robert Peters (D-13)
Sen. Heather A. Steans (D-7); Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
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. 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. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
IL STUDENT LOAN INVESTMENT ACT
Sen. Emil Jones, III (D-14); Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
COMPLETE COUNT COMMISSION
Rep. Curtis J. Tarver, II (D-25)
PARTITION OF HEIRS PROPERTY
Sen. Omar Aquino (D-2); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
VEH CD-LICENSE TO WORK ACT
Sen. Laura M. Murphy (D-28); Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27); Rep. Michael J. Madigan (D-22)
CRIM PRO-VIDEO-SENTENCING
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40)
BANKING-CANNABIS BUSINESSES
Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-51)
Sen. Scott M. Bennett (D-52); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
COAL ASH POLLUTION PREVENTION
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