Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-8) sponsored 15 bills in the second quarter of 2019, seven more than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 73 bills, 26 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 Ford sponsored in the second quarter.
UNIVERSAL CHILD CARE PROGRAM
SCH CD-OFFICE OF SCH SAFETY
DHS-SNAP-ONLINE GROCERIES
SOCIAL STATUS-BLACK MALES
CONGRATS-M. CONYEARS-ERVIN
REPORT-SETTING OF WATER RATES
HOSPITALS-OPIOID ANTAGONIST
VEH CD-LICENSE-CHILD SUPPORT
SCH CD-OFFICE OF SCH SAFETY
The following table shows the bills to which Ford was added as a co-sponsor in the second quarter.
Rep. Terri Bryant (R-115); Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29)
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
Rep. Gregory Harris (D-13)
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
MEDICAID-TRAFFICKING VICTIMS
Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6)
SCH CD-PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11)
GA & ST BUILDING-ACCESSIBILITY
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
FREEDOM TO WORK-ALL EMPLOYEES
IL DISABILITY INTEGRATION ACT
Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-92)
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Christopher Belt (D-57)
SCH CD-ANGER MANAGEMENT CLASS
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27)
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27)
CLEAN WATER WORKFORCE PIPELINE
Rep. Monica Bristow (D-111); Sen. Rachelle Crowe (D-56)
AMERICAN MADE ILLINOIS FLAGS
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
HGHR ED-EARLY CHILDHOOD GRANT
Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7); Sen. Dan McConchie (R-26)
SCH CD-COMPUTER SCIENCE ED
Rep. Fred Crespo (D-44); Sen. Laura Ellman (D-21)
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
US CONST-ART V-APPLICATION
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Don Harmon (D-39)
KIDDIELAND AMUSEMENT PARK ROAD
CAPITAL PLAN-NATURAL AREAS
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
AFFORDABLE HOUSING-INVESTMENT
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. Margo McDermed (R-37)
EARLY CHILDHOOD ED CRISIS
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24)
Rep. Monica Bristow (D-111)
FORECLOSURE-PUBLICATION-NOTICE
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
LICENSE-REMOVE CITIZENSHIP REQ
Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16); Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6)
CD CORR-PROBATION VIOLATION
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11)
DRYCLEANER RESPONSE TRUST FUND
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz (D-1)
UNIV OF IL-STUDENT TRUSTEE
Sen. Melinda Bush (D-31); Rep. Lawrence Walsh, Jr. (D-86)
PENCD-DNST FIRE-SECONDARY EMPT
Sen. Michael E. Hastings (D-19)
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING-SUNSET
PHARMACY PRACTICE-VARIOUS
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10)
TOBACCO PRODUCTS COMPLIANCE
LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
Sen. Don Harmon (D-39); Rep. Robert Martwick (D-19)
CONAMEND-INCOME TAX RATES
Rep. Celina Villanueva (D-21)
IMMIGRATION STATUS-ACCESS
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
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. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4); Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40)
INCARCERATED PARENTS-CHILDREN
Rep. Lamont J. Robinson, Jr. (D-5); Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-3)
SCH CD-CHILD OPPORTUNITY ZONE
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D-31); Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-3)
Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112); Sen. Rachelle Crowe (D-56)
HUMAN BREAST MILK COVERAGE
Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112); Sen. Rachelle Crowe (D-56)
HUMAN BREAST MILK COVERAGE
Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18); Rep. Frances Ann Hurley (D-35)
EMS SYSTEMS-OVERDOSE REPORTING
Sen. Chapin Rose (R-51); Rep. Dan Brady (R-105)
SCH CD-TEMP DOOR LOCK DEVICE
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40); Rep. William Davis (D-30)
PROP TX-INCOME PRODUCING PROP
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. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113)
ATTY GEN-WORKER PROTECT UNIT
Sen. Emil Jones, III (D-14); Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
COMPLETE COUNT COMMISSION
Sen. Robert Peters (D-13); Rep. Nicholas K. Smith (D-34)
Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-34); Rep. Maurice A. West, II (D-67)
GOVT RECORDS-SOCIAL NETWORKING
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
Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98)
PUB AID-SNAP-JOB TRAINING
Sen. Melinda Bush (D-31); Rep. Deb Conroy (D-46)
NEEDLE AND HYPODERMIC ACCESS
Sen. Melinda Bush (D-31); Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
WORKPLACE TRANSPARENCY ACT
Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-27); Rep. Mark L. Walker (D-53)
COM COL-MANUFACTURING GRANTS
Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-27); Rep. Mark L. Walker (D-53)
COM COL-MANUFACTURING GRANTS
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PUBLIC DEFENDER BAIL PROGRAM
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. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
SCH CD-PARENT-VICTIM-SERVICES
Sen. Heather A. Steans (D-7)
SCH CD-DATA-SPECIAL EDUCATION
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
ALTERNATIVE ELEC/GAS SUPPLIERS
Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29); Rep. Deb Conroy (D-46)
HOTEL CASINO EMPLOYEE SAFETY
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