Rep. Theresa Mah (D-2) sponsored eight bills in the second quarter of 2019, equal to the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 65 bills, 18 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 Mah sponsored in the second quarter.
ASIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD DAY
COMMEMORATE-US-CHINA RELATIONS
MEMORIAL-ALBERT YUM-CHIU WONG
PERFUSIONIST PRACTICE-VARIOUS
ASSISTED LIVING-DISCRIMINATION
CONS FRAUD-REBATE CARD-FEES
The following table shows the bills to which Mah was added as a co-sponsor in the second quarter.
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10)
BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS-DRUG PRICE
Rep. Monica Bristow (D-111)
Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-8)
NO REPRESENTATION WITHOUT POP
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
VOCATIONAL ACADEMIES-GRANTS
Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6)
SCH CD-PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27)
SCH CD-TEACHERS-EVALUATIONS
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
FREEDOM TO WORK-ALL EMPLOYEES
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27)
Rep. Diane Pappas (D-45); Sen. Donald P. DeWitte (R-33)
KENNEL OPERATION-FIRE ALARMS
Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4); Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-8)
EQUITABLE RESTROOM-BABY CHANGE
Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
Rep. Fred Crespo (D-44); Sen. Laura Ellman (D-21)
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
CAPITAL PLAN-NATURAL AREAS
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
COMMEND-BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS ILL
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
AFFORDABLE HOUSING-INVESTMENT
Rep. Terri Bryant (R-115)
COMMEND-BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS ILL
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
LICENSE-REMOVE CITIZENSHIP REQ
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
PRAIRIE RESEARCH-MICROPLASTICS
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. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz (D-1)
UNIV OF IL-STUDENT TRUSTEE
Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33)
Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-27); Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
Sen. Michael E. Hastings (D-19)
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING-SUNSET
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10)
TOBACCO PRODUCTS COMPLIANCE
Rep. Martin J. Moylan (D-55)
IDOT-COMPLETE STREETS-BICYCLES
Sen. Don Harmon (D-39); Rep. Robert Martwick (D-19)
CONAMEND-INCOME TAX RATES
Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6); Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-17)
CD CORR-SENTENCING-REDUCE
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D-31); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH RIGHTS
Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-60)
CD CORR-CONDITIONS OF PAROLE
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. Ram Villivalam (D-8)
PROMPT PAYMENT-CONTRACTORS
Sen. Cristina Castro (D-22); Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin (D-38)
ILLINOIS BANK ON INITIATIVE
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40); Rep. William Davis (D-30)
PROP TX-INCOME PRODUCING PROP
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. Antonio Muñoz (D-1); Rep. Celina Villanueva (D-21)
ELEC CD-PRESIDENT-TAX RETURNS
Sen. Scott M. Bennett (D-52); Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112)
MILITARY DISCOUNT-DEPENDENTS
Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-3); Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-8)
VEH CD-LICENSE-CHILD SUPPORT
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. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113)
ATTY GEN-WORKER PROTECT UNIT
Sen. Robert Peters (D-13); Rep. Nicholas K. Smith (D-34)
Sen. Omar Aquino (D-2); Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
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. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
WORKPLACE TRANSPARENCY ACT
Sen. Laura M. Murphy (D-28); Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27); Rep. Michael J. Madigan (D-22)
CRIM PRO-VIDEO-SENTENCING
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
SCH CD-PARENT-VICTIM-SERVICES
SCH CD-SCHOOL COUNCIL-OFFENDER
Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
PILOT PROGRAM-COOK CO-EXPUNGE
EQUITABLE RESTROOMS-ALL-GENDER
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
ALTERNATIVE ELEC/GAS SUPPLIERS
HOTEL CASINO EMPLOYEE SAFETY
Sen. Scott M. Bennett (D-52); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
COAL ASH POLLUTION PREVENTION
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