Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-48) sponsored 18 bills in the first quarter of 2019, 18 less than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 95 bills, 36 more than the average, according to a DuPage Policy Journal analysis of data made available by the Illinois General Assembly.
During the first quarter, 119 representatives sponsored legislation, with Rep. Michael J. Madigan (D-22) sponsoring the most with 940 bills. There were 119 representatives that co-sponsored legislation, with Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-57) co-sponsoring 169 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 Howard sponsored in the first quarter.
DHFS-PERSONAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE
PROBATE-GUARDIAN AD LITEM FEES
COMMUTER RAIL BD-STUDENT RATE
ATTY GEN-CONFIDENTIAL ADDRESS
SOLID WASTE MGMT-RESOURCE MGMT
HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRAINING
PROP TX-LEASEHOLD-AIRPORTS
MUNI & COUNTY-REGULATE FIREARM
INS CD-COVERAGE FOR INHALANTS
OPPOSE NEW TITLE X RESTRICTION
COMMEND-LOMBARD SAMARITANS
LIBRARY TRUSTEES-ELIGIBILITY
COUNTY RECORDER-EXPIRED LIENS
OPEN OPERATING STANDARDS ACT
The following table shows the bills to which Howard was added as a co-sponsor in the first quarter.
Rep. Margo McDermed (R-37)
TRACK-SEXUAL ASSAULT EVIDENCE
Rep. Michelle Mussman (D-56)
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
ETHICS-RIGHTS OF COMPLAINANTS
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
INC TX-JOB TRAINING CREDIT
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
CRIM CODE-AGG BAT-EMPLOYEES
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
ANIMALS-POLICE AND SERVICE
Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-80)
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77); Sen. John F. Curran (R-41)
Rep. Monica Bristow (D-111)
CRIM CD-INTIMIDATION-ELDERLY
SCH MENTAL HEALTH INSTRUCTION
Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17)
Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17)
Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7)
SCH CD-MASS INCIDENT GUIDE
Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-57)
Rep. Martin J. Moylan (D-55)
USE/OCC-MOTOR FUEL-LOCAL GOV
Rep. Keith R. Wheeler (R-50)
CRIM PROSECUTIONS-SEX OFFENSES
Rep. William Davis (D-30); Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29)
MHDD CD-COUNSELING SESSIONS
MHDDAA-DEV DISABIL WORKER WAGE
Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7)
MENTAL HEALTH ACTION ON CAMPUS
Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112)
MEDICAID-GROUP INS-BREAST PUMP
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PATIENT RIGHTS-DRUG PLANS
Rep. Michael D. Unes (R-91); Sen. Jil Tracy (R-47)
SCH CD-DIPLOMA-MILITARY-KIA
Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98)
PROP TAX-SENIOR HOMESTEAD
DHS-EARLY INTERVENTION RATES
Rep. Frances Ann Hurley (D-35); Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18)
EMS SYSTEMS-OVERDOSE REPORTING
Rep. David A. Welter (R-75)
SCH CD-REQUIRE HIGH SCH COURSE
Rep. Robert Martwick (D-19)
ELECTED CHICAGO SCHOOL BOARD
UTILITY-WATER/SEWER REFERENDUM
Rep. Anna Moeller (D-43); Sen. Heather A. Steans (D-7)
MENTAL HLTH MODERNIZATION ACT
Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-114)
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39); Sen. Cristina Castro (D-22)
HUM RIGHTS-EMPLOYER-DEFINITION
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11)
GA & ST BUILDING-ACCESSIBILITY
CANCEL CONTRACT SENIORS 15 DAY
Rep. Maurice A. West, II (D-67)
SEXUAL ASSAULT-ASSESSMENTS
Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. (D-40)
AGING-HOMEMAKER SERVICES-WAGES
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11)
GEOLOCATION PRIVACY PROTECTION
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78)
MEDICAID-MANAGED CARE PAYMENTS
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11)
SCH CD-SEX EDUCATION-CONSENT
Rep. Deb Conroy (D-46); Sen. Laura Fine (D-9)
AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALITIS CODING
Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-80)
Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-80)
Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-80)
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11); Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18)
LOCAL WIND ENERGY REGULATION
Rep. Yehiel M. Kalish (D-16)
CRIM CD-STALKING-VICTIM<18
Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17)
Rep. John Connor (D-85); Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-49)
CRIM PRO-SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS
Rep. Celina Villanueva (D-21)
GUNRUN&FIREARM TRAF ASSESSMENT
HOTEL OCCUPATION & USE REVENUE
PERSONAL INFO-NOTICE OF BREACH
ASIAN AMERICAN FAMILY COMM
TASK FORCE-SEXUAL ABUSE REVIEW
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE-VARIOUS
VEH CD-DUI IGNITION INTERLOCK
HIGHER ED-MENTAL HEALTH INFO
Rep. Michael J. Zalewski (D-23)
FIRE MARSHAL-ETHYLENE OXIDE
WATER HEATER SAFETY VALVE ACT
Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-57)
INS CODE-EPINEPHRINE INJECTOR
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PEN CD-EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS
Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98)
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11)
SCH CD-SEX EDUCATION-CONSENT
Rep. Robert Martwick (D-19)
STUDENT ONLINE PROTECTION
PET SHOP DOG/CAT SOURCING
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11)
Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-51)
SCH CD-SCH COUNSELOR-COLLEGE
Rep. Daniel Didech (D-59)
PARTITION OF HEIRS PROPERTY
Rep. Daniel Didech (D-59)
PARTITION OF HEIRS PROPERTY
Rep. Daniel Didech (D-59)
PARTITION OF HEIRS PROPERTY
Rep. Mark L. Walker (D-53)
Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
EQUITABLE RESTROOM-BABY CHANGE
FREEDOM FROM INS INCREASES ACT
Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7)
SCH CD-COMPUTER SCIENCE ED
Rep. Robert Martwick (D-19)
COM COL-CHICAGO-ELECT BOARD
Rep. Anna Moeller (D-43); Sen. Cristina Castro (D-22)
EQUAL PAY ACT-WAGE HISTORY
Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-114)
PROP TAX-SR FREEZE-MEDICARE
Rep. Daniel Didech (D-59)
FOID-DENIAL & REVOC-STALKING
Rep. Daniel Swanson (R-74)
INS CODE-TICK-BORNE DISEASE
Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17)
ANTI-HARASSMENT TASK FORCE
Rep. Theresa Mah (D-2); Sen. Robert Peters (D-13)
CITIZENSHIP-U.S. ADOPTEES
Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. (D-40)
Rep. Michelle Mussman (D-56)
NEW SEXUAL HARASSMENT RULES
Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112)
DPH-PAINKILLER GUIDELINES
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40); Rep. Daniel Didech (D-59)
JURIES-UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATION
SCH THREAT ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL
HOME BUSINESS-LISTED ADDRESS
Rep. Frances Ann Hurley (D-35)
POLICE TRAINING-MENTAL HEALTH
Rep. Frances Ann Hurley (D-35)
STALKING NO CONTACT-NOTICE
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