Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-48) sponsored 10 bills in the second quarter of 2019, two more than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 100 bills, 53 more than the average, according to a DuPage Policy Journal 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 Howard sponsored in the second quarter.
PROBATE-GUARDIAN AD LITEM FEES
SOLID WASTE MGMT-RESOURCE MGMT
PROP TX-LESSEE-LIABLE-PAYMENT
LIBRARY TRUSTEES-ELIGIBILITY
PROBATE ACT-ADULT GUARDIANSHIP
MHDD CD-CLEAR&PRESENT DANGER
PROP TAX-SR FREEZE-MEDICARE
COMM COLL-APPRENTICE PROGRAM
NATIVE AMERICAN EMPLOY PLAN
The following table shows the bills to which Howard was added as a co-sponsor in the second quarter.
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
IMPORTED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7)
EVIDENCE-RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Rep. Monica Bristow (D-111)
VOCATIONAL ACADEMIES-GRANTS
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
COUNTY&MUNI-COAL TAR PRODUCTS
Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7)
Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. (D-40); Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
IL DISABILITY INTEGRATION ACT
Rep. Michael Halpin (D-72)
INCOME TAX-CAREGIVER CREDIT
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27)
CLEAN WATER WORKFORCE PIPELINE
Rep. Diane Pappas (D-45); Sen. Donald P. DeWitte (R-33)
KENNEL OPERATION-FIRE ALARMS
Rep. Karina Villa (D-49); Sen. Omar Aquino (D-2)
GRATUITIES-RETENTION-PROHIBIT
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78)
SCHCD-EMPLOYEE TRAUMA TRAINING
Rep. Lamont J. Robinson, Jr. (D-5)
LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT
Rep. Lamont J. Robinson, Jr. (D-5)
LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-51)
PEN CD-GARS-FELONY FORFEITURE
Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6); Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-49)
SEX OFFENSE-NOTICE TO SCHOOLS
Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-114)
$IL COURT APPOINTED ADVOCATES
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77); Sen. Martin A. Sandoval (D-11)
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24)
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
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
LICENSE-REMOVE CITIZENSHIP REQ
Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23); Rep. Karina Villa (D-49)
Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23); Rep. Diane Pappas (D-45)
HOTEL OCCUPATION & USE REVENUE
Sen. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-41)
COUNTIES-ADULT ENTERTAINMENT
Sen. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Jim Durkin (R-82)
COUNTY CD-RETAILERS' REVENUE
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. Thomas Cullerton (D-23); Rep. Karina Villa (D-49)
DOWNSTATE FOREST PRESERVE DIST
Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23); Rep. Karina Villa (D-49)
DOWNSTATE FOREST PRESERVE DIST
Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-51)
Sen. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Jim Durkin (R-82)
EPA-PERMITS-ETHYLENE OXIDE
Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33)
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
Sen. Laura Fine (D-9); Rep. Deb Conroy (D-46)
INS CD-COLLABORATIVE CARE
Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-8); Rep. Martin J. Moylan (D-55)
Rep. Michael J. Zalewski (D-23)
PHARMACY PRACTICE-VARIOUS
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10)
TOBACCO PRODUCTS COMPLIANCE
Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29)
PERSONNEL-INTERNS-DISABILITY
Sen. Neil Anderson (R-36)
LICENSE PLATES-MOTORCYCLES
Rep. Anna Moeller (D-43); Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
HOME BIRTH CRISIS COMMITTEE
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
Rep. Celina Villanueva (D-21)
IMMIGRATION STATUS-ACCESS
Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy (D-14); Sen. Robert Peters (D-13)
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27); Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
DHS-BUILDING TRADES PROGRAM
Rep. Avery Bourne (R-95); Sen. Steve McClure (R-50)
REMOVAL OF COMPROMISING IMAGES
Rep. Martin J. Moylan (D-55)
PUBLIC HEALTH DENTAL HYGIENIST
Rep. Deb Conroy (D-46); Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29)
PUBLIC OFFICERS-HIRING SELF
HOSPITALS-OPIOID ANTAGONIST
Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29); Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
INS CODE-DENTAL ANESTHETICS
Rep. Michael J. Zalewski (D-23)
Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18); Rep. Frances Ann Hurley (D-35)
EMS SYSTEMS-OVERDOSE REPORTING
Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-8); Rep. Theresa Mah (D-2)
ASSISTED LIVING-DISCRIMINATION
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40); Rep. William Davis (D-30)
PROP TX-INCOME PRODUCING PROP
Sen. Dan McConchie (R-26); Rep. Margo McDermed (R-37)
TRACK-SEXUAL ASSAULT EVIDENCE
Sen. Heather A. Steans (D-7); Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
Sen. Scott M. Bennett (D-52); Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112)
MILITARY DISCOUNT-DEPENDENTS
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10); Rep. Michael P. McAuliffe (R-20)
Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16); Rep. Anna Moeller (D-43)
NURSING HOME CARE ACT-VARIOUS
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40); Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98)
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40); Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98)
Rep. William Davis (D-30)
DHFS-MEDICAID-LONG TERM CARE
Sen. Melinda Bush (D-31); Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
SEXUAL HARASSMENT NO CONTACT
Rep. Mark L. Walker (D-53)
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. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. (D-40)
LOTTERY-SCRATCH-OFF-SCHOOLS
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
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
Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112)
SALES TAX-REDUCED RATE-CONDOMS
Sen. Laura M. Murphy (D-28); Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27); Rep. Michael J. Madigan (D-22)
CRIM PRO-VIDEO-SENTENCING
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PUBLIC DEFENDER BAIL PROGRAM
Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23); Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
CD CORR-CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
SCH CD-EMPLOYMENT-OFFENDERS
EQUITABLE RESTROOMS-ALL-GENDER
Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23)
GENERAL ASSISTANCE-IN-KIND AID
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
ALTERNATIVE ELEC/GAS SUPPLIERS
Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98)
FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION ELDERLY
HOTEL CASINO EMPLOYEE SAFETY
Sen. Scott M. Bennett (D-52); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
COAL ASH POLLUTION PREVENTION
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