Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-41) sponsored nine bills in the second quarter of 2019, one more than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 66 bills, 19 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 Wehrli sponsored in the second quarter.
PEN CD-FIRE-DEFINED CONTRIBUTE
OPIOID OVERDOSE REDUCTION
CONGRATS-NAPERVILLE POST 43
CONGRATS-JULIE ROTHENFLUH
CONGRATS-NAPERVILLE CENTRAL
COUNTIES-ADULT ENTERTAINMENT
PTELL-AGGREGATE EXTENSION BASE
SOCIAL WORKER AUTHORIZED EXAM
The following table shows the bills to which Wehrli was added as a co-sponsor in the second quarter.
Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113); Sen. Michael E. Hastings (D-19)
CRIM CD-CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTUR
Rep. David A. Welter (R-75); Sen. Sue Rezin (R-38)
SCH CD-REQUIRE HIGH SCH COURSE
Rep. David A. Welter (R-75); Sen. Sue Rezin (R-38)
SCH CD-REQUIRE HIGH SCH COURSE
Rep. Norine K. Hammond (R-93); Sen. Jil Tracy (R-47)
VEH CD-TEXTING BODILY HARM
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71); Sen. Neil Anderson (R-36)
Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-118)
Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-48); Sen. Suzy Glowiak (D-24)
HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRAINING
Rep. Karina Villa (D-49); Sen. Omar Aquino (D-2)
GRATUITIES-RETENTION-PROHIBIT
Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-48); Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23)
PROP TX-LEASEHOLD-AIRPORTS
Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-48); Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23)
PROP TX-LEASEHOLD-AIRPORTS
Rep. Kambium Buckner (D-26)
VICTIM STATEMENTS-DISCOVERY
Rep. Keith R. Wheeler (R-50)
STATE POLICE-FOID REVOCATION
US CONST-ART V-APPLICATION
Rep. Theresa Mah (D-2); Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-8)
ASIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Rep. Thomas Morrison (R-54)
CON AMEND-TAX-2/3RDS VOTE
PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MNTH
PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MNTH
Rep. Keith R. Wheeler (R-50)
AMBUCS APPRECIATION MONTH
Rep. Charles Meier (R-108)
Sen. Donald P. DeWitte (R-33)
PROP TX-LESSEE-LIABLE-PAYMENT
Sen. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-48)
LIBRARY TRUSTEES-ELIGIBILITY
Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23); Rep. Diane Pappas (D-45)
HOTEL OCCUPATION & USE REVENUE
LOC GOVT OFFICER COMPENSATION
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
PRAIRIE RESEARCH-MICROPLASTICS
Sen. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Jim Durkin (R-82)
COUNTY CD-RETAILERS' REVENUE
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. 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. Suzy Glowiak (D-24); Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98)
ALZHEIMER'S-ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Sen. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Jim Durkin (R-82)
EPA-PERMITS-ETHYLENE OXIDE
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE-NEW ACT
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
Sen. Laura Fine (D-9); Rep. Michelle Mussman (D-56)
CUSTOMIZED EMPLOYMENT ACT
OPEN OPERATING STANDARDS ACT
Rep. Margo McDermed (R-37); Sen. Dan McConchie (R-26)
TRACK-SEXUAL ASSAULT EVIDENCE
Rep. Bob Morgan (D-58); Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29)
ST POLICE-BURIAL REIMBURSE
Rep. Karina Villa (D-49); Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-27)
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
HIGHER ED-UNIFORM ADMISSION
Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy (D-14); Sen. Laura Fine (D-9)
NO COPAY-DERMATOLOGY EXAM
Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy (D-14); Sen. Laura Fine (D-9)
NO COPAY-DERMATOLOGY EXAM
Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98); Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-49)
CRIM CD-FEMALE GEN MUTILATION
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11); Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
SCH CD-SEX EDUCATION-CONSENT
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77); Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23)
Sen. Terry Link (D-30); Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-57)
Sen. Emil Jones, III (D-14); Rep. Gregory Harris (D-13)
MEDICAL PRACTICE ACT-SUNSET
Sen. Christopher Belt (D-57); Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-114)
Sen. Laura M. Murphy (D-28); Rep. Karina Villa (D-49)
SCHOOL CODE-ASTHMA MEDICATION
Sen. Heather A. Steans (D-7)
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10); Rep. Michael P. McAuliffe (R-20)
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. Mark L. Walker (D-53)
Sen. Emil Jones, III (D-14); Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
COMPLETE COUNT COMMISSION
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
Sen. Scott M. Bennett (D-52); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23); Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PARENTAL RIGHT TERMINATION
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
SCH CD-EMPLOYMENT-OFFENDERS
HOTEL CASINO EMPLOYEE SAFETY
Sen. Scott M. Bennett (D-52); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
COAL ASH POLLUTION PREVENTION
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