Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7) sponsored 22 bills in the second quarter of 2019, 14 more than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 81 bills, 34 more than the average, according to a West Cook News 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 Welch sponsored in the second quarter.
CHARTER SCH COMMISSION-ABOLISH
SEAL OR EXPUNGE-OBJECTIONS
CHARTER SCHOOLS TASK FORCE
CONGRATS-ANTHONY T. CALDERONE
CHARTER SCH COMMISSION-ABOLISH
SCH CD-SUPERINTENDENT AGREEMNT
SECURITIES RECORDS 3+ YEARS
SCH CD-WORKPLACE PREP STUDY
HIGHER ED VETERANS SERVICE ACT
SAFE SCHOOLS/HEALTHY LEARNING
ANCRA-EHLERS-DANLOS SYNDROME
GOVERNMENT SEVERANCE-ATHLETICS
IMMIGRATION STATUS-ACCESS
STATE TREASURER-REAL PROPERTY
BUREAU APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS
The following table shows the bills to which Welch was added as a co-sponsor in the second quarter.
Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18)
CANNABIS REGULATION & TAX ACT
Rep. Monica Bristow (D-111)
Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-8)
NO REPRESENTATION WITHOUT POP
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
Rep. Gregory Harris (D-13)
VOCATIONAL ACADEMIES-GRANTS
MHDDAA-DEV DISABIL WORKER WAGE
Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6)
SCH CD-PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78)
CD CORR-REFERRAL SERVICES
Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-6); Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23)
BLOCKCHAIN BUS DEVELOPMENT ACT
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
FREEDOM TO WORK-ALL EMPLOYEES
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
Rep. Terri Bryant (R-115); Sen. Sue Rezin (R-38)
AGING-ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Christopher Belt (D-57)
SCH CD-ANGER MANAGEMENT CLASS
Rep. Diane Pappas (D-45); Sen. Donald P. DeWitte (R-33)
KENNEL OPERATION-FIRE ALARMS
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D-31)
IDPH-WOMEN'S HEALTH CLINICS
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
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. LaToya Greenwood (D-114)
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. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33)
MEMORIAL-EDDIE L. JONES II
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
LICENSE-REMOVE CITIZENSHIP REQ
Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18); Rep. Frances Ann Hurley (D-35)
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
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. Napoleon Harris, III (D-15); Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-8)
REPORT-SETTING OF WATER RATES
Sen. Suzy Glowiak (D-24); Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98)
ALZHEIMER'S-ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Sen. Chuck Weaver (R-37); Rep. Thomas M. Bennett (R-106)
SCH CD-ALTERNATIVE EDU LICENSE
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-27); Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
Rep. Maurice A. West, II (D-67)
HIGHR ED-RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION
Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18)
COUNTY JAIL GOOD BEHAVIOR
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
Sen. Michael E. Hastings (D-19)
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING-SUNSET
PHARMACY PRACTICE-VARIOUS
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10)
TOBACCO PRODUCTS COMPLIANCE
Rep. Anna Moeller (D-43); Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
HOME BIRTH CRISIS COMMITTEE
Sen. Pat McGuire (D-43); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
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. Justin Slaughter (D-27); Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-17)
TRAFFIC/PEDESTRIAN STOP STUDY
Rep. Celina Villanueva (D-21)
IMMIGRATION STATUS-ACCESS
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D-31); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH RIGHTS
HOSPITALS-OPIOID ANTAGONIST
Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18); Rep. Frances Ann Hurley (D-35)
EMS SYSTEMS-OVERDOSE REPORTING
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. Ram Villivalam (D-8); Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17)
EVIDENCE-IMMIGRATION STATUS
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. 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. 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. Antonio Muñoz (D-1); Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-8)
SCH CD-OFFICE OF SCH SAFETY
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
Sen. Melinda Bush (D-31); Rep. Deb Conroy (D-46)
NEEDLE AND HYPODERMIC ACCESS
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PUBLIC DEFENDER BAIL PROGRAM
Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-51)
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
SCH CD-PARENT-VICTIM-SERVICES
SCH CD-SCHOOL COUNCIL-OFFENDER
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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