Illinois House Floor Debate — May 12, 2021

"Good afternoon, Members. The House will be in order and Members will be in their chairs. We shall be led by pray… in prayer today by Wayne Padget, the Assistant Doorkeeper. Members and guests are asked to refrain from starting their laptops, turn off all cell phones, and rise for the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Padget."

"Amen. We'll be led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Representative Ozinga." 10200033.docx 3  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021

"Roll Call for Attendance. Leader Harris is recognized to report any excused absences on the Democratic side of the aisle."

"Madam Speaker, every Democrat is here today."

"Thank you, Leader Harris. Leader Welter is also recognized to report any excused absences on the Republican side of the aisle."

"Thank you, Leader Welter. Have all recorded themselves as wish? Looks like we all wish. We have… the record reflect that we have 118 Members reporting today, and we have a quorum for business. Mr. Clerk, Committee Reports."

"Members, an announcement. This is a reminder of House Rule 51.5. Please remember to wear your face covering that covers the nose and mouth, except when necessary for eating or drinking. This includes when speaking on the microphone at your desk. Again, please remember to wear a face covering, including while speaking on the microphone, as pursuant to House Rule 51.5. Thank you. Attention, Members, for another announcement. The deadline to file Committee Amendments to Senate Bills will be today at 3 p.m. Committee Amendments filed after 3 p.m. will not be considered for assignment by the Rules Committee. Once again, Members, the deadline for filing Committee Amendments to Senate Bills is today at 3 p.m. Thank you, Members. Representative Niemerg, what reason do you seek recognition?"

"Please state your point, Sir."

"Members, on Order of Resolution… on page 4 of the Calendar, under Order of Resolutions, we have House Joint Resolution 13, offered by Leader Durkin. Leader Durkin."

"Thank you, Leader Durkin. Would the Body take a moment of silence? Thank you, Members. Leader Durkin moves for the adoption of House Resolution 13. All in favor vote 10200033.docx 12  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? All Members will be added to the Resolution. If all Members have voted, Clerk take the record. There's 118 Members voting 'yay', no Members voting 'no', and no 'present' votes. This Resolution passes. Representative Morgan, for what reason do you rise?"

"Point of personal privilege, Madam Speaker."

"Please state your point, Sir."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm going to take Leader Durkin's comments in terms of be kind to others, and I will keep that in mind, and I appreciate that. I do want to respond to the comments two speakers prior about masks and science. I know that we all can lose track of how we got here. I know I often forget about what we've gone through to be in this chamber together, wearing masks, taking COVID tests, worrying about our loved ones who are still sick. For those in the Body who are unaware… Madam Speaker, can I have just a moment? Ladies and Gentlemen, for those of you who are unaware, very recently, there are staff members of our chamber who've contracted COVID-19, some who are still ailing from COVID- 19. I think it is critically important that we remember how we got here. From the earliest days of this pandemic, there are those who were skeptical of science and what we heard about what we needed to do to keep ourselves safe, to keep our loved ones safe, to keep our colleagues safe. And while that was a very nice speech just a few minutes ago from my colleague on the other side of the aisle about science and how safe we all are, it is very important that we not forget 10200033.docx 13  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 that we are all still at risk and the people that we work with, including our staff in this chamber, are still not well because of COVID-19. We can give all the speeches in the world about our freedoms, but I ask us all to take very seriously the importance of taking good care of ourselves and the people that we care about and the people we work with in this chamber, let alone our family and friends back home who continue to be at risk. So, I ask the chamber to keep that in mind. And I think that we need to be very responsible to ourselves but, more importantly, to those that listen to the words that come out of this chamber. To suggest that we are all okay and that there is no risk… we have to take care of the people that listen to our words, who take actions based on what they think is okay, what is going to keep their family members safe. So, please, please, it's nice to give a good speech about how at the end of this pandemic, as it begins to end with vaccines, that we continue to be at risk. How at risk? Am I just talking and making things up? No, Ladies and Gentlemen. Yesterday, there were 1800 new confirmed cases in the State of Illinois. Twenty-six people died. This is not made up. This is not fake news. This is very real to the people we care about and have to keep safe. We have a responsibility to spread that truth. Thank you, Madam Speaker."

Speaker Ammons: "Thank you, Representative. Representative Avelar, for what reason do you rise?"

"Point of personal privilege."

"Please state your point, Ma'am." 10200033.docx 14  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I… actually, I just want to take a couple minutes to wish a very happy birthday to a very important man in my life. Somebody who really taught me how to be humble and to put our communities first. A man who had to grow up really early, at the age of 16 when his dad passed, to take care of his brothers and sisters. That man is 72 years old today. That's Mr. Hugo Lopez, and I want to wish him a happy 72nd birthday. Thank you."

"Thank you, Representative. Going back to the Order of Resolutions. House Joint Resolution 33, Representative Harper. Moving to House Resolution #4, Representative West."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. If you will give me one moment. All right. House Resolution 4… thank you, Madam Speaker. House Resolution 4 acknowledges that toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences can have significantly negative short- term, long-term, and generational impacts and that early intervention through trauma-informed care is the most efficient and cost effective way to combat these impacts. I was working on this with a couple of people in my district. The street term for this… they refer to as 'hood PTSD'. This is something that we need to address for our young people to make sure that they can grow up to live prosperous lives and control their own destiny. The Amendment that was brought forth was to add young people who experience homelessness to this Resolution. And at the end of the day, I'm asking the Illinois General Assembly to seek out opportunities to enhance legislation through the science of resiliency and a trauma informed lens and funding around early intervention 10200033.docx 15  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 services for children and families that centers the principles of brain development, the intimate connection between mental and physical health, and the concepts of… concepts of toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences. I would appreciate an 'aye' vote. Thank you."

"Thank you, Representative West. All those in favor of House Resolution 4… Representative West moves for the adoption of House Resolution 4. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Leader Flowers is recognized for House Resolution 61. Leader Flowers."

"Madam Speaker, can you wait until… can you come back to me, please, in a few minutes?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Absolutely."

"Thank you."

"Thank you. We will move to House Resolution 88, Representative… Leader Ramirez. Leader Ramirez, House Resolution 88. Thank you, Leader Ramirez. Moving to House Resolution 106, Representative Lilly. Members, we are on Order of Resolutions. If you have a Resolution in the Calendar, you may be called. We are on House Resolution 106, is Representative Lilly."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. House Resolution 106 acknowledges the seriousness of mental illness issues in Illinois and strive to improve awareness and treatment of these issues. It urges that Members of the General Assembly to have discussions, forums with their communities to promote awareness and mental health issues, to have access to mental 10200033.docx 16  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 health services and resources. We encourage Members to work with all schools and districts in Illinois to post information on mental health and local treatment resources on their public Web sites. It encourage all school districts in Illinois to implement mental health screening to properly identify students with mental health problems. It encourage Federal Government to improve mental health awareness treatment and funding to improve the lives of citizens struggling with mental health, here, in the State of Illinois. I ask for your 'aye' vote."

"Representative Lilly moves for the adoption of House Resolution 106. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Continuing, Representative Lilly, on House Resolution 112."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. House Resolution 112 declares August 9 through August 15, 2021 as Community Health Center Week in the State of Illinois. It encourage all Americans to take part by visiting their local health centers and celebrating the important partnership between American community health centers and the communities they serve. Expresses the commitment to work to ensure that every underserved and under-resourced community has sustainable access to health care… community health care and… and community hospital care to address their health needs and to improve the outcomes of their lives… the health outcomes of their lives. I ask for an 'aye' vote."

"Thank you, Representative Lilly. Representative Lilly moves for the adoption of House Resolution 112. All 10200033.docx 17  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Returning to House Resolution 88, Leader Ramirez."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. House Resolution 88 is a Resolution that we've been working on for the last few months. And it's in response to what we have been seeing across the state and country as it pertains to restraint… child restraint. House Resolution 88 urges policy decisions of state agencies and the Illinois General Assembly to make sure that we align with a goal of preventing, reducing, and ultimately eliminating the use of restraint and seclusion with children and adolescents. House Resolution 88 provides that the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Illinois Department of Human Services, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Illinois Department of Mental Health, and Department of Juvenile Justice, with the State Board of Education create rules and procedures to govern the use of restraint and seclusion with children, adolescents in social services, medical, and educational settings. This is a Bill that comes from a number of child welfare advocates. And I urge an 'aye' vote."

"Leader Ramirez moves for the adoption of House Resolution 88. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say… please hold, Members. I'll recognize Representative Carroll, who wants to speak to the Resolution."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. And I apologize for messing up your mojo up there, but I want to… I want to commend Leader Ramirez on moving this Resolution. As we did a few weeks ago, 10200033.docx 18  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 we passed legislation on a bipartisan basis in this Body to show how serious we are. I appreciate you bringing this forward. We're going to continue this battle. We're going to continue this fight to make sure that no kid ever has to go through that again. So, I really appreciate your work on this Resolution. And I encourage an 'aye' vote from everyone in this chamber. Thank you."

Speaker Ammons: "Thank you, Representative Carroll. Representative… Leader Ramirez moves for the adoption of House Resolution 88. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. House Resolution 131, Representative Conroy."

"Thank you, Speaker. House Resolution 131 supports mandating a statewide standard that requires all Illinois counties to provide Medication-Assisted Treatment medications to individuals under their jurisdiction requiring such services. This is a… this is a program that's been used at Cook County Jail for the last several years with great, great success. Sadly, it is not done throughout the entire state, and two members of our community died in DuPage County because they were not able to get the medication they needed. They suffered from the disease of addiction. And when they left their time in being incarcerated, they had gone through withdrawal and did not have the proper treatment and, sadly, lost their lives to the disease. I encourage an 'aye' vote."

"Thank you. Representative Conroy moves for the adoption of House Resolution 131. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the 10200033.docx 19  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Returning to Leader Flowers for House Resolution 61."

"Thank you, Madam Chairman and Members of the committee. Currently a municipality or a county in the State of Illinois may notify owners of vehicles of any parking, traffic, or speeding violations that they may have by mail. These notifications are mailed to the owners address as recorded with the Secretary of State's Office. Furthermore, the Illinois Vehicle Code allows the Secretary of State Office to suspend or revoke a driver's license. The Secretary of State's Office notifies a licensee of the suspension and the revocation of the mailing… by mail, to notify them that their license have been revoked at the address that the Secretary of State Office has. However, a considerable number of these vehicle owners and licensee addresses are no longer valid due for a… due because a lot of owners have moved. So, what House Resolution 61 is asking for, we are requesting that the Secretary of State Office to conduct a study of municipalities or counties emailing notices to vehicle owners of any parking, traffic, or speeding violations, or either license revocation that they may have. And I would move for the adoption of House Resolution 61."

Speaker Ammons: "Members, this is a recorded vote, House Resolution 61. Leader Flowers moves for the adoption of House Resolution 61. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay'. And the voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 118 'ayes', 0 'nays', and 0 voting 'present'. This 10200033.docx 20  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 Resolution, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby adopted. House Resolution 161, Representative Andrade. Moving to House Resolution 164, offered by Representative Greenwood."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker and Members of this Assembly. House Resolution 164 declares the date, today, May 12 as Alpha Kappa Alpha Day in the State of Illinois. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated was founded on the campus of Howard University in 1908 and incorporated in 1913. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is the nation's oldest African American sorority. The sorority has never changed its mission to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, promote unity and friendship among women, help alleviate problems concerning girls and women in order to improve their social status. Many prominent women have been or are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, including Vice President Kamala Harris, the late civil rights leader Coretta Scott King, and Rosa Parks, and our very own Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, and Leader and Senator Mattie Hunter, along with myself are proud members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. So, once again, this day is Alpha Kappa Alpha Day in the State of Illinois. Thank you, Madam Speaker."

Speaker Ammons: "Thank you, Representative Greenwood. Representative Greenwood asks for a vote in favor of House Resolution 164. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Returning to Leader Andrade for House Resolution 161." 10200033.docx 21  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. House Resolution 161, I just want to make clear, is not… is not a 'shall', not a 'shall'. Just a 'may' if the State of Illinois… if they… there's a concern that if we bring back the testing right now, immediately, that will have an effect. So, all this does is it urges the state that… the U.S. Department of Education to offer states the option. It's just an option. It's not a 'shall'. Not a 'shall'. The state's options, if they do decide to waive the assessment community accountability reporting requirements. So, it's just a maybe… it's just a 'may'. Thank you."

"Thank you, Leader Andrade. Leader Batinick is recognized."

"He says he will."

"Correct."

"It just says 'may', 'may'. If they request that… that if…"

"Yes. 'May', 'may'. And hopefully may you vote 'yes'. Just… it's just a 'may'. So, I'm with you. I believe there should be a guideline to know where we're at. My Senator passed this Bill on the Senate and has requested for me to 10200033.docx 22  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 pass it here. But I think it's important to show that it's just they 'may' have an option. That's all. It's not…"

"There's 'may'. Just the 'may'."

"Thank you, Leader Andrade. Roll call has been requested. All in… House Resolution… Leader Andrade presents House Resolution 161. Members please vote 'aye' or vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On a vote of 75 'yays', 39 'nays', and 0 'present', House Resolution 161, having received the constitutional vote, will be… Constitutional Majority, is hereby adopted. Moving to Representative Yingling for House Resolution 175. Representative Yingling."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. House Resolution 175 declares May of 2021 as Save Your Tooth Month. It's a nationwide initiative and recognizes the endodontists who are dedicated to saving patient's natural teeth and encourages citizens of Illinois to practice good oral hygiene to save their… their natural teeth. I'd appreciate an 'aye' vote."

"Thank you, Representative Yingling moves for the adoption of House Resolution 175. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. And in the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Leader Andrade, for what reason do you rise?" 10200033.docx 23  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021

"It's too late. Thank you very much. I was just going to ask him, is it just one tooth or all teeth? That's all."

"Thank you, Leader. Moving back to Leader Andrade for House Resolution 183."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam, Pat Clark is a constituent of mine who's been an un… like no other citizen in my community. She has constantly been a volunteer and has shown what it is to be a good neighbor. So, this just… it already passed, but it just celebrates her volunteerism in the community. I wish an 'aye' vote, respectfully. Thank you."

"Thank you, Leader Andrade. Leader Andrade moves for the adoption of House Resolution 183. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those… oh, it's not vote. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. And in the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Representative Mason, presenting House Resolution 186."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. House Resolution 186 declares the month of April 2021 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This coincides with the national dedication of the same awareness month, originally coordinated in 2001 and observed every April since. I ask for an 'aye' vote."

"Thank you. Representative Mason moves for the adoption of House Resolution 186. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Moving to House Resolution 194, presented by Representative Moeller."

"Thank you, Madam Chair, Members of the House. House Resolution 194 calls on the General Assembly and the Governor 10200033.docx 24  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 to consider the Guidehouse rate study that has done a deep dive into the developmental… the system that provides care for our developmentally disabled residents and intellectually disabled residents. We have known that the state has been deficient for many years in providing adequate funding for this system. And this rate study illustrates that. There is no opposition to this Resolution. Be happy to answer any questions, and ask for an 'aye' vote."

"Thank you. Representative Moeller moves for the adoption of House Resolution 194. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. And in the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Members, on page 3 of the Calendar, under Consideration Postponed, is House Bill 1092. We recognize Representative Stoneback for House Bill 1092."

"Madam Speaker, Members of the House, I'd like to speak on House Bill 1092. There have been no fewer than 196 mass shootings since the beginning of the year. Several of the mass shootings in the past few months have occurred in Atlanta, Colorado, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Last weekend, there was a shooting at a birthday party in Colorado Springs on Mother's Day weekend in which the gunman fatally shot six adults before turning the gun on himself. According to reports, there were three young children at the party when the shooting happened. Three young girls whose mothers were killed on Mother's Day weekend. I'd just like everybody to think about the trauma that those girls will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Every time there's a mass shooting, or any shooting, there's a ripple effect. The 10200033.docx 25  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 shooting victim is not the only one affected, entire families and communities are traumatized and devastated. There is nothing that can be done to fully rebuild what was lost. We have clearly seen a rise in violence that began last year and that's continued throughout the pandemic across the nation, but also specifically in Illinois. In 2020, Illinois reported 69 mass shootings, up from 41 the previous year. According to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, a record-breaking 875 people died from gun violence last year, 78 percent of the victims were black. Chicago police reported that shootings and murders jumped by more than 50 percent in 2020. In light of all of this, it is critical that we strengthen our state's existing Firearms Restraining Order law so we can prevent firearm tragedies. This law, which has been in effect for more than two years and four months, allows family members and law enforcement to obtain a civil order to temporarily remove guns from individuals who pose a significant risk of harm to themselves or others. In states where this type of law is implemented, petitions have been filed to prevent mass shootings, hate crimes, domestic violence gun crimes, and suicides. One study found 21 cases in California that disarmed potential mass shooters over a 2-year period. Authorities in Washington State disarmed the leader of a violent neo-Nazi hate group who was training to wage a 'race war'. However, the law is not effective unless people are informed and empowered to use it, and it has been underutilized in Illinois. We have spoken with the Illinois State Police, state's attorneys, and the Attorney General's Office, as well as national experts to obtain their input and help us identify 10200033.docx 26  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 gaps in the original law. Based on those conversations, we focused on correcting oversights in the original law and assisting in implementation by promoting awareness and education. As I have spoken with many of you about this Bill, I'd like to focus specifically on the concerns raised in previous debate around the part of the Bill that provides for people with a child in common as well as former spouses to be petitioners. There is plenty of data to support that these categories should be included. People in these categories are often the victims of threatening or violent conduct involving firearms. The CDC analyzed the murders of women in 18 states from 2003 to 2014, finding a total 10,018 deaths. Of those, 55 percent were intimate partner violence-related, meaning they occurred at the hands of a former or current partner or the partner's family or friends. In 93 percent of those cases, the culprit was a former or current romantic partner. According to a publication by the American Journal of Public Health, the presence of a gun in domestic violence situations increases the risk of homicide for women by 500 percent. These individuals should be provided the same avenue that current spouses or other family members have available to protect themselves and possibly their children from firearms violence. We should be in the business of providing more choices for victims of domestic violence, not less. Some have argued that these categories of petitioners can be protected under a traditional order of protection. However, it is important to note that, even if we've set domestic violence situations aside, we should be including FRO petitioners, people who would be in a position to know when someone is in 10200033.docx 27  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 crisis and at risk of committing violence. Those people include former spouses and people with a child in common. For example, if a former spouse is concerned about his or her ex's behavior, and worries that they might commit suicide, a traditional order of protection would not be appropriate, since it would cover only the petitioner and a minor child or another dependent, not the respondent. In this case, they would need to petition for a FRO and have the firearms removed from their suicidal former spouse. In fact, when the Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Section Council examined the newly enacted Firearms Restraining Order law, it identified the absence of these categories and petitioners as one of the most noticeable gaps in the law. They subsequently recommended the change in their legislative package, and it was introduced in a Senate Bill in 2020, but did not advance due to the pandemic. It has been asked whether any former spouses or people with a child in common in Illinois have sought to petition for a FRO and were unable to do so. We discovered that this has occurred. A family law attorney in Lake County described to me that he was personally contacted by a potential petitioner in just this situation. He informed her that she lacked standing to proceed with a petition as a… for a Firearms Restraining Order as she was a former, rather than a current, spouse. In that situation, the would-be responded continues to have possession of approximately 15 firearms despite being out of bond awaiting trial on a separate assault against a minor to whom he's not related. The only argument I've heard why these categories should not be included is out of a fear of the FRO being used 10200033.docx 28  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 vindictively. But in my months working on this Bill, and in my years working on this issue, I have not seen any data to support this fear. It should be noted that the due process for a Firearms Restraining Order is very tight and will remain so. The standard of proof for FROs is far higher than traditional orders of protection. For a FRO, a petitioner must provide clear and convincing evidence, while a traditional order of protection requires the lower standard preponderance of the evidence. The standing requirements for FROs are far tighter than traditional orders of protection and would continue to be tighter… far tighter even with the inclusion of these categories. Multiple due process protections are built into the FRO, including a rehearing, providing the responded with a form to request a rehearing, tight timelines, and more. None of these are stricken by the proposed Bill. Nine states and the District of Columbia include a person with a child in common among eligible petitioners. Six of these states include both former spouses and persons with a child in common. As Members of the General Assembly, we are elected by the people of Illinois to debate and pass meaningful legislation in their best interest. When tragedies occur, it is our responsibility to reexamine the status quo and determine how we can improve State Laws to prevent another tragedy. When laws are not doing what they were originally intended to do, we need to fix them. This law has been in effect for over two years and four months. It has not been implemented correctly because of a lack of awareness. It has not protected people who wanted one because of their lack of standing. It's time to correct these flaws. I ask 10200033.docx 29  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 that when you vote today to prevent tragedies and to support of public safety. Because if we wake up tomorrow, and there are more gun tragedies, and we haven't done our part, we will regret it, and we won't be able to dial back the clock and bring back lives. I urge an 'aye' vote."

Speaker Ammons: "Thank you, Representative. Representative McCombie is recognized."

"Members, if we can lower the volume a little bit."

"She said she will yield."

"There have been no Amendments since it was previously voted on."

"I have addressed those concerns in my statement."

"So, I have spoken, as I stated, with state's attorneys… with multiple state's attorneys' offices, with the Office of the Attorney General, who has been working very hard at promoting the Firearms Restraining Order law to law enforcement. We have spoken with police chiefs about it. We've 10200033.docx 30  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 spoken with advocates about it, domestic violence, family law attorneys, and I have spoken with the Illinois State Rifle Association. I've spoken with people on both sides of the aisle. I have, from the very beginning, had the hope that this would be a bipartisan effort. I think this is something that…"

"…everyone can get…"

"Members. Members, this is a very important Bill. Please lower the volume so that the Members can hear."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. So…"

"So, the Illinois State Police weighed in heavily on the language. Part of the language was taken from Senator Curran's Bill. He had a mini Bill to… on a specific change to make sure that you could file a petition…"

"…in a county where the respondent… where an incident occurs, not only where the respondent lives. Then there was language picked up from Senator Morrison's small Bill that was filed last year, to include the expansion of the former spouse and person with a child in common that was thoroughly explained in my statement. And I believe that there were some other minor changes in those. And then, the commission really weighed in heavily…"

"…some of the national experts that I've been consulting with."

"So, the Illinois State Police, as I said, helped draft parts of the Bill."

"They are technically neutral, I believe, but they are supportive of the Bill."

"Yes."

"I think they slipped… I think they slipped in neutral because they don't take a position."

"But I've spoken with…"

"Give me a minute."

"We have a lot of their language in the Bill. So, yes. That's…"

"They're… they're neutral."

"That's your interpretation. Yes." 10200033.docx 32  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021

"The Illinois Sheriffs are opposed, and we've spoken…"

"Can I just finish my statement?"

"So, they've… they're opposed… that we committed with them that we will continue the conversation in the Senate. I've listened to all of their feedback, and we're definitely interested in talking with them further."

"And I would like to note that the Cook and Lake County Sheriffs slipped in support of the Bill language as it is."

"They are neutral. We have negotiated with them."

"The Illinois Chiefs Association?"

"Oh, well, I'm not aware of that. Who's… who did you speak with?"

"So, the training, I can speak to that a little bit."

"Well…" 10200033.docx 33  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021

"Well, my understanding was that they were neutral."

"I assume they are… continue to be opposed."

"I have considered their changes."

"So, I don't have the document right here, I believe, but…"

"The FRO awareness program?"

"I think that, that is going to be determined by the law enforcement awareness program or the other one, the general public one."

"I mean, some of this will be determined by ILETSB for the law enforcement training. And then, the Department of Public Health is… generally, in my understanding, that rules and the agencies will do their due diligence in fully communicating what they feel they need to communicate in the training."

"Okay. And I'm… I'm willing to continue a conversation in the Senate, but…"

"…I just want to say… I just want to say that, the Illinois State Rifle Association contacted me several hours before the Bill was going to be heard in committee. And so, in order for me to be able…"

"I have… I have corresponded. I texted back and forth with them. And at this point, at the very last minute, you know… and I'm willing to continue a conversation. So, I'll just leave it at that."

"So, I am sure there will be tweaks in the Senate. I have not… I have not said that… I mean, I've said… I've continued from the very beginning to say we'll continue the conversation in the Senate."

"Senator Ram Villivalam."

"Yes."

"He's open to… I've indicated that he is… that he… that I am saying that we will continue the conversations. I do believe that he is open to conversations."

"Yeah."

"Representative DeLuca is recognized. For what reason do you rise?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"

"She indicates that she will."

"Thank you. Representative, on page 2, line 3, the line reads, 'specific information on situations in which a firearm restraining order may be appropriate such as with situations of domestic violence, mental health crisis, or anyone who is at risk of injuring themselves or others.' Are you familiar with that line?"

"It was page 2, Section 3?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Do you have it in front of you?"

"Yes."

"Where it says, 'appropriate such as with situations of domestic violence, mental health crisis,' would you be willing to put a period right there and strike the rest of the sentence?"

"I could consider that. I don't know if that… I don't necessarily… the reason that it is open-ended there is because there are other situations… so, Firearms Restraining Orders, for example, can be used to potentially, if… if a senior citizen is developing dementia, remove the lethal means from that person if they're going through an episode and they need to have them removed for safety. So, there are other 10200033.docx 37  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 situations in which it's necessary. But, you know… and this list here, I'll just point out to you, is the program may include… so, it's a 'may' include, but is not limited to. So, it doesn't… I mean, it's fine to take it out, I suppose, but it doesn't necessarily mean that other instances may not be included. It was meant to give direction to the department to… for their awareness campaign. Does that… does that answer your question?"

"Well, yes. And, Representative Stoneback, I know you've worked hard on this, and I'm carrying the water for anyone. You have talked to me about this Bill a number of times. I told you I would look at it. I've read it."

"Right."

"And this was a… this was a Section and a sentence that I… really caused me to pause because 'anyone who is at risk of injuring themselves or others' is extremely broad. That is extremely broad, and that's why I'm asking you if you'd be willing to strike that Section and put a period after 'mental health crisis', I would vote for your Bill."

"So, this is… this is not actually… this is actually for the awareness program. So… and I think that one thing that we all agree on here is that we want to make people aware and help one another. So, if somebody is having suicidal thoughts, that we want to get them the help they need. And so, the awareness program should be broad, in my opinion, because you don't want to limit it too much because that will indicate to the general public that they… that this tool is not appropriate for them. Obviously, in the Bill itself, if someone were to apply for a petition, they have a very high 10200033.docx 38  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 standard of due process. They have a burden of proof. And they can be accused and prosecuted for perjury if they bring a clause… a false claim. So, there… the due process and the restrictions are very… it's a high standard. I think that if we let one… let everyone in the general public know this is a tool that perhaps you can use to help prevent a tragedy from someone you love, from someone that you care about, that you're familiar with, they're going through a nasty divorce, a mental health crisis, whatever they're going through. And there are vastly different situations. Everything from a mass shooting or a hate crime to a domestic violence situation. And I hope that answers your question. I am absolutely happy to consider the change and look at… look at how… getting you comfortable with the language of this Bill, and I wish we would have this conversation earlier. Again, but I'm happy to continue that conversation with you."

"All right. One last question. Who would determine the risk of injuring themselves or others? Who would determine that?"

"So, that would all go through a judge, and that's in the existing Firearms Restraining Order law. So, this Bill is not an original extreme risk protection order law. Illinois already has that law in place. This Bill only strengthens it in certain concrete areas and then creates the commission and awareness and education program. The judge really would have either, you know… the evidence is brought in front of them. The petitioner has the burden of proof. And they have to provide clear and convincing evidence, rather than a preponderance of the evidence. So, for a traditional order of 10200033.docx 39  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021 protection, through which firearms also may be removed, if needed, the burden of proof, the standard of proof is a preponderance of the evidence, which is a lower standard. So, this is actually a higher standard, not a lower standard."

"Okay. Thank you very much."

"Absolutely."

"Seeing no other Members seeking recognition at this time, Representative Stoneback to close."

"I just want to, again, reiterate that this is a Bill that will strengthen an already existing law in Illinois that was originally crafted to help prevent gun tragedies. And I want to thank everyone here who worked on that previous law and brought it into reality. And I do think that it's important for all of us, as Legislators, here, to think about how we can actually help our constituents in our districts and… who are gun owners and who are not gun owners, families and children, and prevent the next mass shooting, tragic gun suicide from happening and from all of those terrible, traumatic ripple effects that every single fatal shooting brings with it. So, thank you all. And I urge an 'aye' vote."

"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 1092 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, take the record. On this question, there are 69 voting in 'favor', 43 voting 'against', and 0 voting 'present'. This Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Manley is recognized." 10200033.docx 40  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. A point of personal privilege, please."

"Please state your point."

"I want to copy what Leader Hernandez said last week about Brandon Von Liski. He's our Page. Hopefully soon we'll see him back on the floor. I know he's listening right now. Brandon is going to be part of a radiothon. He is affiliated with SPARC here in Springfield. And he's going to participate and do an interview at 7:10 tomorrow morning, 7:10 a.m. The radiothon goes from 6 to 9, but he will be featured at 7:10, and he's going to be talking about what SPARC does and their post-pandemic summer plans. Next year, I am planning to do a tour of SPARC and would like to invite all of you to tour their facility. What they do is amazing. Brandon's on the floor with his job coach, Nancy, and he does a fantastic job for us. He want… he calls me in my office to remind me to tell you that please, please consider a generous donation. Without donations, they can't do what they do. And he wanted me to give you the phone number. So, write this down or I'll text all of you later. 217-835-7647. 217-835-7647. Please be generous. Brandon does a great job and SPARC does wonderful things for those it serves. In the meantime, if you see Brandon, wish him well in advance of his radio interview and tell him you'll be listening. Thank you, everybody."

"Thank you, Leader. Representative Robinson is recognized. For what reason do you rise?"

"Personal point of privilege."

"Please state your point, Sir." 10200033.docx 41  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 33rd Legislative Day 5/12/2021

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like if this Body could wish my very, very dear friend, Chairman Kam Buckner, a happy 25th birthday."

"Happy birthday, Chairman Buckner. Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions."

"Leader Harris moves for the adoption of Agreed Resolutions. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Agreed Resolutions are adopted. And now, allowing perfunctory time for the Clerk, Leader Harris moves that the House to stand adjourned until Thursday, May 13, at the hour of noon. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the House stands adjourned."