"The House will come to order. Members, please be in your chairs. We shall be led in prayer today by Lee Crawford, the Pastor of Cathedral of Praise Christian Center in Springfield, Illinois. 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. Reverend… Pastor Crawford."
"Let us pray. Most gracious and sovereign God, great creator of us all, for it is from you, oh God, that all of our help come. And it is from you, oh God, that all of our blessings flow. We ask that you would look up on this august Assembly that you have gathered here today. May your blessings be upon the Speaker of this illustrious House, its esteemed Leaders, its honored Members, all of its staff. May you blessing be upon all of their families. Bless them today, oh God, to be as one, to be kind, to be gracious. Bless them today, oh God, to be loving, to be patient, to be forgiving, not holding any grudges or any animosities toward one another. I pray today, oh God, that you would order their ways, their thoughts, and their steps according to your ways and according to your thoughts. May you grant them gentle, loving, sensitive hearts, that they may serve you and serve your people with passion and with great purpose. I pray that you would bless them all to have minds to acknowledge and to seek diligently after you, that they may trust you. Bless them, oh God, today with the power of your might. Assist them today, oh God, with the guidance of your wise counsel. May all of their endeavors today, God, be pleasing in your sight, that they may find themselves doing that which is the good and doing that which 10200085.docx 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 is the most precious and perfect will of God. This we all kindly pray and ask, Amen."
"We shall be led in the Pledge of Allegiance today by Representative Swanson."
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
"Roll Call for Attendance. Leader Greenwood is recognized to report any excused absences on the Democratic side of the aisle. Leader Greenwood."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let the record reflect that Representative Lilly, Representative Barbara Hernandez, Representative Kelly Burke are all excused today."
"Leader Welter is recognized to report any excused absences on the Republican side of the aisle."
"Mr. Speaker, let the record reflect that Representative Morrison is excused for the day."
"Have all recorded themselves who wish? Have all recorded themselves who wish? Have all recorded themselves who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. There being 108 Members answering the roll call, a quorum is present. Committee Reports."
Clerk Bolin: "Committee Reports. Representative Harris, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action taken on March 15, 2022: approved for consideration, referred to Second Reading is House Bill 70, House Bill 989, House Bill 1170, House Bill 1542, House Bill 10200085.docx 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 1567, and House Bill 3919; recommends be adopted, referred to the Order of Resolutions is House Resolution 296." Speaker Hoffman: "Leader Greenwood for an announcement. Leader Greenwood for an announcement."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Democrats will request a caucus meeting immediately in Room 114."
"Leader Welter."
"Mr. Speaker, the House Republicans request an immediate caucus in Room 118."
"Members, the Republicans have asked for a caucus in Room 118, the Democrats in Room 114. Shall stand at ease to the call of the Chair. The House will come to order. Motions to allow remote voting, Leader Andrade."
"Speaker, I move that… Speaker, I move that Representatives Kelly Cassidy, Leader Lisa Hernandez, David Friess, Charlie Meier be allowed to participate and cast their vote remotely."
"Representative Andrade has made a Motion that Representative Kelly Cassidy, Lisa Hernandez, David Friess, and Representative Charlie Meier be allowed to participate and cast their vote remotely. This is a roll call vote. All in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all opposed '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 this Motion, there are 78 voting 'yes', 21 voting 'no', 6 voting 'present'. And they're allowed to vote remotely. Mr. Clerk."
"Is Representative Cassidy present?"
"Cassidy is here." 10200085.docx 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Cassidy is present. Is Representative David Friess present?"
"Friess is present."
"Representative Friess is present. Is Representative Elizabeth Hernandez present?" Hernandez, L.: "Representative Hernandez is here."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Hernandez is present. Is Representative Meier present?"
"The Clerk is in receipt of a Motion in Writing to waive the posting requirements for a Bill. Leader Andrade on the Motion."
"Speaker, I move that the posting requirements be waived so that Senate Bill 2803 may be heard in Executive Committee this afternoon."
"Leader Andrade has moved to waive the posting requirements. All those in favor signify by saying 'yes'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the posting requirements are waived. Mr. Clerk."
"Is Representative Meier present?"
"Yes."
"Representative Meier is present."
"Moving to page 4 of the Calendar. On the Order of Resolutions appears House Joint Resolution 51, Representative Caulkins."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Resolution will allow us to name a portion of Route 51 in Decatur in front of the Decatur Police Department. This is in honor of Officer Oberheim who was murdered on duty in Urbana. He was from… he's from Decatur, was formally employed by the Decatur Police 10200085.docx 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 Department before he transferred. This is a way for us to remember him and honor him and his family. And I would ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition… this requires a roll call vote. Representative Caulkins moves that House Joint Resolution 51 be adopted. All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; all opposed vote 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Cassidy votes 'yes'."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Friess."
"Yes."
"Representative Friess votes 'yes'. Representative Hernandez." Hernandez, L.: "Hernandez votes 'yes'."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'."
"On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And this Motion passes. And the Resolution is adopted. On page 4 of the Calendar appears House Joint Resolution 55, Representative Buckner. Out of the record. On page 4 of the Calendar appears House Joint Resolution 65, Representative Caulkins. Representative Caulkins."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is another initiative for State Trooper Hanneken, who resided in my district in Mt. 10200085.docx 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 Zion, passed away in the line of duty. We are asking to name a part of the highway in his memory so that we honor his life, his service, and respect for his family. And I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"This requires a roll call vote. Representative Caulkins moves for the adoption of House Joint Resolution 65. All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; all opposed 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Cassidy is 'yes'."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Friess."
"Yes."
"Representative Friess votes 'yes'. Representative Hernandez." Hernandez, L.: "Hernandez votes 'yes'."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'."
"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 112 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And this Resolution, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared adopted. Moving to page 5 of the Calendar, appears House Resolution 467, Leader Evans. Leader Evans."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and the great Members of the Assembly. This Resolution is very, very simple. We're talking 10200085.docx 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 about clean energy. We're talking about different ways to utilize energy, but what about the waste? I think waste is important. And I think moving forward, in this Assembly and in government in generally, we need to talk about waste. Go to your park districts, go to your state facilities and look at the pipes there, look at the energy that's being waste. Why is it so hot in these buildings? Where is the temperature control? Where… what are we doing to prevent the waste with regards to energy usage? Let's smartly use our energy, not just in the state, but throughout… I know I'm going to be going around my community looking at the old facilities, pushing for improvements in those facilities, and fighting against the waste of energy usage. We need to properly insulate our equipment in all our facilities, and we need to do it right away so we can utilize energy in the most efficient ways. So, would request your support."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition, Representative Evans moves for the adoption of House Bill… House Resolution 467. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. On page 5 of the Calendar appears House Resolution 504, Leader Demmer. Out of the record. On page 6 of the Calendar appears House Joint Resolution (sic-House Resolution) 582, Representative West. Representative West."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 582… please forgive me as I get my stuff together. Mr. Speaker, if you don't mind, can you come back to me?" 10200085.docx 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022
"Out of the record. Order of Resolutions, page 6 of the Calendar, House Resolution 611, Representative Ammons. Representative Ammons."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 611 asks the Governor to sign and submit a letter to send to the National Archives to remove all of the illegally obtained tapes of Dr. King during the civil rights movement. This Resolution speaks to the issue of a long history of surveillance of African American leadership. And I ask for an 'aye' vote for the Resolution."
"Representative Ammons moves for the adoption of House Resolution 611. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Amendment… and the Resolution is adopted. House Resolution 614, Representative Conroy. Representative Conroy."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 614 declares January 26, 2022 as 'Kawasaki Disease Awareness Day' and encourages new research into the disease. This condition is… mostly affects infants and young children and causes inflammation in the walls of some of the blood vessels. I ask for support."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition, Representative Conroy moves for the adoption of House Resolution 614. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. On page 6 of the Calendar appears House Resolution 616, Representative 10200085.docx 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 Guzzardi. Out of the record. Return… return to House Resolution 582, Representative West."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 582 urges the P- 20 Council to convene a geographically representative College and Career Readiness Funding and Governance Task Force to address local and national best practices pertaining to regional college and career readiness systems. It also… essentially, makes it more… makes our college and career readiness throughout the state even more effective for the State of Illinois. I appreciate an 'aye' vote."
"Representative West moves for the adoption of House Resolution 582. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Moving to page 7 of the Calendar, appears House Resolution 634, Representative Evans. Leader Evans."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and the great Members of this Assembly. House Resolution 634 declare March of 2022 Kidney Awareness Month and March 10 of 2022 as Kidney Day in Illinois. As you all know, health is what's needed and we have to prioritize health. And kidney disease is the progressive, gradual loss of kidney function. And the kidneys are very, very important with regards to removing waste from your body, so we need to have our kidneys and we need to fight that people can survive and keep their kidneys. It's estimated that 37 million adults in the United States have CKD, which is chronic kidney disease. And of those, probably 90 percent remain undiagnosed, unfortunately. So, this day just brings awareness with the thanks of our corporate sponsors, 10200085.docx 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 individuals like Bayer and different companies and our health institutions that are fighting against CKD, chronic kidney disease, and wish that they continue endurance as we fight against kidney disease. It's a very, very urgent health concern in the United States. I thank you for your attention."
"Representative… or Leader Evans moves for the adoption of House Resolution 634. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Representative Ortiz on House Joint Resolution… on House Resolution 636. Out of the record. Representative Hurley on House Resolution 643. Representative Hurley."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 643 just declares February 18, my daughter's birthday, as Illinois Caregiver Day to express gratitude to caregivers for their commitment to their clients and family, especially during COVID-19 pandemic."
"Representative Hurley moves for the adoption of House Resolution 643. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Representative Harper on House Resolution 651. Representative Harper."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Pleased to present House Bill 6… House Resolution 651, which simply declares February 28 as Rare Disease Day in the State of Illinois. I encourage an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Harper moves for the adoption of House Resolution 651. All those indicate… all those in favor indicate by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion 10200085.docx 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Representative… Leader Greenwood on House Resolution 661. Out of the record. On page 6 of the Calendar appears House Resolution 616, Representative Guzzardi. Representative Guzzardi."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Members. House Resolution 616 urges the Illinois Supreme Court to return to in-person hearings for juveniles. We know that the COVID-19 pandemic required a lot of hearings to be moved to virtual in order for… to recognize folks' right to a speedy trial. However, as we move to a different phase of the pandemic, we want to make sure that children in particular are not kept in remote court hearings simply for the sake of expediency or costs savings. We know that in-person court hearings provide them greater access to counsel and a better and more well-rounded judicial outcome. So, we encourage the passage of this Resolution simply to say, as safety permits, we hope that these hearing return to in-person. Thank you."
"Is there anyone seeking recognition? Seeing none, Representative Guzzardi moves for the adoption of House Resolution 616. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Moving to page 8 of the Calendar, appears House Resolution 665, Representative Davis."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, Members of the House. I move to adopt House Resolution 665, which reaffirms the State of Illinois' commitment to the strengthening and deepening of the sister ties between the State of Illinois 10200085.docx 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 and Taiwan, Republic of China, reaffirms our support for the Taiwan Relations Act, and supports Illinois businesses to refer to Taiwan, Republic of China simply as Taiwan. It indorses Taiwan's efforts to secure the signing of a bilateral trade agreement with the United States and reiterates support for closer economic and trade partnership between the State of Illinois and Taiwan. It expresses continued support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations that impact the health, safety, and well-being of the people of Taiwan and supports Taiwan's aspiration to make more contributions in international societies. And let me also remind Members that last year, May 19 of 2021, we established a first-ever Illinois Statehouse Taiwan Friendship Caucus, which is the first of its kind in the nation and it was a bipartisan effort. And I'm proud to say that my cochair in that effort was Representative Tim Butler. And we commemorated the establishment of that caucus with the House Resolution #3, dated June 1 of 2021. I ask for its adoption. Thank you."
Speaker Hoffman: "Seeing no one seeking recognition, Representative Davis moves for the adoption of House Resolution 665. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Amendment (sic-Resolution) is adopted. Moving back to page 4 of the Calendar, appears House Joint Resolution 55, Representative Buckner. Please proceed."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Joint Resolution 55 urges the Illinois Attorney General to create a conviction integrity unit. The background behind this is that we know 10200085.docx 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 many state's attorneys around the state have decided to stand up their own conviction integrity units to look at instances of convictions that were wrongfully… wrongfully occurred. And so, this just creates the situation… this just asks for a situation where the Attorney General can streamline these units so that the entire state can be under one process. I urge an 'aye' vote."
Speaker Hoffman: "Seeing no one seeking recognition, Representative Buckner moves for the House… the adoption of House Joint Resolution 55. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Amendment (sic-Resolution) is adopted. Moving to page 5 of the Calendar, appears House Resolution 504, Leader Demmer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 504 is… simply urges the United States Congress, specifically the U.S. Senate, to resolve a situation that has its origins back in the 1800s, back to 1849 when land that was held by the Potawatomi… the Prairie Band of the Potawatomi Nation was improperly sold. The U.S. Department of Interior did a study on this and confirmed that was the case. And the only way to resolve this issue is for Congress to take action. We can't do anything about it here other than express our support for Congress resolving the situation. I ask for your support."
"Leader Demmer moves for the adoption of House Resolution 504. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Amendment (sic-Resolution) is adopted. 10200085.docx 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 Moving to page 9 of the Calendar, appears House Resolution 672, Representative Harper. Please proceed."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to present House Resolution 672, which commits the General Assembly to combatting gentrification and displacement in the State of Illinois. I encourage an 'aye' vote."
"Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We request a roll call vote on this."
"A roll call vote has been requested. Seeing no one seeking further recognition, Representative Harper moves for the adoption of House Resolution 672. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Cassidy votes 'aye'."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Friess."
"No."
"Representative Friess votes 'no'. Representative Hernandez." Hernandez, L.: "Hernandez votes 'yes'."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Meier."
"No."
"Representative Meier votes 'no'."
"Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this Motion, there are 61 voting 'yes', 44 voting 10200085.docx 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And this Resolution, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared adopted. Leader Evans on House Resolution 675."
"Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and the great Members of this Assembly. House Resolution 67 (sic-675) calls upon House Members to support the Illinois Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan, updated for 2022-2027, a Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan and partnership with the Executive Committee and working with the organizations like the American Cancer Society, Anderson Hospital, Cook County Health, University of Illinois, Lurie's, and other great, great cancer care providers. Want to seek out a plan to ensure that we're doing the best with the resources and tools we have to increase awareness and access to cancer education, screening, treatment, long-term survivorship, decreased death, and elimination of disparities in cancer outcomes are great. The Department of Public Health will be working with the Illinois Cancer Partnership and outlining of various recommendations. Again, fighting the good fight. We know that cancer is tough. Cancer is still around, but we know that we will continue to fight cancer and we will win the battle. I, myself, am a cancer survivor. We have other cancer survivors, like Representative Ford and others, our family members have battled, some have lost. But the fight continues, we will beat cancer. And this is the part of the tool in which we're using governmentally to ensure that we win, not fight, but win, the battle against cancer and make Illinois a healthy place in this country and this world, quite frankly. So, I thank God that our great partners, Lurie's, the University of 10200085.docx 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 Illinois, great educational institution, University of Chicago, throughout the State of Illinois are leading the battle in the fight against cancer. We're going to not only say Illinois residents, but the great medical institutions of Illinois are going to save residents across this country. We are a leader. This is a great opportunity. So, I request your support. And again, let the fight continue. We will beat cancer. Again, thank you all."
"Leader Evans moves for the adoption of House Resolution 675. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Representative Scherer on House Resolution 677. Please proceed. Out of the record. Representative Harper on House Resolution 684. Representative Harper."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 684 declares the month of June as Caribbean-American Heritage Month in the State of Illinois. I encourage an 'aye' vote."
Speaker Hoffman: "Seeing no one seeking recognition, Representative Harper moves for the adoption of House Resolution 684. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'no'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The Amendment (sic-Resolution) is adopted. Leader Batinick, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"Please state your point."
"You know, there's an opportunity for us to come together as a Body, and it's pretty rare we're able to unite fully against a common cause. Anybody who drove down here in 10200085.docx 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 their car realizes that gas prices are hurting everybody. It's disproportionally hurting middle-income and lower-income people. Last time I checked, lower-income people aren't the ones with Teslas. I introduced a Bill, I know there's a similar one introduced in the Senate, House Bill 5723. What it would do is, we charge a sales tax percentage on gasoline, and as the price goes up on gas, the state actually is incurring a windfall that is unexpected. This simply caps the sales tax we get on gas at the level that it was January 1. And this could mean 10 to 20 cents a gallon for consumers. Like I said, this is disproportionately hurting the poor. And I would urge anybody to jump on as a cosponsor to House Bill 5723. We have to do something. We have to do something now. People back home are hurting. Thank you."
"Representative Ugaste, for what reason do you rise?"
"Point of personal privilege."
"Please state your point."
"Thank you. Hope everyone had a good weekend. It was St. Patrick's Day. We were all able to get out, go to parades and parties. There's a few items though that I want to call to the chamber's attention. And it came to my mind today because of a nursing home Bill that one of my colleagues is sponsoring in the House here, Senate Bill 1405. It's a great nursing home Bill. And I was wondering why we really needed this Bill because I was told the department had put rules into place that would make certain what happened at the beginning of COVID, which was two years ago, never happened again. And that is families wouldn't be kept apart from their loved ones 10200085.docx 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 in nursing homes. And then I thought for a moment, well, wait. Even if we have rules or even if we have a statute in place, we have yet another problem still. And that problem is the continuing emergency declaration of our Governor in which he can invalidate statutes, look over rules, and impose his will upon the people of the State of Illinois. March 13, 2020, which was just two days ago in two years, was the start of this pandemic. Schools were closed. And the order at the time was schools would be closed through March 30. On March 15, all bars and restaurants were closed through March 30. It's now 2 full years later, 27 emergency declarations. Where's the emergency, folks? Where is the emergency? We are going about our lives. We are going about our businesses again, as we should. The actual emergency that one person needed to control, where the Legislature didn't meet to do their work, ended a long time ago. Normally, 'cause I've spoken about this before, I would sit back and say we should be ashamed of ourselves. But I'm not going to this time because I have stepped up to try and change this, my caucus, the people on my side of the aisle have. There's only one group refusing to change the current situation, which somehow allows an emergency to go on for two years. And that's the Supermajority, the Democrats, the party in power. You're dictating it. I've had a rule, it's been hung up… a Bill. It's been hung up in Rules and then Executive Committee for a couple years now. The Governor should be ashamed of himself for continuing to make emergency declarations. I hate to say it, but all of those who haven't joined on this Bill should be ashamed of yourself. We took an oath of office, folks. You 10200085.docx 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 all know it. We took an oath to support the U.S. and the Illinois Constitution. The U.S. Constitution has a guarantee clause, says the United States should guarantee a republican form of government. That means one in which people govern through elections. One person's been governing on this very issue for the past two years. Better yet, Article II, Section 1 of the Illinois Constitution, our own Constitution, says, 'The legislative, executive, and judicial branches are separate. No branch shall exercise the powers belonging to the other.' What are we doing? Why are we letting this go on? Why won't you join me? What is it going to take? Shouldn't we be concerned about protecting our form of… our system of government as we go into an election? Shouldn't we be concerned that we have a Legislature that should be able to speak on all issues? There's time to change this. I know there's time. Although committees have had their deadlines and Third Readings had their deadlines, I know how things work. I've watched it far too long. This can get out and get done if you want. I'm asking you to join us. I'm asking you to put an end to this. No one person should be able to declare an emergency for two years."
"Representative Moeller."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"Please state your point."
"I have the honor of presenting today's women's history moment for the House chamber. In honor of today's history moment, I want to recognize that today, March 15, is Equal Pay Day. A day that symbolizes how far into the year a woman must work on average to earn as much as a man earned the 10200085.docx 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 previous year. Today is an important… it's important to reflect on how far we've come in lessening the pay gap but also to talk about how much more work we still need to do. Back in 2019, with a Bill that I sponsored here in the House and that Governor Pritzker signed, our state took a great step forward for equal pay, making it illegal for an employer to require an applicant's pay history as part of the hiring process or in determining a wage offer. And just today, President Biden's administration announced a similar measure that would prevent federal agencies from using prior wage information in the hiring process. Here in Illinois, we are ahead of the curve, setting the standard for other states and the Federal Government, but more needs to be done. Women have been fighting an uphill battle for equality in the workplace since our nation's inception. And this has been an even greater struggle for black, Latina, indigenous, and trans women, with the pay disparities even greater and opportunities even fewer. And this pay gap persists across industries and occupations, even in occupations where women make up the majority of the workforce. As we look to the future, let us consider how we will once and for all achieve full equality. The pandemic has laid bare the inequities on our system, with women suffering 60 percent of pandemic- related job losses due to disproportionate representation and hard-hit industries and the loss of child care and the need to leave the workforce to stay home and take care of their families. As we repair our economy, let's strengthen our resolve in removing the systemic causes of pay inequity. Let's ensure that our daughters and granddaughters won't experience 10200085.docx 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 the same obstacles and barriers that we and prior generations have endured. To do this, we must enact policies and show greater support for affordable child care for all, universal preschool, and paid family leave. Support's provided in most industrialized countries today. These policies help working families stay in the workforce and raise a family. And let's go further in providing pay transparency that gives workers greater ability to negotiate for themselves and identify unfair or illegal pay practices. On this Equal Pay Day, let's commit to ending the need for an Equal Pay Day observance because we will have finally achieved pay equity for all. Thank you."
"Leader Andrade in the Chair."
"Leader Bourne, what do you wish to be recognized for?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A point of personal privilege, please."
"Please proceed."
"Thank you. I also rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Three years ago, I rose on this floor to talk about Women's History Month, and I highlighted the first spacewalk that was all women. And today I rise to recognize another leader in space, a woman from Illinois, Janice Voss. She attended elementary school in Rockford and in 1975 got her engineering degree from Purdue. Voss earned her doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1987. Voss then became an astronaut in 1991 and flew her first mission in 1993. But her ties to NASA went back much earlier to the 70s where she worked on computer 10200085.docx 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 simulations in NASA's Engineering and Development Directorate. She was a crew trainer in the late 70s and helped develop the Mars Observer in the early 90s. She was assigned as a mission specialist and she orbited the earth 779 times between 1993 and 2000. This makes her the leading woman to have five flights into space. She retired from space flight and remained active with NASA, serving as the Science Director for the Kepler Space Observatory which… while searching for other solar systems for planets similar to earth. Her work with Kepler was especially noteworthy as it coincided with a period of time at NASA where space flights were grounded after the crash of the Shuttle Columbia in 2003. She kept the process of exploration and discovery going during a time of terrible tragedy at NASA. This is a quote about her. 'Her boundless enthusiasm for getting as much research done was contagious and especially welcome in the challenging time after Columbia. Her experiences from flying science missions as an astronaut were invaluable and optimizing our on-board research.' Janice passed in 2012, and in all she flew five shuttle missions, making her the record holder for an American woman in space. NASA has calculated that she flew 18.8 million miles in space, which is more than half the distance from here to Mars at Mars' closest point. It's a long way from her starting point in here in Illinois and what a great, great example for all of the young women looking to go into science careers today."
"Representative Costa Howard, for what reason do you rise?"
"Point of personal privilege." 10200085.docx 22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022
"Please proceed."
"Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the Glenbard West boys basketball team. This remarkable group of young men won state over the weekend, the first ever in our school's history. They went 37-1 and that 1 was a buzzer beater to a school out in California. These young men have exemplified what team work really looks like. While there are many superstars on that team who are going off to play college, they played together like a team. And in honor of those young men, I'd like to… that are Caden Pierce, Kent Buchholz, Logan Brown, Andrew Dauksas, Luuk Dusek, Michael Glover, Declan Scheck, Louie Amabile, Paxton Warden, Jack Cardwell, Benji Zander, Geo Esmalla, Bobby Durkin, Braden Huff, Jack Oberhofer, Luke Gadomski, Graham Pierce, Ryan Renfro, Joe Enright, and Owen Reifel. And they're coached by Rod Molek, Jason Opoka, and Coach P. Again, this group of young men had a remarkable season. They are being touted as the best team of all time here in the State of Illinois. But to the people of the 48th District, we're just proud to have a state championship from Glenbard West. Thank you."
"Representative Hamilton, for what reason do you wish to rise?"
"I, too, would… thank you, Leader… or Speaker. I, too, would like to… personal privilege."
"Please proceed."
"Congratulations to Glenbard West. I know a few of those players, so it's good to see them in Champaign and… played against one of the parent's moms in volleyball. She played at Northwestern and I played at U of I, so it's great to see 10200085.docx 23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 them. But I, too, would like to congratulate Sacred Heart- Griffin boys basketball team for bringing home the Class 3A State Championship trophy. First time ever in school history to, one, for the boys' basketball team to make it to the state final, but also to win the state championship trophy. They… we will be bringing the team here to the House. And we will present the award to them individually, to each athlete and their coaches. Such an honor and an honor to be here to present it."
"Mr. Clerk, committee announcements."
Clerk Hollman: "The following committees will be meeting immediately. Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education is meeting Virtual Room 1. Adoption & Child Welfare is meeting in Virtual Room 2. Agriculture & Conservation is meeting in Virtual Room 3. Ethics & Elections meeting in Virtual Room 4. Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges will be in Virtual Room 5. Meeting in one hour at 4:00 is Insurance in Virtual Room 4, Cities & Villages in Virtual Room 2, Consumer Protection in Virtual Room 3, Energy & Environment in Virtual Room 5. Meeting at 4:30 is Executive Committee in Virtual Room 4. Meeting at 5:00 is Financial Institutions in Virtual Room 2 and Veterans' Affairs in Virtual Room 3."
"Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions."
"Agreed Resolutions. House Resolution 723, offered by Representative Andrade. House Resolution 726, offered by Leader Durkin. House Resolution 727, offered by Representative Hamilton. House Resolution 728, offered by Representative Gordon-Booth. House Resolution 729, offered by 10200085.docx 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 85th Legislative Day 3/15/2022 Representative Lilly. And House Resolution 731, offered by Representative Butler."
"Leader Greenwood moves for the adoption of the 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 for perfunctory time for the Clerk, Leader Greenwood moves that House stand adjourned until Wednesday, March 16, 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."
"House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Introduction and First Reading of House Bills. House Bill 5723, offered by Representative Batinick, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. House Bill 5724, offered by Representative Nichols, a Bill for an Act concerning appropriations. First Reading of these House Bills. Introduction of Resolutions. House Resolution 722, offered by Representative Ammons; House Resolution 724, offered by Representative Halbrook; House Resolution 725, offered by Representative Gabel; and House Resolution 730, offered by Representative Costa Howard, are referred to the Rules Committee. There being no further business, the House Perfunctory Session will stand adjourned." 10200085.docx 25