"House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Committee Reports. Representative Harris, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: recommends be adopted, referred to the floor is Floor Amendment(s) 1 to House Resolution 763; recommends be adopted is the Motions to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 601, Senate Amendment(s) 1 and 4 to House Bill 3699, Senate Amendment(s) 2 to House Bill 3772, Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 3893, Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 4556, Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 4667, and Senate Amendment(s) 1, 3, and 4 to House Bill 4736."
"The House will be in order. Members, please be in your chairs. We shall be led in prayer today by Pastor Kyle Blackerby, the Pastor of Catch the Fire Church in Cowden, Illinois. Pastor Blackerby is the guest of Representative Halbrook. Members and guests are asked to refrain from starting their laptops, turn off their phones, and rise for the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Pastor."
"Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you today with humble hearts and we just give honor to you, we give praise to you. Your word says that everything that has breath, praise the Lord. So, I praise you today, God. And it's such an honor to be here to lead prayer in the Illinois House of Representatives. And, Father, I thank you for this State of Illinois, the state that I was born and raised in, the state that I have chosen to raise my own family. So, Lord, I pray for this state. I pray for all 102 counties, that they would flourish and they would grow and they would thrive. I 10200102.docx 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 pray for these counties from Rockford to Paducah, from East St. Louis to the Indiana state line that your name would be lifted high and magnified and glorified. And, Father, I thank you for the Members of the Illinois House of Representatives, all 118 Members. Lord, I pray a special blessing on each and every one of them. They're created in your image. They're unique. They are designed by you. They all have their own personalities, their own characteristics, their own traits. But I pray, God, right now, blessings upon them. They are diverse, just like America, just like this State of Illinois. Some are Democrat. Some are Republican. Some are independents. Some are white. Some are black. Some are brown. But at the end of the day, Father, we're all your children created in your image and we will stand before you at some point in time. So, I pray, God, that everything that takes place here, today or in the future, I pray, God, that we would seek your guidance, we would seek your wisdom. I pray, God, that any Bill that would ever be constructed or passed or any committee meeting that would ever construct any type of House Bill, I pray that they would seek your guidance. And, Lord, I pray for these Members, Lord. I know I've seen the sacrifices that many of them have made. I know the long hours. I know the long nights. I know the… the nights away from home, away from family. And, Lord, I pray a blessing upon them now. And I pray, God, that you would just restore family relationships. And I pray, God, that you would prosper each Member in a way that you… only you can do. So, I pray spiritual blessings, emotionally bless them. Physically give them strength, Lord, to lead this state because many of them are 10200102.docx 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 construction workers, own companies, come out of corporate businesses, farmers, but they have set that aside to serve this state. So, I pray right now your blessing, your favor. And we speak life over this state. We speak life from Rockford to Paducah. We speak life over this entire state. And, Lord, I just pray right now your blessing, and we honor you and we love you. And I ask all this in that most holy name of Jesus, Amen."
"Thank you, Pastor. We'll be led in Pledge of Allegiance today by Leader Harris."
"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."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let the record reflect that Representative Barbara Hernandez and Leader Marcus Evans are excused today."
"The record shall reflect. Leader Welter is recognized for any excused absences on the Republican side of the aisle."
"Mr. Speaker, let the record reflect that Representative Sosnowski is excused for the day."
"Have all voted who wish? Have all recorded themselves who wish? Have all recorded themselves who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. There being 109 individuals answering the roll call, we have a quorum. Mr. Clerk." 10200102.docx 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Introduction of Resolutions. House Resolution 833, offered by Representative Miller; and House Resolution 835, offered by Representative Walsh, are referred to the Rules Committee."
"Leader Greenwood. Motion to allow individuals to remotely vote."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would move that Representatives Conroy, Costa Howard, Cassidy, Tarver, Jones, Meier be allowed to participate and cast their vote remotely."
"Leader Greenwood has made the Motion that Representatives Conroy, Costa Howard, Cassidy, Tarver, Jones, and Representative Meier be allowed to participate and cast their vote remotely. This is a roll call vote. All those in favor vote '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 76 voting 'yes', 23 voting 'no', 6 voting 'present'. And those Members shall be allowed to vote remotely. The Motion is adopted. Mr. Clerk."
"Is Representative Cassidy present?"
"Cassidy is present."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy is present. Is Representative Conroy present?"
"Conroy is present."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Conroy is present. Is Representative Costa Howard present? Is Representative Jones present? Is Representative Meier present?"
"Present." 10200102.docx 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Meier is present. Is Representative Tarver present? Is Representative Tarver present?"
"Representative Nichols, for what reason do you rise?"
"Point of personal privilege, please."
"Please state your point."
"Seeing that the… before it gets real interesting in here today, since the NCAA tournament is over, I wanted to offer this Resolution that I've been wanting to read for a while for Robert Terrell 'Terry' Cummings. He's a former basketball player at DePaul University. I'm not an alumni of DePaul, but I'm an alumni of Chicago basketball. So, I wanted to read this Resolution for… for Terry Cummings because he's one of probably the best basketball players that the City of Chicago has ever seen or produced. So, State of Illinois, House of Representatives, 102nd General Assembly. WHEREAS, The Members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to recognize the contributions of Robert Terrell 'Terry' Cummings has made to Illinois basketball; and WHEREAS, Terry Cummings was born in Chicago on March 15, 1961; and WHEREAS, Terry Cummings attended Carver High School in Chicago; and WHEREAS, Terry Cummings attended DePaul University in Chicago, playing 85 games for the Blue Demons and earning the honor of being a consensus first-team All-American in 1982; and WHEREAS, Terry Cummings was drafted second overall in the NBA… 1982 NBA draft by the San Diego Clippers; and 10200102.docx 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 WHEREAS, Terry Cummings played in the NBA for 18 seasons; during his first season, he was named the 1983 NBA Rookie of the Year and earned NBA All-Rookie First Team Honors; over the course of his career, he was named an NBA All-Star twice, to the All-NBA Second Team in 1985, and to the All-NBA Third Team in 1989, therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize Robert Terrell 'Terry' Cummings for his achievements and for the contributions he has made to basketball in Illinois; and be it further RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Terry Cummings as an expression of our esteem and respect. I think… you know, in DePaul basketball… and I actually spoke to the school. George Mikan and Mark Aguirre are the only two, I think, jerseys that's retired. And I'm hoping that, you know, they recognize the contributions that Terry Cummings made. He's a minister. He does great work even today. He even meets with kids all over this country. So, thank the Assembly for tolerating this Resolution, and I hope this day is as eventful as Terry Cummings' career."
"Representative Swanson."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"Please state your point."
"Thank you, Sir. With me today, I have two Honorary Pages. And the first Page I'm going to introduce is Mollie Bennett. Mollie Bennett is a Senior at Cambridge High School. She enjoys many sports to include volleyball, basketball, track, cross country, marching band, and many other student 10200102.docx 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 activities within school. She is a member of the National Honor Society and a teacher aide. Community activities include, she's an intern for the Village of Cambridge and she's also a volunteer with several other groups within the Cambridge community. She… her special recognitions include, she's a DAR student, which is a Daughter of American Revolution, Bradley Honor Band, High Honor Roll, and a great achiever within the school district itself, achieving many high accolades. Her goal includes… or after high school, she intends on visiting… or attending University of Wisconsin- Whitewater where she will major in business and participate on the cross country and track team. Welcome, Mollie. Also, we have Lucas Kessinger, who is a Senior also at Cambridge Junior… or Senior High School. He participates in many sports, football, basketball, track. Also, a member of the Spanish Club, band and marching band, a member of the Fellowship Christian Athletes. And the best thing, like I did in school, as all good juniors and seniors do in high school is you work in the kitchen and help cook the meals, then you get a little extra food that way too. But anyways, he's an All-Conference football, basketball player for three years, Son of American Revolution, sports captain, and his goal or intent is to go to Monmouth College for business and also play football at Monmouth college. So, and they are… they were brought here by Steve Brown, who is the Cambridge village administrator. So, thank you. Thank you for being here, Lucas. And, Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not recognize my mom and dad today. They are celebrating their 66th wedding anniversary. Ron and Shirley Swanson. They had four children. They have nine 10200102.docx 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one on the way. Great-grandchild, not grandkid, but great-grandchild on the way. And here's proof that you can stay together for 66 years. My mom is a Cub fan, my dad's a Cardinal fan, but they've remained married for 66 years. So, we can bring the two teams together. Thank you very much."
Speaker Hoffman: "God bless your dad. Happy Anniversary. Representative McLaughlin."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise… a point of personal privilege."
"State your point."
"Thank you. I wanted to honor the Gentleman to my left today. Mayor/State Representative Mark Luft, a Pekin born and bred 56 years ago. The Mayor/State Rep. was born on this earth and he came into this world much as we see him today, bald, smiling, and energetic. So, I want to wish my good friend and our good friend, Mark Luft, a very happy birthday today."
"Happy birthday. Representative Stuart."
"Thank you, Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"Please state your point."
"Thank you. I just want to take a moment to introduce to the Body a couple of my interns that I have visiting, hoping they'll see some interesting stuff here today. I have with me Matt Swanson. Matt Swanson is a graduate of Edwardsville High School. Actually, ran cross country a lot faster than my own son, Dean, but he has graduated from UC Berkley. He studied environmental economics and policy with a second major, as if that wasn’t enough, in natural resource management and 10200102.docx 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 forestry. He will be going to law school in the fall, and I think he's going to go on and do great things. And then I have Nicole. Nicole is… she's studying at SIUE, studying political science and English. She is set to graduate this upcoming December. Then she intends to attend SLU Law School. So, the 112th District is getting together a lot of great lawyers to join us in Illinois. And her family… Nicole and her whole family are huge Cardinal fans, season ticket holders to the Blues. So, let's go Blues, let's go Cardinals. Please welcome them to the Capitol."
Speaker Hoffman: "Welcome to Springfield. Representative Niemerg."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"State your point."
"With us in the chamber today, we have some homeschoolers from various parts of Illinois. Go ahead and stand up, guys. I had a opportunity to go up and talk to them for a little bit, and they're very interested in State Government, which they picked a great day to be here to learn about State Government. For many of them, it's their first time here. So, welcome to Springfield, guys."
"Moving to page 11 of the Calendar. On the order of Resolutions appears House Joint Resolution 82, Representative Harper. Out of the Record. Representative Severin on House Joint Resolution 87. Representative Severin."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Joint Resolution 87, it's the… renames a section of Illinois Route 148 near Christopher, Illinois in my district as 'Firefighter Kody M. Vanfossan 10200102.docx 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Memorial Highway'. He died doing what he loved while battling a six-alarm commercial fire in Christopher, Illinois with his father, who's the CFD Captain. They were the first ones on the scene and performed a primary search of the first floor. After completing the search and knocking down the fire, they proceeded to the second floor. During this time, conditions deteriorated rapidly. As Kody and his dad were making their way out of the building, a stairway collapsed trapping them in the building. Kody's dad made it out. Kody did not. For those brave men and women that give us the last full measure of their devotion, the ultimate sacrifice, I believe it's appropriate that we memorialize their service to our communities. So, in honor of Kody and as a measure of respect for the Vanfossan family and firefighters that give their lives in protection of others, I ask for your support to rename the Illinois Route 148 near Christopher as the 'Firefighter Kody M. Vanfossan Memorial Highway'. I ask for an 'aye' vote and a moment of silence, please. Thank you."
"We shall observe a moment of silence. Thank you. Representative Severin moves for the adoption of House Joint Resolution 87. This is a roll call vote. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yeah."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Conroy 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… on this Motion, there are 111 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The Motion is adopted. On page 11 of the Calendar, moves House Joint Resolution… appears Joint Resolution 88, Representative Swanson. Representative Swanson."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I present House Joint Resolution 88. House Joint Resolution 88 is somewhat of a unique Resolution. Last week, we celebrated the welcoming home of Vietnam veterans. This past week, we recognized all those who died in battle in Memorial Day services. House Bill… or excuse me, House Joint Resolution 88 recognizes the heroes that fought and served in Korea by naming a part of Interstate 57 within the limits of Benton, Illinois as the '38th Parallel Korean Veteran Highway'. The 38th Parallel is very significant to the… the warriors of Korea, as that is where the DMZ, the demilitarized zone, was established. In honor of the nearly 33,700 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Air Force personnel were killed and more than 100 thousand were wounded in the Korean conflict. Franklin County shares a unique latitudinal line, the 38th parallel. And with that historical boundary, we'd like to place a sign recognizing and honoring those veterans with a sign simply saying '38th Parallel Korean Veteran Highway'. Thank you. The Korean War played an 10200102.docx 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 important part in American history, and the veterans of the Korean War have earned the respect and admiration. I ask you to join me in extending that recognition and appreciation and pass this Joint Resolution establishing Interstate 57 in Benton as the '38th Parallel Korean Veteran Highway'. And I ask for an 'aye' vote."
Speaker Hoffman: "Seeing no one seeking recognition, Representative Swanson moves for the adoption of House Joint Resolution 88. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'."
"Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wished? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this Motion, there are 111 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And House Joint Resolution 88 is adopted. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report."
Clerk Bolin: "Committee Reports. Representative Harris, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: recommends be adopted, referred to the floor is House Amendment(s) 3 for House Bill 969 and House Amendment(s) 3 for Senate Bill 1751." 10200102.docx 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Mr. Clerk."
"Is Representative Costa Howard present?"
"Costa Howard is here."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard is present. Is Representative Jones present? Is Representative Tarver present?"
"Present."
"Representative Tarver is present."
"Representative Mah seeks recognition."
"Point of personal privilege, please."
"Please state your point."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, I'd like to direct your attention up to the gallery as I introduce my friend, Sharon Chung. She is a member of the McLean County Board. And not only was she the first Asian American elected to the McLean County Board, she's the first Asian American elected to any office in McLean County. So, please give her a warm welcome. Thank you."
"Moving to page 11 of the Calendar, appears House Joint Resolution #89, Representative Kifowit."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am honored to present House Joint Resolution 89 for a family that is synonymous with the City of Aurora, the Dolan family. This Resolution honors Dan Dolan, Sr., as he was so instrumental in the City of Aurora. He was a Korean War veteran, a former firefighter, a real estate developer. He also… he served in the Navy, and previously he was a mailman. He sold pots and pans, and he established Dolan & Murphy in the 1960s with James Murphy. And he went on to just… just be such a figurehead in the City 10200102.docx 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 of Aurora. I am blessed and honored to have been able to call his friend and the Dolan family friends for many years. He's supported many philanthropic entities in Aurora. Aurora Boys Little League Baseball for over 50 years, fast pitch softball, sponsored the Shamrocks for over 35 years, and was inducted into the… they were inducted into the International Softball Congress Hall of Fame in 2016. He is survived by his children, his 8 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, 5 great-great- grandchildren, and he passed away just a couple days before his 89th birthday. So, we just want to honor him and designate a section of Route 31 in the City of Aurora that runs from East Illinois Avenue to East Indian Trail Road as 'Dan Dolan Way'. He was great Irishman and a wonderful person and so many people in our community will miss him. Thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"This is a roll call vote. Representative… oh, Representative Wheeler. I apologize."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Resolution. The Dolan family in Aurora is just one of those people you can't wait to see. And you see them at virtually every charity function, every community function. They are synonymous with what makes Aurora a great place to live, a great place for me to represent. I just want to echo some of Stephanie… Representative Kifowit's comments about the time you get to spend with the Dolans is time you cherish. To say that Dan Dolan is a great Irishman is probably an understatement. With the fact that when a particular holiday comes along, he celebrated all the way to Christmas, if I remember right, as far as how often he celebrated his Irish heritage. His family 10200102.docx 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 is just a wonderful group of people. He'll be missed greatly. But we look forward to the traditions that the Dolans have created in Aurora and they'll be carried on for a long time. Thank you."
"Thank you, Leader. Representative Kifowit moves for the adoption of House Joint Resolution 89. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Conroy votes 'yes'."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Costa Howard votes 'yes'."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'."
"Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wished? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this Motion, there are 113 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And House Joint Resolution 89 is adopted. Moving to page 12 of the Calendar, appears House Joint Resolution 92, Leader Butler." 10200102.docx 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And before I address this Resolution, I would like to make one little point of personal privilege and we'll knock two things out at once."
"Please state your point."
"I do see our dear friend Dave Dahl in the press gallery here and somebody who's very familiar to all of us, his son, Clifford. It's Clifford's birthday today. So, please wish Clifford a very happy birthday for us, Dave. Twenty-five. Good hand signals there. Clifford's 25, there you go. Mr. Speaker, I really wish I didn’t have to offer House Joint Resolution 92, but I really thank my cosponsors on this. Speaker Welch, who's shown an interest in this. Leader Durkin. Representative Hammond for her help with this. But especially Chair Stuart for her assistance with this to make sure we get this done. House Joint Resolution 92 concerns Lincoln College, and many of you know that Lincoln College announced last week that it's going to be closing. And this is an institution in my district in Logan County. Lincoln College has been around since 1865. It was named while Abraham Lincoln was still alive in February of 1865, for Abraham Lincoln. The only university named for Lincoln while he was still alive. This has been a wonderful institution. My brother graduated from Lincoln College. My chief of staff graduated from Lincoln College. And it’s a true loss to the community for Lincoln College to close. Some of you are familiar with Lincoln College. Representative West has visited there. Former Representative Litesa Wallace lived… visited there. This is a unique university in our state. It has over… almost 60 percent black and brown students in the small community of 10200102.docx 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Lincoln, Illinois. Fifty percent of the student population is black, largely coming from the City of Chicago and Cook County and from the St. Louis Metropolitan area. You've got almost 70 percent MAP eligible students, over 60 percent Pell eligible students. It's one of seven predominantly black universities in rural communities in the entire United States. It does a great thing by bringing kids from around the state into a small town like Lincoln to become educated and really see life in a different way. So, with this announcement, it's… as I said, it's a huge blow to the community. The university employs about 150 full time staff and faculty, another 150 or so part time. So, it's 300 jobs in a community of 15 thousand people. So, what this Resolution does is express our sense as a Legislature to urge all the public and private universities in Illinois to extend their deadlines to accept Lincoln College students for next fall, to wave transcript fees that might apply, to honor their credits from… that they've earned at Lincoln College, to match or exceed their financial assistance that they received from Lincoln College, and really do all they can to help out the kids at Lincoln College so they can go to school this fall. This is certainly upsetting to a lot of students. There's a lot of first-generation students that go to Lincoln College. And so, this is going to be hard for a lot of folks, hard for the students, hard for the staff. We urge DCEO to work with… DCO (sic-DCEO) and IDS to work with the staff to make sure that they get the assistance that they need. And we also urge all our public and private universities to attend the student fair next… next week on the 14, the student transfer fair. 10200102.docx 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 And I really want to say thank you to all the universities in Illinois that have reached out. The U of I system, NIU, SIU, WIU, EIU have all been in contact with us, Governor State and many of the private universities to assist this. So, I just… like I said, I want to thank everyone for their work on this in trying to help us out. It's a tough thing for Lincoln. It's a tough thing for the community. But more so, it's tough for the students and the staff to go through this. So, I'd appreciate an 'aye' vote on this. And anything that you can do in your communities to help these kids to make sure they stay in Illinois to go to school, I would appreciate it as well. So, thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"Representative Stuart."
"Thank you. And, Representative Butler, I was more than happy to help make sure that we were able to bring this to light. And thank you for doing what you're doing to take care of students and faculty and staff. And thank you so much for sharing the history of Lincoln College. I've learned a lot in just the last few days from talking to you. And I think that's an important thing. A college is the students and the faculty and the staff, but it's also the buildings, and there's some important history to those buildings. So, while the ultimate hope would be to resurrect Lincoln College, if that can't be done, I hope that we are going to make efforts to preserve the history. Seems like it could be a wonderful museum and other, you know, tourism space. So, I hope that’s something in consideration. Like I said, ultimately, it would be great to bring Lincoln College back. But if we can't, let's make it a wonderful marker of our history. Thank you." 10200102.docx 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Leader Butler moves for the adoption of House Joint Resolution 92. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Remaining on page 12 of the Calendar, appears House Resolution 578, Representative Moeller. Out of the record. House Resolution 592. Out of the record. House Resolution 691, on page 13 of the Calendar, Representative… or Leader Andrade. Leader Andrade."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Give me one second. House Resolution 699 (sic-691) declares the month of February '22 as Self-Care Awareness Month in the State of Illinois. Thank you very much."
"Leader Andrade moves for the adoption of House Resolution 691. 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. Remaining on page 13 of the Calendar, appears House Resolution 745, Leader Gordon- Booth. Out of the record. House Resolution 758, Leader Greenwood. Leader Greenwood."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 758 declares March of 2022 as Back to Care Month in the State of Illinois to educate and promote patients to return to a routine of preventive care and screening. And I ask for a 'favorable' vote."
"Mr. Clerk, this is House Resolution 758. Leader Greenwood moves for the adoption of House Resolution 758. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The Amendment is adopted. House Resolution 759, Representative Lilly. Out of the 10200102.docx 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 record. House Resolution 774, Representative Ford. Representative Ford."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move for the adoption of House Resolution 774. The Resolution puts forth that the General Assembly urges Governor JB Pritzker, as well as public and private universities, to consider the notion of allowing students who are prohibited from re-enrolling in college because of past due debt or re-entering higher ed because of past due debt. I learned something from doing this Resolution from the drafters in LRB that this happened in 1998. The United States Department of Education sent a letter out encouraging colleges to withhold transcripts in the case involving loan default. So, the United States Congress said we should urge that the colleges and universities withhold transcripts from students wishing to go to college. Colleges across the nation and within the states have withheld transcripts for students owing $25 or more. So, we look to get students back into higher ed. The best way we could do that, I think, is to make sure that we allow those that really want to go to re-enroll and finish their degree. So, I urge an 'aye' vote for House Resolution 774."
"Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"It looked like this was partisan roll call in committee. Do you have any idea why, Representative, what the nature of the opposition was?"
"Can't think like a Republican. I try." 10200102.docx 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"That's awesome. Well, try. All right. How about this, Mr. Speaker. Let's just do a roll call on this one, if you don’t mind."
"Leader Batinick has asked for a roll call vote. Seeing no one seeking further recognition, the Motion is, by Representative Ford, to adopt House Resolution 774. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'."
"Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wished? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this Motion, there are 78 voting 'yes', 5 voting 'no', 2 voting 'present'. And the Resolution is adopted. Mr. Clerk."
"Is Representative Jones present?" 10200102.docx 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Jones is present."
"Representative Jones is present."
"Leader Brady."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please let the record show that I intended to vote 'no' on the last Resolution that we did. I believe 788."
"The record shall reflect."
"Thank you."
"On page 13 of the Calendar appears House Resolution 783, Leader Greenwood."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 783 recognizes April as Parkinson's Awareness Month. And also, to encourage our state to do more in investing and research and information on the disease, as it affects thousands of Illinoisans across the state. Thank you."
"Leader Greenwood moves for the adoption of House Resolution 783. 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 Severin, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege, please."
"State your point."
"So, 48 years ago next Sunday on Easter, a girl in my neighborhood, she was in eighth grade, I was a sophomore in high school. It was a Sunday afternoon on Easter. We were on a dirt basketball court. We'd gone to church that morning. And a neighborhood basketball game, pickup game, she wouldn’t be on my team 'cause she said I was a ball hog. So, later in 10200102.docx 22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 the afternoon, I asked her to by my girlfriend, and that was 48 years ago. And about five years after that, after going together, we got married and we have one son, two grandsons. And… so, just a little shoutout to my wife, Penny, that she was one sharp, smart girl and very athletic. She participated in cheerleading, she would volleyball, track. She was in gymnastics, all kinds of stuff when I just happen to catch her when she was young and she was… again, she wouldn’t be on my team 'cause she said I was a ball hog. So, five years later, I married her. But just wanted to give a shoutout to my wife, Penny, today. Been a great life of 48 years with her. And we've been married 44, I think, if I could get that straight, Penny. But just wanted give a little shoutout while we're waiting here and got to spend some great time with her and look forward to seeing her again soon. So, we'll be home soon, babe. I'll see you soon. Thanks."
"Representative Weber."
"Personal point of privilege, Mr. Speaker."
"Please state your point."
"So, as we know, this is kind of a unique year, a little unusual with our schedule. Earlier this week, we… this Body did the right thing, that because we weren’t here to honor our fallen soldiers that we recognized Memorial Day. Today, I rise because I believe it is just as important that this Body recognize our state police officers 'cause we will also not be here in this chamber on the first Thursday in May to pay tribute to them who have fallen and to their families. This year on May 5, the memorial will honor the lives of Officer Joseph T. Cappello III, Officer Gary Steven Hibbs, 10200102.docx 23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Senior Master Trooper Todd A. Hanneken, Lieutenant James J. Kouski, Jr., Officer Allen Serta Giacchetti… I apologize if I'm deferring a name… Officer Christopher Neil Oberheim, Officer Brian Russell Pierce, Jr., Officer Ella Grace French, Officer Tyler Nathaniel Timmins, Deputy Sean Ian Riley, and Sergeant Marlene R. Rittmanic. I want to say thank you to these officers for your service and for your sacrifice. And may we please take a moment of silence to honor these fallen men and women in uniform."
"The Body shall observe a moment of silence. Thank you. The Clerk is in receipt of a Motion in Writing to waive the posting requirements for several Bills. Leader Harris on the Motion."
"Mr. Speaker, I move the posting requirements be waived so the following Bills can be heard today in committee: Senate Bill 1733 in the Executive Committee, Senate Joint Resolution 54 in the Executive Committee, Senate Joint Resolution 47 in the Approp-Human Services Committee, House Resolution 792 in Human Services Committee, House Resolution 817 in Elementary & Secondary Education: Curriculum & Policies, and House Resolution 781 in Human Services."
"Leader Harris has moved to waive the posting requirements. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the posting requirements are waived. Representative Scherer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, it is my pleasure to introduce to you many of my students… not my students, but my constituents, I'm used to that, from both Springfield and Decatur. So, up here in the gallery, if they would all stand, 10200102.docx 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 we've got three different organizations here from Decatur Public Schools and Springfield Public Schools. Thanks for coming. And here's a big Springfield welcome. Thank you."
"On the Order of Second Reading appears House Bill 969, Leader Harris."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House."
"Mr. Clerk. Mr. Clerk, please read the Bill."
Clerk Hollman: "House Bill 969, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. This Bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendments 1 and 3 have been approved for consideration. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Harris."
"Sorry, Leader Harris, for interrupting."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Speaker. I would like to adopt Amendment #3."
"Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If we're going to run the budget Bills, the Republicans would request an immediate caucus, please."
"Leader Gabel."
"The Democrats request an immediate caucus in Room 114."
"The Democrats have requested a caucus in Room 114. The Republican have requested a caucus in Room 118. We shall stand at recess to the call of the Chair. Representative Elik, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"I just wanted to welcome my daughter, Caroline, to the floor today. She's visiting from college where she's studying journalism and political science. Really happy to have some 10200102.docx 25 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 family here with me to close out the day. So, just wanted to have everybody welcome her to the floor."
"Welcome. Leader Andrade."
"Mr. Speaker, I move that Representative Barbara Hernandez be allowed to participate and cast her vote remotely."
Speaker Hoffman: "Leader Andrade has made a Motion that Representative Barbara Hernandez be allowed to participate and cast her vote remotely. This is a roll call vote. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Here. Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yay. Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 Motion, there are 113 voting 'yes', 0 voting 10200102.docx 26 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 'no', and 0 voting 'present'. And the Motion is adopted. And Representative Barbara Hernandez will be allowed to vote remotely. Welcome, Barbara. Mr. Clerk."
"Is Representative Barbara Hernandez present?" Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez is present."
"Moving to the Order of Second Reading. On page 2 of the Calendar appears House Bill 969, Leader Harris. Read the Bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 969, a Bill for an Act concerning… a Bill for an Act making appropriations. The Bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendments 1 and 3 have been approved for consideration. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Harris."
"Leader Harris on Floor Amendment #1."
"I would like to withdraw Floor Amendment #1."
"Floor Amendment #1 is withdrawn. Mr. Clerk."
"Floor Amendment #3 is offered by Representative Harris and has been approved for consideration."
"Leader Harris."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to request that we adopt Floor Amendment 3 and debate it on Third Reading."
"Leader Harris moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #3 to House Bill 969. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, please read the Bill."
Clerk Hollman: "House Bill 969, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. Third Reading of this House Bill." 10200102.docx 27 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Leader Harris."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. And on behalf of every single person in this room, Democrat and Republican, welcome back, Representative Hernandez. It's wonderful to see you. So, I'm proud today to present the FY23 budget proposal. As you know, yesterday, this is a joint proposal between Governor JB Pritzker, the House Democrats, and the Senate Democrats. It's represented on Bill form here today. And this budget is about starting to turn the corner for our state, turning a corner for our families, and hopefully seeing us turning a corner on the worst part of the COVID epidemic. Signs of economic vitality are returning in our state. State revenues, particularly corporate income tax receipts and sales tax receipts continue to outperform expectations. Employment continues to increase, and unemployment rates continue to decrease. There's recovery, but it's uneven. And while many are thriving, some are still struggling. This budget is about meeting the needs of both these groups, about helping us solidify our economic strengths and, at the same time, giving supports and resources that's still… to those who are still struggling. Whether they're financial struggles, struggles of mental health and substance abuse, getting back on track with their schooling, getting help with a college, university, or training program, or helping our nurses, doctors, hospitals, our FQHCs, our nursing homes perform. The people we've called heroes through this epidemic, this is our chance to return their support. We also feel that our state revenue… while our state revenues have increased, families, especially lower and moderate- 10200102.docx 28 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 income families, are still struggling and that inflation is still increasing. That's why we are committed to spend $1.4 billion in tax relief, property tax relief, grocery tax relief, and gas tax relief, as well as expanding the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits to give some help for families with the greatest need. This budget is about fiscal responsibility, restoring stability, and setting a responsible course for our state. We're ending this year with a surplus, the largest surplus in our state's history in a quarter-century. We're paying back… yeah, you can clap for that. We're paying back $3.2 billion in MLF borrowing. We're adding an extra 500 million to pension stabilization to reduce our long-term liabilities, and this will save us over $1 billion. Adding $900 million to a rainy-day fund so that the state has reserve should we see another economic downturn. We're paying off the last major portion of our group and health insurance bills, another $900 million. It will save us $114 million this year alone in interest. The Comptroller has said our bill backlog is now so low we no longer have a backlog. We are running on a regular accounts receivable schedule. We've gone from about $17 billion unpaid under the Rauner administration to a normal payable situation of a couple weeks to a month. And it's not just us saying this here in this House. No, it's not the Governor. It's not necessarily us as Reps. We have outside validators, people whose job it is to watch and monitor the fiscal stability of states. And Fitch's, Moody's, and Standard & Poor's have given us multiple upgrades, said we're on the right path. Our civic organizations and civic watchdogs have all praised the 10200102.docx 29 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 introduced budget by the Governor and said it is setting the state on the right path. We're being fiscally responsible, and at the same time, we are providing for the needs of those who are struggling the hardest. We are not only fully funding our education system, we are putting another $350 million into the evidence-based formula so that we can continue to pay more of our school expenses as a state, which will reduce the demand on property taxes in our cities and towns. We're paying for wage increases for our home service workers and our CCP workers who serve seniors and people with disabilities. These are the people we called heroes. We owe them a living wage. We owe them to make sure that they can live comfortably while they're helping our seniors and our kids. We're putting more money into the child care program, and we're providing hundreds of millions of dollars to child care service providers to keep them stable during COVID because we know that, with reduced capacity and added costs, they're struggling. And we want our child care providers to be strong as we come out of this epidemic so that people can return to work, they can have a place for their kids to go, and they can feel safe and comfortable. And as you know, we've just expanded this program to be sure that we can cover third shift workers, thanks to Leader Manley, so that… for folks working the tough overnight jobs also have these benefits. We're investing in safety-net hospitals. We're investing in our long-term care facilities. Yesterday, under the leadership of Representatives Moeller and Hernandez, we passed landmark nursing home reform that has turned the tide for many years of concerns in our nursing home industry, has 10200102.docx 30 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 increased staffing, and increased safety and quality of life for our residents. And that is fully funded here today. In this budget, we used one-time money to help our hospitality industry. Our hotels, our restaurants, our cultural institutions, the museums, the entertainment venues, the bars, the taverns, the live performance venues, the theaters, the community arts organizations that, in neighborhoods like mine, this is where people work. This is the source of employment. Thousands of people can begin to return back to work if we continue to help those who are struggling to open their doors back up. And that’s provided for in this budget. And also, I just want to remind folks that we're using ARPA to continue our commitment to constructing affordable housing in this state. We pledged $75 million a year in ARPA last year to continue to expand the stock of affordable housing across the State of Illinois. Our second payment is in this budget, and we'll make a third next year. In addition, we're making two huge investments in the area of public… public safety, law enforcement, and addressing the problems with crime that so many of us are seeing in our communities. And we know we have to be smart about how we do this. We have to be smart on crime. In ARPA, we're putting aside almost a quarter billion dollars to use in evidence-based violence prevention programs, violence interrupter programs, to give alternatives for our young people after school and on the weekends and evenings so they have, you know, more positive things to do than to go to the streets. We are investing in services that will help them get jobs and help them be ready for employment so they can lead productive lives. But at the 10200102.docx 31 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 same time, we realize we have to invest in our law enforcement and make sure the law enforcement has the resources that they deserve. And there is $200 million of funding for law enforcement and criminal justice activities in our budget. Not only for the three classes of State Police, which we're putting into the budget so we'll have more troopers on our expressways, but also support for local police departments, with body cameras, with money for training, and many other activities that were in the Bills that this General Assembly voted on and approved this week. And they were all subject to appropriation, and I know in those debates the question was, 'Well, where is the appropriation?' Here is the appropriation. So, if you want to support law enforcement, if you need to fund the police, if you need to fund public safety, if you need to fund the long-term solutions to the problems of crime and violence that our society faces, vote 'yes' on this budget. Happy to answer any questions."
"On this question, Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Leader Harris, this is quite an epic day for a lot of reasons, including U of I… you and I. An epic day for U of I, too, Representative. Obviously, I'm nervous, this being my last adjournment day. Does it feel special for you at all like it feels to me or…"
"I think everyone in this room is looking forward to when neither of us ever have to be listened to again."
"Okay, then I'll go to the Bill. This Bill is on… this is a House Bill that hasn’t been to the Senate yet. So, this 10200102.docx 32 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 would take three days over in the Senate. I know we're planning on not being here on Sunday. So, we're going to wait for the real budget Bill to come over before we debate. I recommend a 'no' vote. Thank you."
"Leader Harris to close."
"I would recommend an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 969 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Cassidy votes 'yes'."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Conroy votes 'yes'."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Costa Howard votes 'yes'."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Meier."
"No."
"Representative Meier votes 'no'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 33 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Could you say that again with your camera on, please?"
"I'm sorry. I thought it was on. Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 70 voting 'yes', 44 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Brady, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"Please state your point, Leader."
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, would you please help me in welcoming, with a big Springfield welcome, my district office director, Roberta Koonce, who is up here to my left. Roberta, if you'd stand up. Please give her a nice Springfield welcome as she's down visiting today. Thank you."
"On page 9 on the Calendar, under the Order of Concurrence, appears House Bill 3893, Leader Hernandez. Read the Bill, Mr. Clerk. Leader Hernandez." Hernandez, L.: "Sorry about that, Speaker. So, House Bill 3893 creates the four-year extension for certain eavesdropping exemptions. So, basically, this is… it's just an extension to two further years of the RICO eavesdropping and the Illinois street gang law. I ask for your 'aye' vote."
"On this question, Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield." 10200102.docx 34 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative, I thought the House had a awesome Bill on this particular thing that I think went out unanimously. What's the difference between this version and the version we voted on previously?" Hernandez, L.: "It's just a two-year further extension. So, instead of two years, it's four years now."
"But doesn't it lower RICO, is my understanding, this version? The Senate did a shorter sunset on RICO and then extended…" Hernandez, L.: "You're correct. I beg to differ. Yes. You're correct."
"Okay. Do you like the House Amendment better or the Senate Amendment better? I guess I'm just trying to inquire the reason for the differences with… with why we're voting on two very similar Bills. And we're kind of letting the Senate push us around a little bit, it seems like." Hernandez, L.: "Well, I'm… just taking up on the Senate recommendation here. That’s all."
"Okay. No further questions."
"Leader Hernandez to close." Hernandez, L.: "I ask for your 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 3893?' All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; all opposed 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy." 10200102.docx 35 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 109 voting 'yes', 2 voting 'no', 1 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 3892, having received the Constitutional Majority. Moving on to page 9 of the Calendar, appears House… on the Order of Concurrence appears House Bill 3699, Representative Delgado."
"Mr. Speaker, I would like to move the adoption of Amendment… Senate Floor Amendments 1 and 4 to House Bill 3699, please. This Bill provides additional resources through currently existing programs to law enforcement and other 10200102.docx 36 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 organizations to address carjackings. The intent is to support the prosecution and administration of vehicle hijacking laws, to develop and sponsor the implementation of plans and strategies for combating vehicle hijacking, and to improve the administration of vehicle hijacking laws. It also allows for the use of funds in the new Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Insurance Verification Trust Fund, which is a mouthful, that those funds will provide additional financial support for law enforcement, prosecutors, and the judiciary for programs designed to reduce vehicle hijacking."
"Representative Delgado has moved to concur in Amendments #1 and 4 on House Bill 3699. On that question, Leader Durkin."
"Thank you. Question of the Sponsor."
"Sponsor yields."
"Representative, I've scanned through this Bill. And so, basically, you're creating a council, correct? You're creating a new council to address this issue of vehicular hijacking or carjacking."
"Actually, the council already exists. We are just changing the name of the council to also include vehicular hijacking."
"Okay. How often do they meet?"
"I am unaware of that."
"Have they ever met?"
"I am unaware of that."
"What makes you believe that these guys will actually do something then?" 10200102.docx 37 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Well, that's part of what we're asking them to do here."
"But if they haven’t met before, how do we even know that this going to be a worthwhile venture for us?"
"Again, Leader Durkin, I am unaware of that."
"That's not good. Now, this is our big way in which you guys are going to address carjacking and say you're backing tough on crime again is that we're going to create a council that we don’t… that you don’t even know existed or even met."
"This is another tool, Leader Durkin."
"A tool. Explain to me how that tool's going to work to be able to keep people from carjacking citizens, innocent citizens, throughout the Chicagoland area. If it's going to be a council that's going to take up recommendations, but you don’t know if they've ever met at all. How is that going to play out? How does that solve the problem?"
"I think that I explained what the intent behind this legislation is, Leader Durkin."
"All right. We believe that carjacking is a serious offense, correct?"
"It is a serious offense, yes."
"Do you know whether or not it is a matter that will be subject to no cash bail when that person's arrested?"
"This piece of legislation, Leader Durkin, is about currently existing programs that are going to assist and support law enforcement in catching vehicular carjacking… the folks who actually commit vehicular carjacking."
"But here's… here's the situation. You take it serious, but you're not going to take it real serious. Because when this law goes into effect, I presume in January if it does, 10200102.docx 38 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 it will pass 'cause you'll vote for it because everybody's looking for cover on your side of the aisle for what you did to police and victims last year, you're going to find out that vehicular hijacking, aka carjacking, doesn’t qualify as a forceable felony 'cause it's not delineated on there. And also, the no cash bail requires that one, it has to be a forceable felony, and two, it has to be nonprobationable. It is not a delineated crime under forceable felony. Therefore, it doesn’t qualify under that ridiculous Bill that you guys passed that is going to destroy neighborhoods under the no cash bail. How's that? Does that seem like a better way to approach this as opposed to having a council that has… we have no idea if they meet, if they ever have met to take up something that’s supposed to address this issue? How about putting these people behind bars and allowing judges to make a decision on whether or not they should serve their timeout in the Cook County, Lake County, Kane County lockup?"
"That was a long question, Leader. But…"
"It's… but you can answer it in sections. You're more than welcome to."
"…but I will tell you is that I am now informed that this council in fact does meet regularly. It has been meeting regularly. And again, what we are doing here in this piece of legislation is we are expanding their scope to include vehicular hijackings."
"This is the best you guys can do on hijacking, on carjacking, which is… we're number one in the nation in carjacking. And I said earlier, you guys are going to make sure, yeah, we're going to go after these guys, but we'll 10200102.docx 39 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 make sure that they're not going to be subject to a cash bond. So, we're going to have… we're going to have to rely upon on the honor system. The honor system with these monsters who've destroyed the Chicagoland area because of what you did on the no cash bail system last year."
"The Chair is going to institute a three-minute time limit. Representative… Representative Zalewski."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates she'll yield."
"Representative, these are questions for the purpose of legislative intent. For the purpose of legislative intent, regarding the use of deadly force, would you consider the use of a TASER as the equivalent to the use of a handgun?"
"No."
"Would you consider the use of a handgun as deadly force?"
"Yes."
"Therefore, is there a distinction between a handgun and a TASER in terms of the application of deadly force?"
"Yes. A handgun would be considered deadly force and a TASER would be considered less lethal force."
"And isn't it true that it's important that the law enforcement have this less-lethal option to deescalate situations without having to use the handgun?"
"Yes."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"Representative Mazzochi."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield." 10200102.docx 40 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"In connection with this particular Bill, are there any increased penalties against anyone for the crime of carjacking?"
"Representative, this is not in the Criminal Code. This is really about, again, expanding a council that exists currently to be able to provide additional supports for vehicular hijacking."
"Right. Yeah, I… so, it… but it doesn’t. There's nothing in here to increase penalties for carjacking."
"It's not the Criminal Code that we're…"
"Right. And there's not anything that's going to require automatic referral to adult court for carjacking if it's committed by a juvenile, is there?"
"Again, not the Criminal Code."
"Right. So, to the Bill. On January…"
"To the Bill."
"…in January of 2022, a woman in my district was driving home, thought it was going to be a normal, ordinary night. And instead, what happened is a 15-year-old juvenile opened her car door, shot her in the leg and dragged her out, and drove away with her car. It is alleged. Now normally, before this Body decided that juveniles should be automatically referred to adult court, that person probably would've had some motivation to maybe not even engage in this carjacking activity because they would've been tried an adult. Now, I'm very grateful that in DuPage County our state's attorney is actually willing to do the work to actually get a referral to adult court for a juvenile who engages in this type of reprehensible behavior. But this Body has made policy choices 10200102.docx 41 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 that is making carjacking, including organized carjacking, including by juveniles, including gang recruitment of juveniles to engage in carjacking, that much easier. And it's sad that we're here on the last day of Session and not a single piece of legislation has been proposed by the Majority Party to help the very types of women who are being attacked through these car… these awful, terrifying carjacking experiences. And this is the best you can do, a grant program for a state council. It's really not that much."
"Representative Delgado to close."
"Thank you, again, Mr. Speaker. And I want to make clear that that is exactly what we're doing with this legislation. We are providing resources, particularly for victims of this kind of crime. So, again, I would like to ask this Body to… for an 'aye' vote on this legislation that would help us reduce this kind of crime. Thank you."
Speaker Hoffman: "Representative Delgado has moved for concurrence of House Amendment #1 and 4 to House Bill 3699. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes." 10200102.docx 42 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'. Representative Cassidy."
"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 113 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 1 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendments #1 and 4 to House Bill 3699, having received a Constitutional Majority. Remaining on page 9 of the Calendar, appears House Bill 3972 (sic-3772), Representative Delgado. Mr. Clerk, House Bill 3772. Representative Delgado."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to adopt Amendment 2 to House Bill 3772. Senate Floor Amendment 2 becomes the Bill. This legislation would provide protections for victims of carjackings who receive red light or speed camera violations after their vehicle has been hijacked. It provides that a person would not be liable for traffic violations, automatic traffic law violations, the automated speed enforcement system violations during the period in which the motor vehicle was reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency as stolen or hijacked. It also provides that no administrative 10200102.docx 43 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 fees shall be imposed on the registered owner or the agents of that owner if the motor vehicle was stolen or hijacked at the time the vehicle was impounded. So, that refers specifically to tow fees. Thank you."
"Representative Delgado has moved to concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 3772. On this question, Leader Durkin."
"To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"A year and a half ago, my niece was carjacked at 2:00 in the afternoon outside her apartment in Lincoln Square. So, when I see her over the holidays, she has been traumatized like any other person has been traumatized through such a horrible experience through no contribution on their own. So, she's going to ask, what have you guys done in… with this horrible, horrible crime wave that's coming to the State of Illinois? I'm going to say that the Majority Party, what they've done is they've created a council on hijacking and they're going to waive your parking and traffic fees. Congratulations, folks."
"On this question, Leader Bourne."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, could you explain to me what happens currently? Do we have a problem with people whose cars are stolen having to pay fees?"
"Well, I can speak specifically to the City of Chicago, that's where my district is. I think that right now there isn’t an affirmative defense for that and this creates the 10200102.docx 44 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 affirmative defense when going before an administrative judge."
"So, do you know, in the city of Chicago, since that’s where you have the knowledge, are they charging fees to people whose cars were stolen?"
"So, if cars have been stolen and then they end up being recovered and then towed and impounded, for that individual to go and get their car out of the impound, they do have to pay a fee to get it out."
"A fee to get out, but do they have to pay their parking fees or…"
"Well, these are…"
"…anything that was incurred while their car was stolen? I'm just asking, currently what's happening and what's changing?"
"Yeah. So, again… so, when… in Chicago, when we're talking about automated enforcement and things like that, the tickets don’t actually show up in real time, right? So, let's say your car has been hijacked, somebody takes it, drives through a bunch of red light cameras. The owner of that vehicle doesn’t get those tickets until afterwards. And so, when they need to challenge that, they've got to go to administrative law judge. And again, this just clarifies that this is an affirmative defense."
"So, this is… I just think it's… I guess, another question. Do you think this is going to deter carjacking?"
"This piece of legislation is specifically about these kinds of violations that are incurred during that process. So, again, not related to that. This is specifically about 10200102.docx 45 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 these situations related to red light cameras, speed cameras, and tow fees."
"Okay. Our analysis says that this is part of the Democrats' public safety package. So, you would contend that this is not a part of your public safety package?"
"Oh, that's not what I said. I said that this is about these particular violations."
"Right. But when I asked will this deter crime or bring crime down, your answer was no. So, I guess the purpose of your public safety package is not necessarily to deter crime or bring down crime."
"My answer was that this is about these specific violations. That's my answer."
"So, it is not… the purpose of this Bill is not to deter crime or bring down crime?"
"This legislation is about what happens to victims…"
"Yes."
"…when these crimes occur."
"Yes. I understand that. Who pays the fees then? Are they just waived?"
"So… so, currently… oh, as a part of this?"
"Yes."
"So, again, this is… so, when we're talking about the red light camera fees, or the red light camera violations, or the speed camera violations, they would go to an administrative law judge and a certain affirmative defense, and then they would be dismissed."
"So, does this only apply to the City of Chicago? Because…" 10200102.docx 46 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"No. No."
"…how is it going to be implemented in the rest of the state?"
"Well, each individual location that has these kinds of violations has their own process, but all of them have due process. And so, there is administrative process that they follow."
"Yeah. My question though is that a lot of these…"
"Leader, Representative Swanson yields you three minutes."
"Thank you. A lot of these Bills that we've seen in your proposed public safety package are subject to appropriation. There's other people making up… is anybody making up these fees or are they waived across the state?"
"I'm sorry, Representative. Could you ask that question again?"
"Yes. So, my question is, is anybody going to end up paying that ticket? If it's waived for the person whose car was stolen, is it waived or is somebody else picking up?"
"It would be dismissed. So, then it would be gone."
"So, even the person who stole the car doesn’t have to pay for their ticket?"
"Well, that's not the way that this system is developed. Because again, we're talking about licenses, right? License plates."
"Right."
"So, even the owner of the car may not be… it’s the registered owner of the car that's responsible. So, for example, if my…" 10200102.docx 47 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"But if you're waiving… but if you're waiving the fee for the owner, couldn't you then say the person who is convicted of carjacking could pay the fee?"
"The court can always seek restitution. So, again, I'm going to remind everyone that we're not talking about the Criminal Code here. This is Administrative Code."
"I know we're not talking about the Criminal Code, but couldn’t you say that, if your car's stolen and the person is found who stole the car, they can be liable for the fee?"
"The court can always seek restitution, Representative."
"To the Bill, Mr. Speaker."
"To the Bill."
"This, as has been mentioned on the floor, does nothing to bring down crime, does nothing to promote public safety, and in fact is not holding the criminal accountable for the laws that they broke along the way. This is absurd. This is not what we need to do to bring down crime. I don’t want them to have to pay their fee if their car is stolen. I don’t know that that's happening currently. But for this to be part of a criminal justice package or a public safety package and try to solve any kind of problem is kind of nuts."
"Representative Mazzochi for three minutes."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates she'll yield."
"We already allow under State Law, if your vehicle was stolen, you're not responsible for any… any of the fines or fees. So, what's the… what are you changing by saying that if the vehicle is hijacked that somehow gets different 10200102.docx 48 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 treatment. I mean, isn’t a hijacked vehicle is already a stolen vehicle?"
"It is."
"Okay."
"We're creating an affirmative defense here, Representative."
"Well, what's different then? I mean, if a hijacked vehicle is a subset of a stolen vehicle, what new are you adding?"
"So, there was not an affirmative defense, as it relates to this, in the administrative process. So, that's what we're creating here, the affirmative defense."
"No. I mean, that's… that's actually not accurate. You… we already had defenses that if the motor vehicle was stolen before the violation occurred and was not under the possession or control of the owner at the time of the violation, then they weren’t going to be held liable for the fees."
"Again, this is a separate Act."
"No, it's not. You're putting it in the same section for both of these. All right…"
"So, what's the… just, what's the question, Representative?"
"Well, you know, you're… I'll just go to the Bill. You're making a distinction between a stolen vehicle and a hijacked vehicle, when in reality a hijacked vehicle already is a stolen vehicle. And to pretend that somehow you're actually giving somebody something new with this legislation, they already have it. They already the ability to get out from under these fines. What you're not doing is you're not 10200102.docx 49 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 helping the people who are in my district. We have had multiple carjackings. We have had people get pistol whipped. We have had people get shot. We have had women coming home from the grocery store, pulling into their driveways and getting carjacked by people, and you're not doing anything to help the actual victims. If you want to help the victims and you want to actually do something, make it easier for our law enforcement to be able to find these people. Or better yet, maybe we shouldn’t have a revolving door at the Cook County courthouse, so that when people engage in prior criminal offenses, they're not easily let out so that they are free to reoffend again. Thank you."
"Leader Brady."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Representative, in respects to House Bill 3772 and the overall package that’s being referred to here by your side of the aisle, question for you. A lot of times… or I guess my observation and others, a lot times when people make a mistake or create something that they wish they hadn't or did something they hadn’t, they try and cover their tracks. And maybe if we go back to legislation that was done in the middle of the night, last budget cycle, where, quite frankly, law enforcement was stripped of their ability to do their job correctly. The people of Illinois were put in a position to where they felt, obviously, less safe, where overall crime had spiked, and continue to spike today. But none of these Bills were there then, were part of the reform package for what's being touted out today as help for law enforcement and 10200102.docx 50 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 a variety of fronts. So, being a little suspicious of the timing of all of this, can you explain why now versus where were you on the House Floor around 3:30 that morning when legislation was going through that was doing a lot of the opposite about what you're talking about on this House Floor this afternoon?"
"So, I can talk about taking a wholistic approach to addressing these issues. And again, in the previous Bill that I presented, that was support for law enforcement, support for victims. And this is, again, another piece that we can put in place for victims to ensure that they don’t have to… in addition to what they've already gone through, they're not also having to pay for additional fees and fines and tickets and, you know, that kind of stuff. So, that… so, that's what I would say in response."
"So, what was done to law enforcement last budget cycle and defunding of the police, the law enforcement issues, the rights that were stripped, the ability for them to do their job and protect the public that they're sworn to do, these particular pieces of legislation that are coming out now to rewrite some of those wrongs and change some things, it just needed a longer time for crime to spike, for carjackings to increase, for other problems throughout our state to surface that now you're responding in the way of this package of legislation that’s coming out today, similar to 3772?"
"Representative, I think that there's always ample opportunity to come out and find ways to help people."
"Thank you very much."
"Representative Delgado to close." 10200102.docx 51 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I would like to remind everyone that when we approach these kinds of issues, sometimes we have to approach them from many different directions. And so, creating those kinds of supports that run the gamut are important. So, what we're talking about here, again, specific to victims of carjackings to make sure that they are not also overly burdened with these kinds of fines and fees. And again, a reminder, this also includes tow fees as well. So, I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Delgado moves for the… to concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 3772. All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Meier."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 52 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 Motion, there are 115 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And the House does… having received a Constitutional Majority, the House does concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 3772. On the Order of Concurrence, moving to page 10 of the Calendar, appears House Bill 4556, Representative Guzzardi."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 4556 was a measure that we all joined arms in passing earlier in this Legislative Session to allow for fentanyl test strips to made available at certain medical facilities. The Senate took up this measure and, in their infinite wisdom, decided to add advanced practice nurses and other providers to the folks who are allowed to dispense a limited number of these strips. It passed the Senate on Concurrence… excuse me, on consent and is back to us on Concurrence. I urge an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Guzzardi has moved to concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4556. On that question, Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Representative, I think your height alone puts you six feet away from anybody else. I couldn't hear the intro through the mask. If you either talk closer or…" 10200102.docx 53 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"I apologize. I think for a moment we can take it down. Let me restate very briefly."
"Sure."
"House Bill 4556 is a measure that expands access to fentanyl test strips to prevent our young people in this state from accidental overdose deaths. I discussed it at length when we passed it. We were able to do it in bipartisan fashion. It went over to the Senate. They added nurses as people, in addition to doctors and other medical professions, as people who could dispense a limited number of these test strips. That measure passed the Senate unanimously, and it's back to us for concurrence."
"Okay. So, the substance of the Bill is pretty much the same."
"Unchanged. That's right."
"So… and I think our vote on this last time was pretty strong actually, correct?"
"My recollection is that it was unanimous. You might be able to fact-check me on that one."
"Okay. All right. Thank you for answering the questions. Appreciate it."
"Thank you, Leader. Always a pleasure."
"Representative Guzzardi to close."
"I urge an 'aye' vote on this Guzzardi-Batinick measure."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4556?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy." 10200102.docx 54 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Cassidy votes 'yes'."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Conroy vote 'yes'."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 115 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 456 (sic-4556). This Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. On the Order of Concurrence appears House Bill 4667, Representative Yednock." 10200102.docx 55 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur with House Bill 4667, Senate Floor Amendment 1. The Bill allows current and retired county correctional officers and Department of Correction's correctional officers be deemed qualified law enforcement officers for the purposes of coverage under the federal Law Enforcement Safety Act. Happy to take any questions."
"On this question, Representative Reick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"This is a good Bill. You know how I know that? Because as the old saying goes, imitation is the best form of flattery. And two years ago, I proposed a Bill that became 2635 that basically did the very same thing. Now, it's come back from the Senate with a little bit of different language and pride of authorship. I'm sure that Representative Yednock will point that out, the fact that it's a little bit differently written, but it has the same effect. Basically, what it does is, it allows correctional officers to carry, outside of working hours, both the active duty and retired by changing the definition of Federal Law to include such officers. The main effect of this has been the fact that, for the past three years while I've tried to get this Bill passed, our correctional officers here in Illinois have run significant personal risk to both themselves and their families because they were unable to do what this Bill provides. It had a brick put on it when it was in committee this year, and I always wondered why was there a brick put on this Bill because it had a lot of bipartisan support. Now I know. Because we had 10200102.docx 56 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 to have something to put into law here to make it look like the other side was doing something about protecting our law enforcement officers. So, I guess I will paraphrase the greatest President, of my lifetime anyway, when I say that the… how do I want to put this? It's amazing what you can accomplish when Republican ideas are taken by Democrats and taken as their own ideas. It's amazing what you can accomplish. I urge a 'yes' vote on this Bill. But don’t be diluted by the fact that it's an original idea to you guys."
"Representative Kelly Cassidy."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A couple of questions for the Sponsor."
"Sponsor yields."
"Representative Yednock, can you share, how much training do corrections officers get initially and annually on firearms safety use?"
"I believe they start out with 40 hours of training and then annually they get a refresher. And I… I don’t have the exact number in my head. I am sorry, Representative Cassidy. But 40 hours and then annual training."
"But there's an annual update required?"
"Correct. For those who are in positions that have firearms as part of their job, they have annual training, retraining."
"Okay. And what is the training requirement for a Concealed Carry License?"
"For instance, for a conceal carry you would take a 16- hour course. Mostly theory and then you do a shooting, target 10200102.docx 57 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 practice, on 16 hours. And then every five years you would refresh it. I believe it's a four-hour refresher."
"Okay. So… so just… the comparison is 40 hours plus some unspecified annual amount, but significant, right? And 16 hours every five years."
"Correct. I would say that I, myself, having a permit, I have a lot less time in training, to be honest with you, than a corrections officer or a county corrections officer. They take a lot more training. But I could have just the same privilege or right as them."
"Got it. To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"I… I hate conceal carry with a passion that burns (unintelligible). So, everybody in this building knows that. I worked like hell to prevent it from passing. But this isn’t that, and this isn’t the time to relitigate conceal carry. I wish that we didn’t have it, but we do. What we also have is… is this imbalance. And I, frankly, fear my vote on this Bill is going to hurt my perfect F rating with NRA. But that said, I don’t see this as a pro-gun Bill. This is a commonsense alignment of corrections officers with their fellow law enforcement partners. I'd much rather people with 40 hours plus of training have their weapons with them than any Tom, Dick, or Harry off the street who only has 16 hours of training of questionable quality. I'd urge a 'yes' vote."
"Representative Stoneback."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have a few comments. I heard the presentation in committee and on the floor."
"To the Bill." 10200102.docx 58 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"To the Bill. Correctional officers do not receive the same amount and type of training that current law enforcement officers do. I've heard from both ILETSB and the Department of Corrections who share concerns on this Bill. And I'd like to request on the record that conversation be continued and the Sponsor work with IDOC and ILETSB to ensure training standards are updated accordingly. Additionally, I have concerns with our conceal carry system and oppose any expansion of it. I do not believe it protects public safety, and I encourage my colleagues who feel the same way to vote 'no'. Thank you."
"Representative McCombie."
"Thank you, Speaker. To the Bill. I would like to thank the Sponsor for bringing this old idea, old, bad idea, to fruition today. We've had past Bills on the Republican side of the aisle from Steve Reick… Representative Reick, pardon me, Representative Bennett, and Representative Cabello. So, basically the last three General Assemblies we've had Republican Bills. And I'm not sure what's happened, but thanks to the Democrats for running Republican Bills. We appreciate you."
"Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Representative, a previous speaker mentioned something about the DOC being in opposition of this Bill. I just wanted to get on the record whether that was correct or not."
"I did hear from them just this morning, I mean a few hours ago, that they had some issues with this Bill. I was 10200102.docx 59 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 told they were neutral on it a few years ago, and then at the last minute, they said that they have problems with it. And, you know, I'm willing to work on it, both the Senator and myself, who carried this Bill in the Senate. We'll certainly take each and everybody's thoughts."
"We're all… I just wanted that on the record whether they're up or down. I appreciate it. Thank you. No more questions."
"Yes. It was correct."
"Representative Davidsmeyer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Thank you. Have you had a conversation with the Governor to see if he would sign this Bill?"
"That I cannot say, Representative Davidsmeyer. I have not."
"Yeah. I'm assuming DOC's opposition is the Governor's opposition more so than DOC itself. Because I'm sure you have friends that work there as well as myself and most of my DOC public safety individuals would… would appreciate a Bill like this. But I… I highly doubt that this will be signed by the Governor. So… but thanks for your efforts."
"Thank you."
"Representative Guerrero-Cuellar."
"Thank you, Speaker. Does the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"This is correct, Representative Reick. This is a great Bill. And we had had discussion about a similar Bill, 10200102.docx 60 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 but this Bill's a little better. And here, I'm going to ask the Sponsor a question. Representative, does this include Cook County sheriffs in this Bill?"
"Yes, it does, Representative."
"And that is why it's a great Bill. I encourage an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Yednock to close."
"I thank everyone's input on both sides of this issue and always willing to work with everybody. I will say to my friend over on the right side of the aisle that sometimes you got to plant an acorn to get an oak. So, everything starts somewhere. And I appreciate your support, and I encourage an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House Concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4667?' All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; all opposed 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Conroy votes 'yes'."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes." 10200102.docx 61 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"No."
"Representative Tarver votes 'no'."
"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 103 voting 'yes', 6 voting 'no', 3 voting 'present'. And this… and the House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4667, having received a Constitutional Majority. Leader Greenwood."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please excuse Representative Crespo."
"The record shall so reflect. On page 8 of the Calendar, under the Order of Concurrence, appears House Bill 601, Representative Ford. Representative… I apologize. Representative Andrade."
"Mr. Speaker, I move to concur with the Senate with the Amendment #1. Senate #1 to House Bill 601 is a gut and replace Amendment that becomes the Bill. States that a person commits the crime of possession of burglary tools when the person, knowingly and with intent to enter the motor vehicle and with intent to commit therein a felony or theft, possesses device designed to, one, unlock or start a motor vehicle without the 10200102.docx 62 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 use or possession of the key to the motor vehicle; or to capture or duplicate a signal from the key fob of a motor vehicle to unlock or start the motor vehicle without the use or possession of the key to the motor vehicle. I'm sure I'll have questions, so I'll just keep it short in the beginning, Mr. Speaker."
"Leader Batinick. Representative Mayfield."
"Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Representative, can you explain how this will affect the towing industry? I did not see a carveout for them and they all have those tools."
"So, this is a little different than… you probably are assuming the Bill that we voted for in… in the committee, Consumer Protection, and in other committees. This Bill does not target a certain industry or prohibit or anyone from that. This Bill is intended to clear up that a fob replicator, when used in the act of a criminal activity, is then considered a burglary tool. But it's not… it's completely different from what the Bills that… that this House passed unanimously."
"Okay. I'm sorry, Representative. I don’t see language that says its specific to the fob. It just says an individual that has possession of these type of tools that are used to open up a car. And I know I've been locked out of my car more than once and had to call a tow company. So, I just want to make sure that they are not going to negatively affected."
"No, because it… with the intent to enter the motor vehicle with intent to commit therein a felony or theft. That is in the language. It's felony or theft. Because the language 10200102.docx 63 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 you're reading is just the minimal part of the Bill, does not include the… everything in front and in back. So, that just… that's why it just adds one little section. And that… that's what…"
"Okay. So, just for clarification, this does not affect the towing industry?"
"It does not."
"Thank you."
"On this question, Leader Durkin."
"Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Representative, what is the penalty for somebody who's caught in possession of these, what do you call them, fobs or…"
"Well, I would just say… I mentioned the word fob, but I would just say burglary tool."
"All right. Well… pardon me, what?"
"I would… I wouldn't say specifically for a fob, but I would say specifically a burglary tool."
"Okay."
"So, currently…"
"Currently… go ahead."
"Would you like for me to read it?"
"Go ahead. Sure."
"Okay. Currently, possession of burglary tools applies to any key tool instrument. And it says that possession of burglary tools is a Class 4 felony punishable by a sentence of imprisonment of not less than one year."
"That's the current law, correct?" 10200102.docx 64 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"That is the current law."
"So, what are we trying to accomplish here if basically it's just restating the law when the current law for possession of burglary tools says any instrument which is used toward illegally entering an automobile. So, why… what you're doing today is… what's new and exciting about this that is different than what's been in the law for decades?"
"So… what's new and exciting about this is that I actually introduced this Bill in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and I… with all this situation, I thought this would be a perfect situation. And the Senate, they believe that this language I've been introducing for five years… they took it… just like the other Representative, I guess they like mine…"
"I'm not quite sure what question that was in response to, but let me…"
"Yeah. So, that's what I'm excited about, that it gives…"
"Okay. So, what is the penalty that you have in this Bill for anybody caught in possession of what you have now placed in 601?"
"So, this is not a new… new crime. All right? The crime possession of burglary tools already exists. So, what I'm trying to do is, House Bill 601 allows the court to determine whether these devices are burglary tools and therefore admissible as evidence of a person committing the crime of possession of burglary tools when a suspect is caught with these devices."
"The current law says that a person commits possession of burglary tools when he or she possesses any key, tool, or instrument device for the use of breaking into a building, 10200102.docx 65 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 blah blah blah, motor vehicle, et cetera. It's already the law. It is already the law. So, what you're going to do is not going to change anything that is currently in practice, Representative."
"Well, I believe it is. I mean, my other Bills, they passed on consent. So, now it just…"
"That doesn’t mean anything. It's already the damn law. So, look, if this is, again, another attempt to try to say that we're tough on these vehicle violations, it falls very short. Because this is the law, Sir. And anyway, I'm going to get back to it. We all think that the people who are involved with these steps are terrible people, and they are. But you made sure that a judge is never going to be able to hear them or detain them at a bond hearing no matter how many times, no matter how many times these people have broken into cars or have broken into homes, cars, and committed crimes in the past because this is not a detainable offense. So, don’t kid me."
"No, this is… Leader Durkin, you must be talking to the wrong person 'cause I didn’t vote for any of those Bills. And if it's… if you really want to go back, I think it was your Leadership that duped everyone in this… this chamber to vote for it to remove the automatic transfer of youth when carjacking. Your leadership stood up and every Republican voted for it and every Democrat voted for it. So, Leader, don’t poke the finger at me 'cause I didn’t vote for the Bill. I've been trying to pass Bills with you and everyone in this Session. So, that… if… you are directing that to me, and that is incorrect. So, I respect an 'aye' vote." 10200102.docx 66 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Leader Andrade to close."
"I respectfully… respect… request an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 601?' This is final action. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Cassidy votes 'yes'."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy. Representative Costa Howard."
"Conroy votes 'yes'."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Conroy votes 'yes'."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 103 voting 'yes', 5 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate 10200102.docx 67 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Amendment #1 to House Bill 601. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 8 of the Calendar appears House Bill 2985, Representative Lilly. Out of the record. On page 9 of the Calendar, on the Order of Concurrence, appears House Bill 4070, Representative Lewis."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 4070 is the Asian Indian American Council that we created and passed unanimously out of the House. It went to the Senate, a few technical updates requesting voting power for the committee members by the Governor. I ask for a concurrence."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4070?' This is final action. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Cassidy votes 'yes'."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Meier."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 68 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'."
"Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. The House… being 112 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4070. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Lewis, what reason do you rise?"
"Quick point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker."
"Please state your point."
"So, with the passing of this Bill, I didn’t want to… I forgot to pass along from the Consul General of India how impressed he was visiting, what… looks to work with all of us. And I thank all of you for everything you did to make him feel welcome. So, thank you. You made the Consul General of India feel very welcome. Thank you."
"Representative Robinson, for what reason do you rise?"
"Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker."
"Please state your point."
"Colleagues, I believe that we have the best members of the press in the entire State of Illinois, and I would like to recognize David Dahl, whose son turns 25 years old today. Let's give a happy birthday, a round of applause to Clifford Dahl. Thank you." 10200102.docx 69 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Moving to the Order of Resolutions. On page 13 of the Calendar appears House Resolution 763, Representative Mason."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe we have an Amendment to pass?"
"Mr. Clerk."
"Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Mason."
"Representative Mason moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Resolution 763. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Amendment is adopted. Representative Mason on House Resolution 763."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Resolution urges the Federal Government to pass legislation known as the Stranded Act. The Stranded Act would affect communities like mine in Zion, Illinois that have a decommission nuclear power plant with lots of stranded nuclear materials. One kiloton to be… to be exact. So, this legislation would compensate communities like mine for holding that stranded nuclear material. And I ask for your support."
"Representative Mason moves for the adoption of House Resolution 763. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The Amendment is adopted. The Clerk is in receipt of Motions in Writing to waive the posting requirements for several Bills. Leader Gabel on this Motion."
"Speaker, I move that the posting requirements be waived so the following Bills can be heard… can be heard today in 10200102.docx 70 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 committee: Senate Bill 3926 in Insurance and House Bill 828 in Human Services."
"Leader Gabel has moved to waive the posting requirements. All those… all those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'."
"Mr. Clerk, for a clarification, the Motion is on Senate Bill 3926 and House Resolution 828. House Resolution 828. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question… on this Motion, there are 70 voting 'yes', 42 10200102.docx 71 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 voting 'no', 1 voting 'present'. And the posting requirements are waived. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report."
"Rules Report. Representative Harris, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action April 8, 2022: approved for consideration, referred to Second Reading is Senate Bill 2364."
"On the Order of Resolutions appears Senate Joint Resolution 16, Representative Halbrook."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. If we could have a little order. Ladies and Gentlemen of the House and Mr. Speaker, Senate Joint Resolution 16 designates Illinois State Route 51 in Oconee, which is in southwest Shelby County, as 'ISP Special Agent Virgil Lee Bensyl Memorial Highway'. This Resolution honors the life of Illinois State Police Special Agent Virgil Lee Bensyl who died in the line of duty. Special Agent Virgil Lee Bensyl was killed January 15, 1988 while he and four other agents attempted an arrest. WHEREAS, Special Agent Bensyl served with the U.S. Marines during Vietnam War; he joined the Illinois State Police on July 14, 1969 and served in District 10 in Pesotum until 1984 when he graduated from New Agents Class #4; and was then assigned to Zone 10. Again, let it be resolved that this would designate Illinois State Route 51 in Oconee in southwest Shelby County as the 'ISP Special Agent Virgil Lee Bensyl Memorial Highway'. Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, I ask for a moment of silence and unanimous decision and adoption on this Resolution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker." 10200102.docx 72 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"We shall observe a moment of silence. Thank you. Representative Halbrook moves for the adoption of Senate Joint Resolution 16. This is a recorded roll call. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver. Representative Tarver."
"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 112 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And the Senate Joint Resolution 16 is hereby adopted. Under the Order of Resolutions, Representative Harper on House Joint Resolution 82. Representative Harper." 10200102.docx 73 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to present House… House Joint Resolution 82, which would create a task force on black immigrants 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 Joint Resolution 82. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay'. I apologize, this will be a recorded roll call. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all opposed by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 74 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wish? On this Motion, there are 112 voting… Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this Motion, there are 112 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And the House Joint Resolution 82 is hereby adopted. On the Order of Concurrences, on page 8 of the Calendar, appears House Bill 2985, Representative Lilly."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to concur to Senate Bill (sic-Amendment) #1."
"Could you briefly explain it?"
"I will. HB2985 replaces everything after the enactment. It creates a Murdered Children Funeral and Burial Assistance Act. It provides services with respects to the provisions of burial rights and funerals and burial services. It provides the total amount of disbursements for funerals and burial expenses for a child victim and it shall not exceed $10 thousand. There's no additional monetary changes to the current Act."
"Thank you, Representative. Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall the House adopt Senate Amendment #1… concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 2985?' This is final action. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 75 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Meier."
"Yes."
"Representative Meier votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver. Representative Tarver."
"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 110 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 2985. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, committee announcements."
Clerk Hollman: "The following committees will be meeting immediately: the Executive Committee is meeting in Virtual Room 1, Judiciary - Criminal in Virtual Room 2, Human Services in Virtual Room 3, Personnel & Pensions in Virtual Room 4, Revenue & Finance in Virtual Room 5. Meeting in a half hour at 5:45 is Appropriations-Human Services in Virtual Room 4, Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies in Virtual Room 5, and Insurance Committee in Virtual Room 3." 10200102.docx 76 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Members, committee were just posted. There will be two sets. One at 5:15 and one at 5:45. And we shall remain in recess till the call of the Chair. Mr. Clerk."
Clerk Hollman: "Committee Reports. Representative Jones, Chairperson from the Committee on Insurance reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: do pass Short Debate is Senate Bill 3926; recommends be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 836. Representative Mussman, Chairperson from the Committee on Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: recommends be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 5214 and House Resolution 817. Representative Lilly, Chairperson from the Committee on Appropriations-Human Services reports the following committee action taken April 8, 2022: do pass as amended Short Debate is House Bill 2437; recommends be adopted is Floor Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 1408 and Senate Joint Resolution 47. Representative Halpin, Chairperson from the Committee on Personnel & Pensions reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: recommends be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 2 to House Bill 4209. Representative Zalewski, Chairperson from the Committee on Revenue & Finance reports the following committee action taken April 8, 2022: recommends be adopted is Floor Amendment(s) 4 to Senate Bill 1794 and Floor Amendment(s) 5 to Senate Bill 1975. Representative Moeller, Chairperson from the Committee on Human Services reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: recommends 10200102.docx 77 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 4647, Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 4666, House Resolution 781, House Resolution 792, and House Resolution 828. Representative Rita, Chairperson from the Committee on the Executive reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: recommends be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 2 to House Bill 1716 (sic-716) and Senate Amendment(s) 3 to House Bill 1716 (sic-716), Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 3863, Floor Amendment(s) 4 to Senate Bill 658, Senate Joint Resolution 22, and Senate Joint Resolution 54. Introduction of Resolutions. Senate Joint Resolution 55, offered by Evans… Representative Evans, is referred to the Rules Committee."
"Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let the record reflect that Representative Charlie Meier is excused for the remainder of the evening."
"The record shall reflect. Leader Gabel."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that Representatives Hurley and Manley be allowed to participate and cast their vote remotely."
Speaker Hoffman: "Leader Gabel's made a Motion that Representatives Hurley and Representative Manley be allowed to participate and cast their vote remotely. This is a roll call vote. All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 78 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Tarver."
"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', 22 voting 'no', 4 voting 'present'. And the Motion is adopted. Mr. Clerk."
"Is Representative Hurley present?"
"Here."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Hurley is present. Is Representative Manley present?"
"On Supplemental Calendar #1 appears the Order of Resolutions, appears House Resolution 781, Representative Swanson. Representative Swanson."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 781 is a Resolution that names August 2022 as Spinal Muscular Atrophy Month. Some of you may recall several years ago, Representative Lilly and I were able to pass legislation to begin testing children at birth for spinal muscular atrophy. Spinal muscular atrophy is a terrible disease that if detected 10200102.docx 79 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 early can provide… can be less of a challenge for the child. So, I would ask that we identify and pass House Resolution 781 naming August 2022 as Spinal Atrophy Awareness Month. Thank you."
Speaker Hoffman: "Seeing no one seeking recognition, Representative Swanson moves for the adoption of House Resolution 781. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The Resolution is adopted. On Supplemental Calendar #1 appears House Resolution 792, Representative Mah. Representative Mah."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 792 declares August of 2022 as Free and Charitable Clinic Month. There is a network of 52 free and charitable clinics all over Illinois that has provided essential health care for those who are uninsured or underinsured. And so, this is simply recognition of their work and meant to raise awareness about their existence and the work that they do. I ask for its adoption. Thank you."
"Representative Mah moves for the adoption of House Resolution 792. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The Resolution is adopted. House Resolution 817, Representative Hirschauer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 817 urges the Illinois State Board of Education to partner with the Illinois Association of School Nurses to complete a School Nursing Capacity Study. We further recommend that the study include, but not be limited to, identifying who is providing health care in Illinois schools and determining what policies 10200102.docx 80 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 are in place to provide these health care services. The purpose of the study is to provide a more in-depth look at the data on school nursing so we can develop a model for health care services in our schools. The pandemic shined a light on the critical work that our school nurses do every single day, from contact tracing, to helping families navigate CDC quarantining guidelines, to meeting the everyday health care needs of the diverse student population. The stress of the pandemic heightened the need for school nurses, but it has been a long-time systemic problem. The sad reality is that many kids in our communities don't even have access to a school nurse. On behalf of the hard-working school nurses in Illinois, I ask for the adoption of this Resolution."
Speaker Hoffman: "Seeing no one seeking recognition, Representative Hirschauer moves for the adoption of House Resolution 817. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The Resolution is adopted. On Supplemental Calendar #1 appears House Resolution 828, Representative Mazzochi."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I come before this chamber on House Resolution 828 to declare May of 2022 Spondyloarthritis Month. Spondyloarthritis is a form of arthritis in the spine that particularly hits people very hard, and it's one of these types of arthritis that's actually extremely difficult to diagnose. And unfortunately, delayed treatment and diagnosis can actually lead to long term disability and can cause patients to actually be bound in wheelchairs. So, this is an area where increased awareness can help to encourage people to not only figure out their diagnosis but get treatment early 10200102.docx 81 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 and often. And for that reason, I encourage an 'aye' vote. Thank you."
Speaker Hoffman: "Seeing no one seeking recognition, Representative Mazzochi moves for the adoption of House Resolution 828. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The Resolution is adopted. Mr. Clerk."
"Is Representative Manley present?"
"Representative Manley is here."
"Representative Manley is present."
"Senate Joint Resolution 22, Representative West. Please proceed."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. February 27, 1861, 161 years ago, Congressman Thomas Corwin of Ohio proposed an Amendment to the United States Constitution that would prohibit the Constitution from being amended in a manner that authorizes Congress to abolish or interfere with matters of the state. More specifically, slavery is constitutional and permanent. This was an attempt to keep southern states from succeeding, and as we know, it didn’t work. However, the Congress approved the Resolution on March 2, 1861 and awaited the ratification of the Amendment from the states. The 23rd General Assembly of the State of Illinois ratified the Corwin Amendment three months later. Thankfully, this Amendment has not yet been ratified by 38 states, therefore, it's not an Amendment to the Constitution. However, its ratification was disrupted… even though its ratification was disrupted by the civil war, the Corwin Amendment is not actually dead. To this day it lies dormant, ready to be ratified by the required number of 10200102.docx 82 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 states. And just to let you know, the states that ratified the Amendment was… came to five states. Two of them has already rescinded. And this is what we're doing here today. Therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the State of Illinois rescinds its 1863 ratification of the following proposition, known as the Corwin Amendment to the United States Constitution, which reads, 'No Amendment shall be made to the Constitution which will authorize or give to Congress the power to abolish or interfere, with any State, with the domestic institutions thereof, including that of persons held to labor or service by the laws of said State.'; and be it further RESOLVED, That certified copies of this resolution be forwarded to the Archivist of the United States, the President of the United States, the President and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and each member of the Illinois congressional delegation with the request that it be printed verbatim in the Congressional Record. I want to thank Senator Jason Plummer from the 54th District for working to rescind the ratification of this Amendment for the past three and half years. History has its eyes on us for so many things that has been done in the past and we have an opportunity tonight to correct this mistake. Thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the Motion is to adopt Senate Joint Resolution 22. This will be a roll 10200102.docx 83 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 call vote. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Cassidy votes 'yes'."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Conroy votes 'yes'."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Yes."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 115 voting 'yes', 0 voting 10200102.docx 84 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And Senate Joint Resolution 22, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby adopted. Page 9 of the Calendar, under the Order of Concurrences, appears House Bill 3863, Representative Vella."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur House Bill… I'm sorry, Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 3863. It is a gut and replace Amendment that becomes the Bill. The Amendment creates the Law Enforcement Training Fund, which shall be used by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board for grants to the units of local government, public institutions of higher education, and qualified nonprofit entities for the purpose of hiring and retaining law enforcement officers. When grants are awarded, the ILETSB must provide… prioritize grants that will be used to hire or retain officers in underserved and needy areas, achieving demographic diversity of officers that are recruited or hired by grantees, maximizing the effects of money spent in the actual recruitment or retention of officers, and providing grants that will have an impact on multiple employers. I move for an 'aye' vote."
"On this question, Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Representative, which Republican did you get this Bill from?"
"I got this… I got this from the… as I was saying earlier, sometimes you get a piece of clay. You take that clay, and you turn it into a work of art. And this is what this is." 10200102.docx 85 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Sometimes it works in reverse. But I believe it was Representative Caulkins. Thank you. No further questions."
"Representative Yednock."
"Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Representative Vella, I've heard from some of the unions that… and corrections officers and they're wondering if the idea of giving the pension plan where they can buy out…"
"I think that's a different Bill. That's a different Bill."
"I'll wait till then."
"All right."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition on this work of art, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 3863?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley." 10200102.docx 86 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"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 113 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 3863. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 9 of the Calendar, on the Order of Concurrence, appears House Bill 3850, Leader Greenwood."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur with Senate Amendment #2 on House Bill 3850. And Senate Amendment #2 replaces everything after the enacting clause. Senate… Senate Amendment #2 may be referred to as the Knight-Silas Legacy Act. This Act amends the Criminal Code of 2012 to expand the victim status under aggravated battery…"
"Leader… Leader Greenwood, I apologize. I was just informed that the rule… the Motion to Concur is still in the Rules Committee…"
"Oh."
Speaker Hoffman: "…so we'll pull this from the record. Representative Ford on House Bill 3949. Please proceed." 10200102.docx 87 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur with Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 3994. It adds a few additions and it makes the Bill better, I have to admit."
"Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Representative, you did the stand away really far from the microphone trick, so I can't hear you. Could you repeat what the… this is a gut and replace, correct?"
"It's a gut and replacement. And what it does is it adds findings to the Section at the beginning of the Act to clarify that the IEMA has the final authority for personal protective gear reimbursement."
"Got it. You know what? I'll cut you off, Representative, if you don’t mind. I had an up arrow on this. I was worried that this might have been a gut and replace part of your crime-ish package, and we're all good. Urge an 'aye' vote."
"Thank you."
"Representative Ford to close."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Vote 'aye'."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 3949?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 88 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'."
"Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the… the record. On this question, there are 115 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 3949. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Ammons, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I intended to be recorded as a 'yes' on House Bill 2985." 10200102.docx 89 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"The record shall so reflect. Representative Stuart on House Bill 4209. Representative Stuart."
"Thank you. I move to concur with Senate Amendment 2 to House Bill 4209."
"Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates she'll yield."
"Representative, I'll be bluntly honest. I was just going through my piles of papers and notes here to file if this… find out if this was a gut and replace or what we're doing here. Can you explain exactly what we're doing here? I believe we're up on this Bill. Looks like a transfer window."
"Yeah. It’s a transfer window."
"And it's an FOP initiative supported by the Sheriffs' Association, correct?"
"Yep, and IMR… we had input from IMRF as well."
"Okay. And this might have gone through the committee that I am a spokesperson on, I believe, right?"
"It… just a little while ago, yes."
"Okay. Thank you."
"Thank you."
"Representative Stuart to close."
"I'd appreciate an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 4209?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 90 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Representative Jones, 'yes'."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 111 voting 'yes', 4 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 4209. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 10 of the Calendar, under the Order of 10200102.docx 91 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Concurrence, appears House Bill 4589, Representative Kelly. I apologize…"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and the great Members…"
"Leader, hold on. We got to make sure we got this paperwork straight. Leader Evans, please proceed."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and the great Members of the Assembly. Representative Kelly decided not to call this. I tried as hard as I could, but this Bill is for Representative Kelly. This Bill is for all of the men here. You know, men throughout the country, particularly the Midwest, statistics show we don’t always take care of our health. Women are definitely going to the doctor more and more engaged in the process of their health. So, this gives an opportunity for the Department of Health to have a Division of Men's Health. I work with the department so they wouldn’t be… make sure the legislation gave them the flexibility to put this in the appropriate place in-house under the department. So, I request a concurrence on Amendment 1."
"Representative… Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Representative, I just want to make sure the… the right analysis hasn't popped up. We're still stuck on the pension analysis. So, on my side of the aisle, we're looking at House Bill 4589, which you'd have to do a legislative inquiry for. Which I believe was unanimous here, unanimous in the Senate, and unanimous in committee."
"Yes."
"Rep. Evans, is that correct?" 10200102.docx 92 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yeah."
"Okay. All right. Thank you. No further questions."
"Thank you."
"Leader Evans to close."
"Request your support. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4589?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; opposed vote 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Evans (sic-Hernandez)." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 93 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 114 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4589. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Robinson on House Bill 4647. Representative Robinson."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, HB4647 is a Bill that allows us to be able to take care of frontline workers. We have had several conversations in this chamber about making sure that the money that we give to organizations go to frontline workers. And so, this Bill will make sure that information is reported to DPH to make sure that, again, resources that come forth from this Body and our budget go to the workers who do the work in our state for populations like our seniors. I would ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4647?' All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; opposed 'nay'. The voting's open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy." 10200102.docx 94 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 115 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4647. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative West on House Bill 4674. Representative West." 10200102.docx 95 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur with House Bill 4674, Senate Amendments #1 and 3. Thank you for your indulgence."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments #1 and 3 to House Bill 4674?' All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; opposed 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver." 10200102.docx 96 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 115 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendments #1 and 3 to House Bill 4674. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report."
Clerk Bolin: "Committee Reports. Representative Harris, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: recommends be adopted, Motions to Concur for Senate Amendment(s) 2 for House Bill 260, Senate Amendment(s) 2 for House Bill 1568, Senate Amendment(s) 1 and 2 for House Bill 4501, and Senate Amendment(s) 5 for House Bill 5186; and approved for consideration, referred to the Order of Resolutions is Senate Joint Resolution 55."
"On page 10 of the Calendar appears House Bill 4688, Representative DeLuca. Representative DeLuca."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is the Bill that urges the Mayor of Chicago to keep her promise and put the Columbus statue back up. My apologies, my apologies, Mr. Speaker. That's the wrong the Bill. My apologies. Mr. Speaker, I move to concur with Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 4688. And this is an omnibus debt limitation of school districts Amendment that will allow six different school districts, with voter approval on the June 28, 2022 Primary Election, the ability to exempt the increase bonding authority from 10200102.docx 97 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 debt limit calculations. The six school districts are the Mahomet-Seymour, Highland, Manhattan, New Berlin, Golf, and Sullivan. The Illinois School Code requires the Illinois General Assembly to take action and approve the ability for these school districts to put this type of referendum on the ballot that will allow the school district voters the ability to decide on whether bond issues should be issued for school construction purposes. I ask for your support. Thank you."
"On this question, Representative Davidsmeyer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Do… do we still have time to amend this Bill to add the Columbus statue? I'm just kidding. So, we spoke earlier. My understanding is that this is by voter referendum. So, the voters choose whether they can do this. Is that correct?"
"That is correct."
"Okay. Thank you. You'll have my support."
"Seeing no one seeking… Representative Bourne… or Leader Bourne."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"I voted 'no' yesterday in committee and had a couple of concerns but have since talked to a couple of school districts. So, I just have a couple of questions for you, if that's okay. So, typically our primary is when?"
"Well, it's in the spring typically."
"In March before Session ends, right?"
"Yes." 10200102.docx 98 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"And since Session ends after Session… since the primary is after Session this year, they would have to wait until Veto Session for this to be approved and to get bonds. Is that right? If we don’t approve this today and we wait until November to pass this legislation, they could not move forward with their project until November."
"Well, this must be done during an election year, and the referendum can be done before or after the election."
"Right. So, one of my concerns in committee was is this…"
"Before this action, I meant. Before this action."
"Right. So, one of my concerns in committee was, is this… is their precedent for us to allow this before the vote takes place? And after talking to the Sponsor in the Senate, it makes sense to me that we would do this now in order for them to issue bonds following the primary and not have to wait as interest rates are going up until their Legislature would approve this in November. So, my question essentially to you is, does authorizing this before the primary, if the voters approve of this, allow for saving taxpayer dollars on interest?"
"Well, my counsel here is advising me that, yes."
"Yes. I just want to say I think it's fiscally irresponsible to do it before the primary, which was one of my concerns yesterday. Thank you."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition, Representative DeLuca to close."
"Please vote 'yes'. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 4688?' All those in favor 10200102.docx 99 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 signify by voting 'yes'; opposed 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 93 voting 'yes', 19 voting 10200102.docx 100 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 'no', 1 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 4688. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Gordon-Booth on House Bill 4736. Leader Gordon-Booth."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to move to concur with Senate Amendments 1, 3, and 4."
"Could you briefly explain them, Leader?"
"Yes. House Bill 4736 and the Senate Amendments 1, 3, and 4 are very similar to the… to the measure that we passed out of here, House Bill 1095, two days ago. This is the Bill that creates the Co-Responder Pilot. It also has the Violent Crime Witness Protection in this policy as well. The difference is, is that this piece has the Illinois State Police homicide investigator training added to the legislation as well."
"On this question, Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Representative, what's the… this is part of the crime- ish package, right, that you guys are doing?"
"Yes."
"And what specifically… you have four… you have the pilot program. We talked about this the other day, Springfield and a few other ones. How is this different than what we had voted on the other day?"
"The difference is, is that the measure that we passed out, 1095, two days ago, did not have the Illinois State Police homicide investigator training as a part of the 10200102.docx 101 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 policy. This one does. And then also, the one that we passed out… excuse me, did not have the victim and witness tip hotline that will be a part of ICJIA. And the other addition is that there is a Crime Reduction Task Force that's going to be seated by Senate President Harmon, House Speaker Welch, the Senate Minority Leader, House Minority Leader Durkin, as well as another… the typical slate of folks who you have that end up seating individuals on a task force."
"Okay. And to remind… to remind my Members and to… help me if I'm wrong here. This is the pilot program for the four municipalities that have social workers riding along with police, correct?"
"It is."
"Okay. This is subject to appropriation, I believe. Is that correct?"
"It is."
"Do you know if we're going to see BIMP any time before adjournment day ends that would include… do you know if it's in there or not in there?"
"I hope… I hope so. I haven’t seen it. I haven't seen the BIMP yet, though. But I hope it's in there."
"Okay. So, you haven’t seen the BIMP either?"
"I have not."
"Okay. No more questions. Thank you."
"Thank you."
Speaker Hoffman: "Representative Guerrero-Cuellar. Guerrero- Cuellar."
"Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. That is correct. Will the Sponsor yield?" 10200102.docx 102 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Representative, the Violent Crime Witness Protective Act under your HB1095 expressly provides that all persons are eligible regardless of the immigration status. Is that the intent of this HB4736?"
"Yes. And although House Bill 1095 included the expressed language, there is nothing that precludes victims or witnesses from receiving assistance because an individual is unauthorized to be present in U.S. or its territories."
"Thank you for that clarification and explanation."
"On this question, Representative Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Leader, just some questions. On the social workers, we discussed some of this in committee on the prior Bill that came through. The co-responders who were social workers, some of their duties are similar to crime victim advocates that work in state's attorney offices. And the question asked in committee, I wanted to make sure I understood correctly. That… this model is not designed to replace the efforts of those victims' advocates. Is that correct?"
"Absolutely not. The crime victims' advocates that work in many court houses across this state are amazing individuals that walk with people in some of the most challenging times of their lives. We absolutely would not want to supplant them or remove them from the process. They are a critical portion of the process." 10200102.docx 103 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Would you tell me again the name of the task force that's created?"
"It's called the Crime Reduction Task Force."
"How is that different in purpose than the currently constituted Public Safety and Violence Prevention Task Force?"
"Representative, I'm not as familiar with that one."
"That is a current task force that’s operating with cochairs Ford and Hurley, myself as the Republican spokesperson. We've been meeting to discuss several grants as well as talking with law enforcement. What would be the ultimate purpose of the task force created by this?"
"I would say the differences is who seeks… likely who seeks the individuals of this particular task force. As stated before, there will be: two Senators, appointed by the Senate President; two State Reps, appointed by the Speaker; two State Senators, appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; two State Representatives, appointed by the House Minority Leader; the Director of ISP; the Attorney General designee; a retired judge; a representative from a statewide association representing state's attorneys, appointed by the Governor; a representative of a statewide association representing public defenders, appointed by the Governor; the executive director of a statewide association representing county sheriffs; the executive director of a statewide association representing chiefs of police; a representative of a statewide organization protecting civil liberties, appointed by the Governor; two justice-involved members of the public; four justice-involved members of the public, 10200102.docx 104 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 appointed one by each of the Legislative Leaders of the General Assembly; a Representative of a statewide organization of municipalities. So, what it looks like is the… the scope of this work is a little bit more complex than I think that what was crafted here in the House."
"And how long will the task force operate? Is there a date to present a report?"
"March 1, 2024."
"That's when the task force is to complete its work and submit a report?"
"Yes."
"Thank you. Appreciate you answering my questions."
"Thank you."
"Leader Gordon-Booth to close."
"I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments 1, 3, and 4 to House Bill 4736?' Those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; those opposed vote 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." 10200102.docx 105 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 109 voting 'yes', 2 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendments #1, 3, 4 to House Bill 4736. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Remaining on page 10 of the Calendar, appears House Bill 4813, Leader Gordon-Booth."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to move to concur with Senate Amendment 2. Senate Amendment 2 is a reflection of… it's a reflection of work that happened in the Senate specific to… resulting in… it was the result of successful negotiations between union and management to ensure that school districts make an effort to adhere to the five contractual preferences outlined in the Bill. The five 10200102.docx 106 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 preferences are not a requirement, but the Amendment requires the school districts to at least make the simple effort. Again, I'd like to move to concur with Senate Amendment 2."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 4813?' All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; opposed vote 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver." 10200102.docx 107 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'."
"Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wished? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 115 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 4813. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Hernandez on House Bill 5214. Representative Hernandez." Hernandez, L.: "Thank you, Speaker. Motion to concur Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 5214. It's… there are changes that were made on the request of the Illinois State Board of Education."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 5214?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes." 10200102.docx 108 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'."
"Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wished? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 115 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 1514 (sic-5214). And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Ford on House Bill 5439."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I didn’t think you would ever call my name. I move to concur with Senate Amendment #1 and 2 to House Bill 5439. I'll take any questions. I urge an 'aye' vote."
"Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will." 10200102.docx 109 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative, this is like introducing a new Bill. So, the question is, can you tell us about the Bill a little bit?"
"Absolutely. There are some concerns in Senate Amendment #1. This deals with the problems that we're seeing with street sideshows. And so, we're working with law enforcement to make sure that we can deter those type of acts on our highways, and that’s what Senate Amendment #1 does. And Senate Amendment #2 deals with salvaging of dealers. They've been having a lot of problems with moving the cars out of the salvage yards, so this would help speed up that process."
"So, this is about cars and salvage yards and people doing street performance?"
"All about cars. Fords."
"I'm sorry?"
"It's all about cars."
"Oh, the street performance is about cars."
"Yep."
"Okay. I thought it was like a juggler trying to get money on the side."
"No."
"Okay. All right."
"Law enforcement likes this."
"I'm sorry?"
"Law enforcement likes this Bill."
"Okay. What was the genesis of this Bill?"
"The genesis is to make sure that we deter sidecar stunts on highways in our state."
"Okay. I appreciate it. Thank you very much." 10200102.docx 110 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you."
"Representative Lewis."
"To the Bill. Hearing this Bill in committee, I recommend our side you have an 'aye' vote. Thank you."
"Representative Ford to close."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members of the House. I urge an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments #1 and 2 to House Bill 5439?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley." 10200102.docx 111 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendments #1 and 2 to House Bill 5439. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Evans in the Chair."
"On page 8 of the Calendar, under the Order of Concurrences. We have House Bill 716, Leader Hoffman. Leader Hoffman is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask that we concur in Senate Amendments #2 and 3 to House Bill 716. House Bill 716 is a step in insuring that our judiciary remains above reproach and takes it out in large part of the big money campaigns that we've seen so much in the judiciary. First of all, it would provide a Public Financing of Judicial Elections Task Force who would look at that issue of the possibility of public financing. In addition, it would limit the… the amount that an individual self-funded political committee candidate could give and could not exceed $500 thousand in any election cycle. Further, it would limit independent expenditure committees, and it would indicate that it cannot accept contributions any longer from any single source that exceeds $500 thousand in any election cycle. I believe that this will go a long way to making sure that circuit judge races, Appellate Court judge races, and also Supreme Court judge 10200102.docx 112 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 races are free of the politics and the big money spending that we've seen over and over in our judicial races. And I ask that we concur."
"Any discussion? We have Representative Spain."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill. Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, I particularly appreciated the words of the Sponsor and the earnestness of making sure that our elections for the judicial branch are free of politics. I find it incredibly rich and immensely hypocritical to hear those words uttered. Let's just review the series of events that happened in the Illinois judiciary over the last couple of years. In 2020, a sitting Supreme Court Justice was not retained for the first time in recent memory, perhaps under the current composition of the court for the last 60 to 70 years. And so, in response to that Democrat not being retained, what did the rest of the Democrat leaders do in this state? You went about redistricting the Supreme Court in the State of Illinois. And now, here you are making further changes to rig the rules of the game and cheat the system so that it can benefit you in the next election. I strongly urge a 'no' vote."
Speaker Evans: "Representative Ugaste is recognized. Representative Batinick is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Leader Hoffman, we were having so much fun with Bills that weren’t like this. I was hoping we'd get through the entire part of Session without… without having a tough one 10200102.docx 113 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 like this. But I got to ask right off the bat, honestly, what's the genesis of this piece of legislation?"
"Well, I think the genesis is to follow of what so many other states have done. Other states have said that there are going to be limits to this dark money that goes into these races, especially when it comes to the judiciary that is supposed to ensure and make decisions, not based on politics, but make decisions based on the facts and the law. So, this is attempting to address that issue, the historic amount of dark money that's going into these races. And I think this would stop it."
"Well, as one of the previous speakers from Peoria said, it's interesting that it's being brought at this time. Not when large sums of money were used for other races, including judicial races in the past where things worked out to your favor. To the Bill. This is a long list. I wrote an article that was covered nationwide. Every time we do election 'reform' in this Body, it's to benefit one side of the aisle. It's not about making things fair. It's not about expanding the vote. It's about tilting the vote through the way we write laws. Whether it be voting from jail, whether it be only mailing absentee ballot applications to people who voted in the 2018 election, which was wave Democratic year. Whether it be about passing legislation where in rural areas you have to drive to the clerk's office to do same day voter registration but in urban areas you get to walk to any precinct. Time after time after time. I urge you to read that piece of legislation. I would really like to see legislation on elections that was 10200102.docx 114 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 about making them free and fair for both sides of the aisle instead of one. I urge a 'no' vote."
"Thank you. The Chair will implement a three- minute timer moving forward. Representative Ammons is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield for a quick question?"
"He indicates that he will."
"Representative Hoffman, will this Bill prevent dark money from being used in judicial races?"
"It will limit the amount of money that can be used in judicial races by limiting it to $500 thousand for independent expenditures from any one source. In addition, the provisions of the Bill indicate the… the Amendment indicates… yeah, the Senate Amendments indicates… the Amendment prohibits these political committees from entities not required to disclose their contributions unless the political committee reports to the State Board of Elections all persons making contributions more than $500. So, this will ensure, number one, that the folk… people that are making the contributions, that it go… their names are at the State Board of Elections in our reports so you know who it is. And then secondly, there is a limit on the… on the amount."
"So, this action will create a publicly-financed campaign fund basically?"
"No. The Publicly Financed Campaign Task Force is going to do its work and make recommendations. This does not require public financing, no." 10200102.docx 115 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you. To the Bill. This is reminiscent of a Bill that I filed in 2015 when I first joined the General Assembly. And the purpose of filing that Bill at the time is because, when I ran for office, it was a very uneven and unfair process for me to do so. I didn’t have a lot of money. I didn’t come from wealth. I wasn’t supported by the unions. And I certainly wasn’t supported by the Democratic Leadership at the time. And this example is exactly what we need to be doing to address the unequal and uneven process by which Members and people can become elected officials in this Body. And so, I hope through the task force work it will also reveal that we need to look at public financing for all of these offices and remove all the special interests on both sides of the aisle and on both sides of this issue. And at the time when I came in, the then Speaker of the House almost laughed at me about the reform that I put forth in this chamber and would not discharge it from Rules. The people should ask for this across the board. And I thank the Sponsor for bringing this to the table because this shows us there's a path to get there. And I do urge an 'aye' vote."
"Thank you, Representative. Representative Ozinga is recognized."
"Will the speaker yield?"
"Indicated he will."
"Representative Hoffman, would you say this is a very important Bill in order to move ethics forward in the State of Illinois?"
"Well, I think that it's fundamental, in this country and in this state, the importance of maintaining public trust 10200102.docx 116 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 in a legal process. By limiting the amount of independent expenditures and requiring disclosure, I believe that that could do that."
"That's great. I'm really happy and excited to hear you say that. Could you explain to me why, if this is such an important move forward ethically, why it only applies to the court races and not to the General Assembly races as well?"
"Because I think that you'll find the… the court cases in other states and the U.S. Supreme Court have drawn a distinction between election laws and contributions surrounding court elections as opposed to legislative and executive branch elections. And it's clear that jurisprudence before and after Citizens United has clearly established that judicial campaigns are fundamentally different than other more political elections. So, that is why we believe this is constitutional, and that's why it focuses on the judicial."
"Okay. I understand the jurisprudence and certainly has standing in the law. But in this Body, if we're actually trying to affect the ethics in the future of the State of Illinois, why would we not try to prevent any 'dark money' from coming to any of these races, whether it be judicial or House or Senate or anything else?"
"Representative, if we could do that and you could do it in a legal manner, I'd vote 'yes' on that Bill if you had it."
"Okay. Well, I appreciate that. Thank you."
"Representative Caulkins is recognized."
"Inquiry of the Chair. I know some people in this chamber feel privileged, but I didn’t think it was proper to 10200102.docx 117 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 display banners, signs, extraneous materials on the House Floor, and I'd ask that they be removed."
"Representative… Representative Caulkins, in my experience, I've seen many signs for advocacy hung in this General Assembly. It's my understanding that the… on both sides, I've seen it many, many times. My understanding that the rules are silent to this particular action. Representative Stuart is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just… I felt the need as someone who's worked a lot recently on election issues, I really take exception to a previous comment to claim that everything we've ever done has a partisan nature. Just yesterday… yesterday, in this room, we passed a really important piece of election reform. Had an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, and it actually passed the Senate unanimously. We made sure that people with print disabilities have the ability to vote privately and independently when they used a vote by mail system. There's nothing partisan about having a print disability. We've also made sure that we make it available for people to use vote by mail because some individuals lack access to transportation, some individuals have a really hard time getting around and don’t want to risk bad weather in November. There are also individuals who work jobs where they can't plan ahead. If there's a big storm and electricians get called down to South Carolina to respond, they're not going to be here on election day. They can vote early or they can vote by mail to make sure that they can have their voice heard. There's nothing partisan about making 10200102.docx 118 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 sure that everybody can vote. So, I just needed to put that on the record that that claim is just false."
"Representative Mazzochi is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"Thank you, Leader Hoffman. Looking at your task force requirements, while I see that the task force is going to be considering a whole host of issues in terms of the amount of funds raised by past candidates for judicial office, the amount of money contributed, one thing I didn’t see listed here was the slating process that political parties engage in when it comes to judicial candidates. Why is that?"
"That's the process that the various parties, Republicans and Democrats, undertake. It doesn't keep someone from running."
"Well… can you think of a single Illinois Supreme Court Justice from Cook County who's gotten elected in the last, oh, I don’t know, say 50 or so years who was not slated by the Cook County Democratic Party?"
"I'm not from Cook County, so I don’t know."
"Right. Well, can you identify for me any Democratic Illinois Supreme Court Justice who didn’t make it through the Democratic Party… the Cook County Democratic Party judicial slating process?"
"I don’t have that knowledge."
"Are you aware of any judges who are currently sitting as judges in Cook County who didn’t make it through the Democrat… the Cook County Democratic Party judicial slating process?" 10200102.docx 119 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Are you talking about circuit judges as well…"
"Yeah."
"…and associate judges? I'm sure there are."
"Well, can you name at least one?"
"I don’t have that information."
"All right. I noticed that one of the things that’s not… that you're not asking your task force to look at when it comes to integrity of Illinois judges. Are you looking at the issue of nepotism when it comes to Illinois judgeships?"
"It's not on the task force."
"Right."
"So… you're saying that someone is related to someone else? One's a judge and one brother wants to be a judge, they shouldn't be allowed to do that?"
"Well, don’t you think that if we're going to be talking about…"
"What about… what about mayors? Should… should sons of mayors be able to be mayors? I think they should."
"…judicial independence and integrity, we should be… or things that might influence judges, that we should be looking at the fact, for example, that we have an alderman who's been indicted for federal corruption and happens… who just happens to be married to the Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice? You think that's an issue that maybe your task force should be looking at?"
"Do you think that sons of mayors should not be able to be mayors? I'm for that mayor over there, and I'm glad he's the mayor of Rosemont. He does a good job. Should he not be able to be mayor because he's a son of a former mayor?" 10200102.docx 120 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"I'm just asking the question about judges, Sir."
"To be quite honest with you… to be quite honest with you, I…"
"You wanted to make a distinction between elected officials and judges."
"…I didn’t hear your question, if you want to say it again."
"Sure."
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"I'd like to ask for a little bit more time, Mr. Speaker? This is an important issue."
"One minute. Please continue."
"Well, what about when it comes to our own Speaker of the House. I mean, are you… have you looked into whether any of those issues are going to start impacting the independence and integrity of the judicial system?"
"Was that a question? I'm sorry."
"Well, in the funding sources."
"I'm sorry. I didn’t get the question."
"All right. Well, since the Speaker wants to cut me off, I'll just go to the Bill. This is yet another instance where this is not about protecting the integrity of the judiciary. This is once again, in Illinois, the political machine that's in power is trying to protect its own. We know full well that the only reason why we were able to get a new judge… or I'm sorry, a judge who was part of the Democratic Party political machine for the first time not actually re- elected is because you had outside funds or independent funds that were being spent that could actually outweigh, for the 10200102.docx 121 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 first time, the power of the political machine. So, what does the political machine here in Illinois decide they want to do? They're going to say, forget that. We're not going to allow that to happen again. We're going to protect the political insiders, protect the cozy little Cook County judicial slating process that ensures that there is no candidate independent of the machine who gets elected to judicial office. This is a bad Bill. This is going to create judges that where their integrity is always going to be presumed compromised, not intact. Vote 'no'."
"Representative Davidsmeyer is recognized."
"Thank you, everybody. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You're doing a great job up there. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"Jay, you also did a wonderful job in the Chair."
"Thank you."
"Earlier in committee, I mentioned something specific to me. I'm… I'm a contractor, road contractor. And the State of Illinois passed a Bill that says that anyone who does work with the state, if it's… if the contract is executed through the Executive Branch, they cannot donate to that Executive Branch. I assume that you were probably here when that passed. Is that correct?"
"I recall it, yes."
"Okay. Do you think… does this do anything to limit the investment of lawyers that will be going before these judges? Does it limit their ability to donate to a judge that they will possibly being going before?" 10200102.docx 122 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"It does not. However, the Public Finance Judicial Election Task Force would look at whether you… we would eventually go to public financing on judicial races, which would then limit any individual contributions."
"Then… so… but it's just a task force? It doesn't require them to come to something and require us to pass something. It's just a task force, correct?"
"Yes."
"Okay. You mentioned other states that we are following. What are those other states that we're following with this legislation?"
"I think what I was… well, a lot of other states don’t have an elective process. They will have an appointed process where the Governor would put somebody forward, and then possibly the Senate would… would confirm. That happens in states. As a matter of fact, that happens federally. We, by our Constitution, have chosen to have an elected process. So, therefore, when I made reference to other states, I was making reference to the fact that some of them don’t have elections. They appoint judges."
"So, you weren’t referring to California, and New York, New Jersey?"
"I don’t know how they do it. I do know…"
"The states we normally follow."
"…I do know that there have been several cases in Minnesota, the Republican Party of Minnesota v. White, the Caperton party… or Caperton v. Massey Coal, I believe that was in West Virginia, and the William-Yulee v. Florida Bar. Those are all cases in which the court has indicated that 10200102.docx 123 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 judicial races and judicial elections can be treated differently than legislative."
"Okay. So, my next question, are you aware of the reputation of East St. Louis nationally, with regards to courts, the region, the East St. Louis region?"
"Do you mean…"
"With…"
"There is no court system…"
"So, I'll just go and… judicial hell hole, have you heard it called that?"
"I've heard Republicans call it that, yes. Like you."
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"Which certain… certainly makes sense. I would certainly say it is. So, this does nothing to clear up the judicial hell hole in that area, in that region?"
"What this does is it requires that individuals who contribute, they have to… they have to themselves known and it limits independent expenditures."
"So, the area of that region…"
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"I will. Thank you. The area of that region that has recently gone Republican, you are working to get rid of that. I urge a 'no' vote. This shouldn't be political. This is the Judicial Branch, a separate but equal branch that should not be treated this way. It's a disservice, and it's absolutely ridiculous that we're even doing this. Vote 'no'."
"Representative Friess is recognized. David."
"Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will." 10200102.docx 124 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Hoffman, if an individual wanted to donate to your campaign, how much money could they donate?"
"I think it… whatever it is under State Board of Elections."
"Okay."
"This wouldn't change that. This would only apply to self-funded campaigns and apply to independent expenditure committees."
"Okay. So, an individual committee can… they're limited in what they could donate to a judicial campaign?"
"Currently. And there's limits to us too."
"Okay."
"I apologize. I think… I don’t want to be wrong, but I think it's somewhere around $6 thousand individuals and, like, 12 thousand corporations can give. I could be wrong."
"Okay."
"And then political actions committee can give, like, 59,900."
"Okay. And… so, if I'm looking at the analysis right, they're going to be limited to, is it 500 thousand? Am I reading that right?"
"They could not receive a single source that exceeds 500 thousand."
"Okay."
"In an election cycle."
"From… from an individual group?"
"Yeah. Independent expenditure committees established in support or opposing a candidate before the Supreme Court, the Appellate Court, or the Circuit Court may not accept 10200102.docx 125 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 contributions from any single source that exceeds 500 thousand in any election cycle."
"Okay. Is there something that would prevent an individual from putting together multiple groups to boost that expenditure limit?"
"I apologize. I think we're… there's a difference between these types of committees and individual representative or judicial candidate committees. These are… these committees are established to support or oppose a candidate, but they aren’t the individual campaign committee like you or I may have. Okay?"
"Right."
"They're independent expenditure committees."
"Okay. Yeah. So… but there's… you could have multiple independent expenditure committees, correct? Supporting a candidate?"
"I guess."
"Okay."
"I assume so."
"All right. I don’t…"
"I don’t think… I don’t believe that we could prohibit that."
"Okay. Thank you for your time."
"Representative Ugaste is recognized."
"Thank you. To the Bill. I was going to defer speaking on this, and I changed my mind as I listened to this about how judicial elections need to be independent and they need to be outside the political process. We were down here this summer, this past summer, and we were talking about the redistricting 10200102.docx 126 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 of the Supreme Court, redistricting for the first time in 60 some years. And I was told, for some reason, now more than ever it had to be done, and I'm certain it probably did. It probably needed to be done a long time ago to keep up with the population trends of the State of Illinois. And we're told tonight we're going to follow the lead of other states, try and keep things independent. But at that time, when I was suggesting that we keep things independent, that we have an independent body actually draw our judicial map so that it is completely free of the political process, the Sponsor of that Bill couldn't even tell me what the word independent meant. He had no idea. But now, all of the sudden, we know what independence means and we know what it means to keep it out of the political process. I hope the people of the State of Illinois are paying attention and seeing what's happening as they're going to come up on this next election cycle. Because as our Leader, our Floor Leader said, maybe not every Bill, but certainly most of these Bills are being slanted for one side of the aisle. And if they just pay a little bit of attention, they will clearly see that. Because I also heard how important it is that we do this to keep the big money out, but it apparently is only in an election year where someone feels they may be outspent. Because some of the people here on the other side of the aisle that are involved in this, and I'm sure will be supporting this, have been here through other election cycles. Yet, I don’t recall ever hearing of a Bill like this before. It wasn't important two years ago. It wasn’t important four years ago or even 10 years ago. But now, all the sudden, it's important. I urge a 'no' vote." 10200102.docx 127 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Leader Hoffman to close."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. Just real briefly. Some of the comments like, we need outside money to be able to compete. Some of the comments like, we shouldn't have relatives, like in-laws, maybe serving in the… on the House Floor. Maybe that should be a law. I don’t think so. But some of the comments basically defending the current system, where dark money, where people hide behind the structure of a committee and don’t have to disclose their names and there's no limit to it in judicial races, I think is something that we… is good to get rid of. And I just ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #2 and 3 to House Bill 716?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes." 10200102.docx 128 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Can you say that with your camara on, please?"
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Could you say it one more time with the camara on, please?"
"Yes, again, with the camara on."
"Representative Tarver 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 71 voting 'yes', 43 voting 'no', and 0 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendments #2 and 3 to House Bill 716. And this Bill, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report."
"Rules Report. Representative Harris, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: recommends be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 2 to House Bill 10200102.docx 129 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 3850, Senate Amendment… Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 4481, Senate Amendment(s) 2 to House Bill 5012, and Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 5488."
"Moving forward to page 10 in the Calendar, Order of Concurrences. We have House Bill 4666, Leader Hoffman. Hoffman on the Concurrence."
"Yes, I… I ask that we concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4666. This is the nurse staffing Bill that was put forward by the Health Care Council of Illinois, Leading Age Illinois Health Care Association, and the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition, as well as supported by the Hospital Association. As you know, we've all heard horror stories about the cost that long-term care facilities and hospitals are paying for nurses. This would prohibit nurse staffing agencies from entering into covenants not to compete with nurses at CNAs… or and CNAs. Will prohibit conversion… conversion fees for our employees who leave staffing agencies to work at individual health care facilities. Requires disclosure of rates charged and various transparency items. Prohibits staffing agencies from poaching employees on the premises of health care facilities. And requires 100 percent of the hourly pay rate of nurses and CNAs employed by staffing agencies to go directly to the employee. And finally, it creates new licensure requirements and penalties for staffing agencies, including increased liability insurance and increased fines for noncompliance. I believe that this passed unanimously through the Senate. This was negotiated. And I believe it is fair and is going to reform that industry." 10200102.docx 130 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
Speaker Evans: "Is there any discussion? Leader Brady for questions."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Representative Hoffman, I just want to make sure. Do… you don’t have funeral director and nurses confused here, do you?"
"No. No, I don’t."
"Okay. Thank you very much."
"Leader Batinick is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"Representative, this has been something that’s really been pushed… been around the Capitol in different iterations and talked about for a long time. It looks like you removed most of the opposition. Is Bridgemark Healthcare still opposed to it?"
"I think they may be. We had the staff… individuals… the organization and the individuals that represent the staffing agency were part of negotiations. They weren’t happy with everything, but they did generally… we did generally have them part of it all, and we ran everything by them. They have not signed off on everything, though. No."
"Okay. And why wasn’t like the interstate compact part of this? I mean, we have a nursing shortage. Part of the reason is, is it's not as easy to pull in nurses from other states. And that’s another thing that I know I've been hit up a lot about is making it easier for nurses from other states to become nurses in Illinois. And it seems like that is really exacerbated the problem in Illinois." 10200102.docx 131 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"I agree with you. And I support and I'm a cosponsor of the interstate compact. To be quite honest with you, I don’t believe in our negotiations that ever came up."
"Okay. All right. No further questions. Thank you."
"Leader Hoffman to close."
"I ask for a favorable roll call."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4666?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 132 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 101 voting 'aye', 11 voting 'nay', and 2 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4666. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Avelar, for what reason do you seek recognition? Moving to Supplemental Calendar #1, under House Bills… excuse me, under Concurrences. We have House Bill 260, Representative Ann Williams. Representative Ann Williams is recognized." Williams, A.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur in Senate… I'm sorry, Amendment #2. This Bill also deals with the expressway cameras and makes a few substantive changes. First, we explicitly state that cameras can be used along DuSable Lake Shore Drive. We also established some guardrails as to the use of these cameras, limits the offenses for which you can use the cameras, provides for an annual review of the pilot program, as well as extending the date. Makes some other changes. Happy to answer any questions."
"Leader Batinick is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?" 10200102.docx 133 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Indicated she will."
"Representative, it's obviously harder for all of us to have a handle on these Bills 'cause a lot of them went through committee, literally, earlier today with Amendments and everything else. And I'm not as good as some other people are at looking at language and absorbing everything as quickly. I usually have to study in advance. So, forgive me if I'm asking some questions maybe you hope to have the answers to. I think the biggest question I have with this particular piece of legislation is, is why does… why do the charges that could be used with camera seem so watered down? Like limited in scope." Williams, A.: "Well, I would disagree with that characterization. The cameras are allowed to be used for the incidents that are most likely to find them useful. For example, forcible felony, which of course is a broad list of offenses. We also have aggravated vehicular hijacking, which is what we've been talking about all day, terrorism, and other similar offenses. So, these are… these are offenses where the State Police have told me that the use of these cameras has already proven to be extremely useful. Law enforcement is turning to technology to do what they are calling precision policing. They are not just going around pulling people over randomly trying to, you know, find criminal conduct. They are being alerted to incidents based on the use of these cameras and able to follow up and actually catch the offenders."
"Okay, Representative. Thank you very much. I'm going to turn it over to some of the more prosecutor type attorneys on my side of the aisle that seem to have a little bit of a 10200102.docx 134 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 disagreement with what can be… this Bill can be used for, but thank you." Williams, A.: "Sure."
"Representative Brady is recognized."
"Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Representative, I might be a Amendment or two behind this myself, but is this mandating a study, a feasibility study, on the use of digital license plates?" Williams, A.: "The use of…"
"I'm sorry." Williams, A.: "I'm sorry. Could you repeat your question?"
"Sure. Is this, within this legislation, mandating a study by the Secretary of State's Office on digital plates?" Williams, A.: "That is not included in this Bill."
"Okay. Thank you." Williams, A.: "Sure."
"Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Representative Williams, going through the list of offenses that you had detailed earlier in the Bill, we had a similar Bill to this that we heard this week. Do you recall that?" Williams, A.: "Yes."
"And it appears that the offenses are expanded from that prior Bill. Is that a fair statement?" Williams, A.: "I don’t recall the specific offenses listed in the Bill, but I'm happy to share what's in this version." 10200102.docx 135 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Okay. One of the offenses that was included in this, that I don’t recall in the prior one, involved motor vehicle theft." Williams, A.: "Okay."
"There were some others, though, that were suggested at that… in that debate that are not included, such as aggravated DUI, possession of a stolen vehicle, aggravated fleeing, eluding a police officer, which is a pursuit at a high rate of speed. Was there any consideration to adding those vehicle-related offenses to this?" Williams, A.: "Well, you now, this… the good thing about this is it's a pilot program. There is a report required to be issued every year by the State Police. So, we will be able to evaluate the efficacy of the program as it goes along. So, I'm sure if we identify other offenses that it would be useful to include, we can consider that at that time."
"Thank you. To the Bill. As is outlined in the prior Bill that we heard along this same subject, I think expanding this program is a good thing. I just believe the inclusion of other offenses that are vehicle related should've… should've occurred. Thank you."
"Representative Mazzochi is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"One of the things I'm concerned about, Representative Williams, is that some of the changes that you've got in HB260 don’t actually match to many of the changes that were made in HB1103. So, I'd like to get your thoughts on how, if both of these pass, the Governor is supposed to reconcile these. 10200102.docx 136 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Because it… because we're now passing two pieces of legislation that are going to say different things in the same spot. So, when it comes to the camera program, subsection (a), I appreciate that you're adding in Lake Shore Drive in Cook County, but you're also adding in new language where details about the program objectives, counties where the program is operational, and policies under which the program operates shall be made publicly available and posted online. So, is that just supposed to apply to Cook County or is that supposed to apply to all of the counties that were added in HB1103?" Williams, A.: "I think it would apply to all the counties."
"All right. And… but of course then if that's so, then why was your language not added into 1103?" Williams, A.: "Well, I think some of these issues have evolved. We certainly listened to the floor debate on Leader Greenwood's Bill and incorporated some of the suggestions there. The goal here is to balance law enforcement with the interest of privacy of regular citizens not to be surveilled. So, we tried to strike the balance here by adding a few guardrails."
"Well… well, wait a minute. So, are you… so, is this something that ACLU wanted in your Bill that did not make its way into Leader Greenwood's Bill?" Williams, A.: "Well, again, this has been an evolving process. I believe this was drafted today and after we heard the debate last night. I don’t know that this in direct response to that, but I heard a lot of conversation on the floor that I think we incorporate in this version." 10200102.docx 137 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Okay. One of the other things that you've got in here… so, the… Leader Greenwood's language in HB1103 said that images from the cameras may be used. That was in Representative Jones' original language. And you've now changed it to images from the cameras may be extracted. What do you consider to be the difference between those two?" Williams, A.: "Well, I think if you extract the images, that’s a technical term for utilizing those. We do have language elsewhere in the Bill that says that trained law enforcement… these are law enforcement that are specifically trained in how to use these images for law enforcement purposes. They can access the images. So, I don’t think it’s a material difference."
"All right. Well, you know, I mean, you deliberately made a change so that’s why I'm operating under the assumption that you meant to do something with that. So, if I understand you, extracted, you consider that to be a narrower scope than used?" Williams, A.: "I think it's more specific term, more detailed. I don’t know that it's… again, I don’t think it's a material issue, just as a practical matter."
"All right. Well, in HB1103, we were pretty specific that images from the cameras may be used by an authorized municipal police department, county sheriff's office, State Police officer, other law enforcement agency with jurisdiction. Now you've just changed it to a more generic authorized user and used by any municipal police department, county sheriffs, et cetera. So, who's the authorized user 10200102.docx 138 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 that's distinct from the police department, county sheriff's office, et cetera?" Williams, A.: "Okay. Point me to the exact paragraph that you're referring to."
"Yeah. I'm on page 11 in your Bill, lines 17 through 18. Whereas, in HB1103…" Williams, A.: "Oh, okay. Gotcha."
"…I'm on page 12, lines 11 to 12." Williams, A.: "Yeah. Well, the reason for the addition of the language 'any authorized user' is to reference the fact that those users are trained law enforcement officers that are trained specifically in the usage of camera images. It is a new technology. It doesn't… not any police officer is going to be able to understand how to utilize these for law enforcement and criminal investigation purposes. So, this is part of… this references is a training. So, I don’t think it excludes the other entities. It just adds that, within those departments, they need to be authorized trained users."
"Well, wait. Where are you… where are you defining then in your legislation author… what it means to be an authorized user?" Williams, A.: "It's under definition, line 10… I'm sorry, lines 12 through 14, page 10. Authorized user means a designated peace officer or member of law enforcement personnel who has received training in the review and use of images and associated technology."
"Right. Well, I'm really concerned about this because now what you seem to be doing here is… you know, one of the reasons why this can be used effectively to try to target 10200102.docx 139 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 criminal activity is precisely because it can be used in real time. So, now, by making this new class of authorized user, there's no guarantee that every member of law enforcement is going to meet whatever is this training requirement that you've put in place. So, you're actually… so, you may now be taking the very thing that we think is valuable, the ability to use the expressway cameras in real time to try to find active shooters and you're going to say, well, no, only if somebody is actually a trained person according to some nebulous standard within your department. I mean, I'm not… how's that going to actually work? Because are you…"
"Please bring your remarks to a close." Williams, A.: "Yeah. I'm happy to answer that question. That’s where the extracted piece comes in. So, any law enforcement officer can't go and extract the images from… from the cameras themselves. That does not preclude an officer that is on the highway system from using it. What happens is, as a practical matter… and I was just speaking with the State Police officers about how it works as a practical matter… they receive alerts in their vehicles that X offender has been spotted at mile marker whatever, and they are able to respond in real time, knowing that these vehicles have been involved in a crime. So, this is an incredibly efficient way of investigating crime. And the extracted piece applies to the trained users removing the images, making sure we know that those images match the crime committed. So, that's a little different piece. Using… I think that's probably answering your earlier question about extract versus use. You can use images to 10200102.docx 140 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 prosecute and investigate crimes. That's separate. But the training applies to the extraction of the images."
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"All right. And when you've got your sub… one more question with your indulgence, Chair. When you've got a subsection (c-5) here, and there obviously was a subsection (c-5) in the other one, I just want to make sure that in both of these we're still allowing the Attorney General or the… to be able to go after people in connection with this, right?" Williams, A.: "Yes. This is our highest state prosecutor who is able to deal with our state level law enforcement agency, the State Police. So, yes."
"All right. That's fine. To the Bill. You know, I think it's a shame that you didn’t actually try to make sure that these Bills were actually ready so that we could have one reconciled Bill coming forward. Because now, what you're basically setting up is that the Governor's either going to have to do an Amendatory Veto or something along those lines to try to reconcile these two Bills so that they're mutually consistent with one another. And, you know, this is something that I think we need to have going in place sooner rather than later, and you're just introducing delay into the system. So, I'm really discouraged by that. Thank you."
"Representative Cassidy is recognized virtually."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Question of Sponsor."
"She indicates she will yield."
"Representative, when we… when we went through the other version the other day, one of the other areas of concern in 10200102.docx 141 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 questioning was around the FOIA exemption. Does your Bill do anything to correct for that?" Williams, A.: "There is an important change in that area. So, hearing the concerns that we heard about FOIA, this Bill kind of sunsets the FOIA limitation to… let me get the date for you. So, images from the cameras will only be prohibited from FOIA release on… until July 1, 2023. And that is because of the concerns that we did hear raised that we re-evaluate at that time and… okay, so after that time, it's available via FOIA. But if we want to make changes in the… in the practical… as a practical matter, the FOIA process is not working as intended, we can reevaluate. So, there is almost a sunset provision in there."
"I appreciate that, and I appreciate you taking a shot at fixing for that. I find it disturbing that people couldn't even FOIA their own images and find that very troubling. So, thank you for that information." Williams, A.: "Yeah. You know, I did ask… I did ask the State Police for a little more clarification on that issue. And what they informed me is that they had dealt with some abuses at the tollway level and the tollway system in terms of FOIAs being used for purposes that were harassment, divorce cases, things like that. So, that's certainly something that we can consider in the future, allowing someone to obtain their own images. It would be outside the FOIA structure, but certainly something that I'm open to."
"I don’t have a lot of sympathy for concerns about, you know, overwhelm… being overwhelmed at ISP for any of those pieces. This remains a troubling issue for me." 10200102.docx 142 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Representative. Representative Tarver for questions virtually."
"Thank you. I assume the Sponsor will yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"She?"
"She indicates that she will."
"Thanks. Rep. Williams, I know you mentioned that you all took into consideration some concerns. Page 12, line 9, can you define investigation or ongoing investigation for me?" Williams, A.: "I didn't… I wasn’t able to hear that question. I apologize. I know. Sorry."
"Sure. Can you… page 12, line 9, can you define ongoing investigation because this, unlike 1103, makes some attempt to define things? Can you define what ongoing investigation is?" Williams, A.: "I think that just would be the commonsense understanding of the term. A criminal investigation that is pending and in progress."
"Perfect. I appreciate the commonsense response. So, the issue is civil and not criminal in nature, which is you're essentially limiting the statute of limitations to 120 days as opposed to the one year someone would normally be able to sue a municipality. So, this Bill prevents the use of the camera for racial profiling, yes?" Williams, A.: "Well, I think it would… yes. Because first of all, there's explicit language."
"Right. Yes. Okay." Williams, A.: "Yep. Go ahead." 10200102.docx 143 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Exactly, explicit language. But the video must be deleted after 120 days. Is that correct as well?" Williams, A.: "It is unless the images are 'relevant to the ongoing investigation or pending criminal trial' that you referenced."
"Which both are criminal in nature, correct?" William, A.: "Ongoing investigation, I believe is a criminal."
"Right. You just defined it as a commonsense criminal investigation." Williams, A.: "Yes."
"So, criminal investigation, a pending criminal trial. What if I think I've been racially profiled and after 121 days I want that video in a civil suit? What happens? Because the shall language says only if it's an ongoing…" Williams, A.: "I don’t think you would be able to…"
"…ongoing investigation, which you defined as a criminal, and the pending trial, which is also criminal in nature. So, how does a civil judge have the ability, if I think I've been racially profiled, to allow that video to be preserved after 121 days?" Williams, A.: "I don’t believe the statute contemplates that. I am unsure if it's in contemplated in the prior Bill."
"It wasn’t. That's the discussion. You said that this… this took into contemplation the debate on the prior Bill. 1103, this is the exact debate that I had with Leader Greenwood. And so, here we are with a follow up Bill, which is also being rushed, with no time to really vet it. And what you've done is instead of a normal citizen having one year to sue a municipality, they now have 120 days or less. Because 10200102.docx 144 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 after 121 days, the shall language from Legislature does not allow a judge to say preserve the evidence. So, you've reduced someone's ability to file a lawsuit if they think they've been racially profiled." Williams, A.: "Oh, I got you. I hear what you're saying."
"And so does 1103. So, how do we fix that?" Williams, A.: "Well, I would be open to a trailer Bill to deal with the civil component and the usage of the images for civil purposes. I have not consulted with my Senate colleague who brought this forward, but I hear what you're saying."
"When does this Bill take effect? I'm sorry. I should know that, but I don’t." Williams, A.: "Pardon me?"
"Ninety days?" Williams, A.: "I'm sorry. I didn’t hear you again. I apologize. I'm having trouble."
"I'm sorry. I should lean in a little bit more." Williams, A.: "Sorry."
"Does this take effect after like 90 days or so?" Williams, A.: "We're checking the effective date. Give me a moment."
"Sure." Williams, A.: "Immediate effective date."
"That's what I thought. So, Veto Session means if I, for some reason, am racially profiled and want to file a lawsuit, after four months I can't. I mean, I can file the lawsuit, but I could not get the evidence, the very evidence to which would be used to prove that I've been profiled. So, Veto 10200102.docx 145 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 doesn't sound like a great option because that's… that's a little while from now." Williams, A.: "Gotcha."
"So, I just think before we move these Bills, like we did 1103 and this one as well, we should think about the fact that not everything is criminal nature. And if some… if we're going to say you cannot racially profile somebody, we should give people the same tools they would normally have if they feel like they might be racially profiled. We should not hamstring a judge on the civil side. So, those are just my comments. I appreciate your indulgence." Williams, A.: "Okay. Thank you. I hear you."
"Thank you, Representative. Representative Ann Williams to close." Williams, A.: "Thank you for the debate. And I'd appreciate an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no further discussion on this question, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 260?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes." 10200102.docx 146 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Obviously, no."
"Representative Tarver votes 'no'. Representative Cassidy."
"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 97 voting 'yes', 10 voting 'no', 2 voting 'present'. And this Bill does… and the House does concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 260. And this Bill, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Continuing down Supplemental Calendar #1, under Concurrences. We have House Bill 836, Representative Morgan. Representative Morgan is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur with Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 836. House Bill 836, Senate Amendment 1, deals with creating a study dealing with premium realignment to make sure that we're looking at health insurance premiums. This really dovetails to what we discussed over the last couple weeks about the increasing 10200102.docx 147 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 costs of health insurance and the burden on consumers. This really requires the Illinois Department of Insurance to review whether our premiums that we're paying in our different affordable care Act plans of gold, bronze, and… and silver really relate to the benefits that people are getting and paying for. So, this requires the Department of Insurance to review that to make sure nationally this… this misalignment of what we're paying for versus what we're getting is costing consumers billions of dollars in health care and health care costs. So, this requires the Department of Insurance to review it. I know of no opposition and look forward to any questions."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 836?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy. Representative Conroy." Conroy: Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 148 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'. Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy 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 107 voting 'yes', 1 voting 'no', 3 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 836. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Continuing down the Supplemental Calendar #1, under Concurrences. We have House Bill 1568, Representative Vella. Representative Vella is recognized."
"Thank you. I move to concur Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 1568. Senate Amendment #2 is a gut and replace Amendment which removes the Deferred Retirement Option Program and the Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Board. It preserves the lower retirement age from 60 to 55 for Tier 2 State Police officers, investigator for the State of… Secretary of State, conservation police officers, investigator for the Department 10200102.docx 149 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 of Revenue, investigators for the Illinois Gaming Board, Commerce Commission police officers, and arson investigators. I would like to point out that I've heard from AFSCME concerning the… that lowering the retirement age of all other law enforcement officers, but not including DOC, could exacerbate existing hiring issues there. But… and I'm willing to work with them in going forward to see what I can do about alleviating that. Senate Floor Amendment #2 also preserves the option for retiring law enforcement personnel to purchase their service firearms and badges. I urge an 'aye' vote."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Mazzochi is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"I just want confirmation that, to the extent you are creating a new requirement in connection with transfer credits for community colleges, that you're not intending to change or otherwise interfere with existing community college programs that engage in law enforcement training."
"I am not. In fact, what I'm hoping to do is make it so they can certify people to take tests and thereby getting reimbursed. That's what I'm hoping to do."
"Right. No, I just want to make sure that you're not… you're not disrupting the status quo of some of these existing programs such that people aren’t going to be able to get reimbursement or get their credits transferred or comply with, for example, the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy training."
"I am not." 10200102.docx 150 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you."
"Representative Ugaste is recognized."
"Thank you. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"Thank you. Representative Vella, you had a very similar Bill the other night, as I recall, when we were here into the evening. Is that correct?"
"Yeah. This is the Bill. This is a… this is the Bill that we talked about. Yeah."
"This is the same Bill?"
"Well, except the Senate was… removed certain pieces."
"Okay. What parts did they remove?"
"So, they removed the DROP program and the Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Board. We did address that in House Bill 3863, that second part, by setting up the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board. The program we talked about earlier today."
"So, all of it isn’t 3863, or just pieces?"
"One piece. The only thing that was not really addressed was the Deferred Retirement Option Program, the DROP program."
"Okay. So, that remains out. So, that… they considered no good. Thank you."
"Yes, Sir."
"Seeing no further discussion, Representative Vella to close."
"I urge an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 1568?' This is final action. All 10200102.docx 151 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 99 voting 'yes', 7 voting 'no', 10200102.docx 152 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 and 5 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 1568. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Stuart, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"A point of personal privilege."
"Please speak your point."
"Thank you. Just to take a second. I don’t know if they know I'm going to do this, but Ryan and Brynn, who are here in our gallery. If you guys will stand up, Ryan and Brynn Crowe. So, these are the children of my Senator, Rachelle Aud Crowe, and I just wanted to say hi to them and thanks for visiting us over here. Hi, guys."
"Continuing on supplemental Calendar #1, under Concurrences. We have House Bill 4501, Representative Stuart. Representative Stuart is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur with Amendments 1 and 2 to House Bill 4501."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 and 2 to House Bill 4501?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 153 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 109 voting 'yes', 1 voting 'no', 1 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 and 2 to House Bill 4501. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Davidsmeyer, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege." 10200102.docx 154 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Please speak your point."
"I want to welcome Shannon and Gianna Bellini, who are up here in the gallery right behind us, to the Illinois House chamber."
"Continuing down Supplemental Calendar #1, under order of Concurrences. We have House Bill 5186, Representative Davis. Representative Davis is recognized."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur in Senate Amendment #5 to House Bill 5186. In the House, we passed several measures on behalf of the Budgeting for Results Commission that, again, based on input we got from various agencies, removed, struck, or lined out, got rid of various unused funds, unused task force, just obsolete things that were in various statutes. We passed several of the Bills over to the Senate and, in their infinite wisdom, decided to combine them all into one, most of it anyway, into one and send it back to me on Concurrence. I'll be more than happy to answer any questions."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #5 to House Bill 5186?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 155 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 111 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 1 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #5 to House Bill 5186. And this Bill, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Under the Order of Resolutions, we have Senate Joint Resolution 54, Representative Buckner. Representative Buckner. Representative Buckner is recognized." 10200102.docx 156 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. SJR54 is a Resolution amending all of the Resolutions that the state has… the General Assembly has filed in the past around constitutional conventions. This basically is… this Body is saying that we are not in agreement with the opening of a constitutional convention at the federal level. It's only happened once in the history of this country. That was 1787, the initial constitutional convention, and we do believe that if more constitutional conventions are… are begun, that it will open us up to some very serious issues that may be addressed that we don’t want to be at the forefront of our work. And so, I'm happy to answer any questions. I urge an 'aye' vote."
"Any discussion? We have Representative Halbrook."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. Question of the Sponsor."
"Indicates he will yield."
"Thank you. Representative, I'm reading here in the Resolution, and it talks about if there's any action taken to enact a convention of states, Article V, to rescind, cancel, void, nullify, supersede. Is that correct? Am I reading this right? So, if there's a passage in the past or in the future, this Resolution would… would eliminate that. Is that correct?"
"In the past. We… in the future, this doesn’t deal with what happens, you know, from this point on, but things that have happened before now."
"Okay. So, can you explain to myself and this Body the reasoning and your motivation that you would want to do such a thing?" 10200102.docx 157 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Absolutely. So, the reason that this is important for us is there's a movement around the country to create a constitutional convention for a balanced budget Amendment. But we don’t have the… I don’t have the faith and confidence that, if the constitutional convention is triggered, that the balanced budget Amendment will be the only thing that is addressed. And so, what this does is it prevents us from being locked up into any other… any other state's movements to move forward with a constitutional convention."
"Okay. So, do you realize that there's a Resolution being circulated today in the House, HJR74, that is very narrowly defined in what it… what its action is requiring to do? Are you aware of that?"
"I am not. Would you tell me more about it, please?"
"Mr. Speaker, I'm not being able to understand and hear very well for some reason. I'm not sure if it's just noise or… thank you. So, just further questioning here a little bit further. Do you realize that the Article V Convention of State Resolutions that we've had in the past have been wildly popular in this Body? Not only on this side of the aisle, but also on your side of the aisle. Have you… are you aware of this popularity, Representative?"
"I am."
"You said, I am. Is that correct?"
"I am. Yes."
"Okay. So, just a short while ago, HJR32 was in the 100th General Assembly. Then Representative Martwick, now Senator Martwick, he was actually in the chamber earlier, was the Chief Sponsor of that Resolution. There were nearly 60 10200102.docx 158 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Sponsors on that Resolution. And also, more recently in the 101st General Assembly, HJR43, sponsored by Representative Sue Scherer with nearly 40 Sponsors on that Bill. And I guess I'd like to just take a moment and go down memory lane and read some of these Sponsors on HJR32 from your side of the aisle. Then Representative Martwick, Representative Manley, Representative Sue Scherer, Representative William Davis, Representative LaShawn Ford, Representative Deb Conroy, Representative Thaddeus Jones, Representative Harper, Representative Hurley, Representative Slaughter, Representative DeLuca, Representative Moylan, and Representative Marcus Evans. And then on the more recent Resolution, Representative Sue Scherer, Stuart, Greenwood, Mayfield, Yingling, Kifowit, LaShawn Ford, Manley, Burke, Lilly, Fred Crespo, now Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch was on that Resolution. Have you polled any of these Members about your Resolution and their affinity for or the lack there of and what their thoughts were about that?"
"The ultimate poll will be with this vote, Representative. I am not saying that the things that we voted on in the past, the issues that came up, we're not detaching ourselves from that. What we're trying to do is make sure that any further… any of those issues don’t become sweeped up in the aggregate if any other states do this and we become part of this constitutional convention conversation."
"Yep. So, are you aware of how many states has to file this… or approve this Resolution before it moves forward at the national level? How many states does it take to do that?"
"Thirty… thirty-four." 10200102.docx 159 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Okay. So, I would like for you to pull this Resolution from the record and let's discuss this offline in committee or whatever to kind of get to the bottom of this. I think this is a not a very proper move at this very point in time. Mr. Speaker, inquiry of the Chair. What's the vote requirement to do such a measure?"
"Sixty votes."
"Yeah."
"Sixty votes or seventy-one?"
"I believe it's a simple Majority."
"Confirm. It is my understanding, it’s a simple Majority, but just confirming. So, you can continue your question, and I'll answer your question."
"All right. Thank you. Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, I think this is the wrong time, the wrong measure to move forward. I would urge a 'no' vote. Thank you."
"It's simple Majority, Representative. Moving forward in debate, additional questions? We have Representative Davidsmeyer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"I mentioned this in committee that I was kind of disappointed that this was brought up on the very last day. This wasn’t something that was on our radar. So, I feel a little bit blindsided. Can you tell me… so this only deals with Convention of States' Bills that were passed prior to today?"
"Yes, Sir." 10200102.docx 160 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"How many of those has the Illinois General Assembly passed?"
"There's a number of them. I have them in front of me. Hold on. Let me see. There are… we have 15 on this sheet here."
"Okay. And what… what issues do those deal with?"
"So, they range from revenue sharing with states, state legislative districting, ending the winner take all system for choosing the President of the United States, campaign finance, popular election of U.S. Senators way back in the day. There's a number of different issues."
"Okay. So, you're not doing this because your scared of a balanced budget Amendment from the Federal Government since we just received $10 billion to bail us out, are you?"
"I’m not scared of anything, Representative."
"Okay. You know, my concern is, it takes a while to get 34 states on the same page, and I think that we need to make sure that… that we have the opportunity to have a timeframe. I think it would be reasonable to say within the last decade, because it certainly takes… it takes this Body a long time to accomplish anything real, unless it's a political cause. So, I think that we need to really look at this and say, okay… after a certain timeframe, maybe 10 years, say it automatically expires. Is that something you're willing to look at?"
"I appreciate your concern, but what I'm worried about is… is that we will limit ourselves if we do it that way."
"You're worried about the redistricting Amendment? That it takes that away from the states?" 10200102.docx 161 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"I am not."
"Gerrymandering."
"I am not."
"Okay. All right. I'll refrain from comment. Thank you."
"Thank you. Representative Halpin is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just briefly, and I think the Sponsor just mentioned it in the list that he… that he put in. But I had the opportunity to meet with some of the advocates for the Convention of States in my district, and they were very nice people. And they… I think they're sincere in their beliefs, and I appreciate them exercising their ability to reach out to me. But one of the biggest problematic things about the movement is that direct election of Senators. They want to go back to letting the State Legislators pick their Senators. And for any number of reasons, I think we can all agree that that’s a bad idea. And I think that’s just one out of a couple others that we should be very… at least thoughtful and careful about whether we want to do a Convention of States. And so, I think this is a good Resolution. Future General Assemblies can always change their mind, but for now, I think this is the right path for the State of Illinois."
"Leader Batinick is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Inquiry of the Chair."
"Continue."
"Getting a little tired here. SJRs, is this only going to require a voice vote or a recorded vote?"
"Recorded vote." 10200102.docx 162 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"I'm… I'm okay. Perfect. Thank you."
"Representative Buckner to close."
"I urge an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Buckner moves for the adoption of Senate Joint Resolution 54. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver." 10200102.docx 163 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"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 66 voting 'yes', 42 voting 'no', and 2 voting 'present'. And this Resolution, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared adopted. Remaining on the Order of Resolutions, we have Senate Joint Resolution 47, Representative Costa Howard, virtually."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for allowing me to participate and present Senate Joint Resolution 47, which would create the Task Force on Children's Advocacy Centers and for Court Appointed Special Advocates for children and their funding mechanisms. We are trying to ensure that each CAC and CASA facility receives the adequate funding to respond to the number and severity of child abuse cases that we… and neglect cases that we have in our jurisdictions across the State of Illinois. I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment'… right, we're on Resolutions. Representative Costa Howard moves for the adoption of House… Senate Joint Resolution 47. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Conroy votes 'yes'."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard." 10200102.docx 164 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Yes."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On the question, there are 111 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And this Resolution, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared adopted. Returning to the Calendar on page 12, under the Order of Resolutions. We have House Resolution 592, Representative Moeller. Representative Moeller is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 592 recognizes National Bone Health and Osteoporosis Month in May and encourages the observation of appropriate good health programs and activities concerning the promotion of good bone health throughout the lifetime and prevention of osteoporosis. Ask for an 'aye' vote." 10200102.docx 165 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Seeing no discussion, we move forward to a voice vote. 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 forward on page 13 of the Calendar, under Order of Resolutions. We have House Resolution 759, Representative Lilly. Representative Lilly is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 759 is aligned with the United Nation… or United States of America. The Resolution, which declares March 8, 2022 International Women's Day. Although it has passed, March the 8th, we still provide and want everyone to understand that it's time to celebrate women and our accomplishments present, past, and in the future. This Resolution will also affirm the state's commitment to guarantee the basic human rights of women, girls, by promoting meaningful and significant participation of women in all aspects of our society, encouraging equity, making sure that all women have access to health care, making sure all girls understand the importance of access to health care, supporting policies and initiatives that significantly achieves the issues related to gender parity and empower women throughout the nation. International Women's Month commemorates a global century-long struggle of women to participate fully in equality in our society. Thank you, and I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no discussion, Representative Lilly moves for the adoption of House Resolution 759. 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. 10200102.docx 166 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Moving to page 6 of the Calendar, under Senate Bills-Second Reading. We have Senate Bill 1975, Representative Kifowit. Mr. Clerk, please read the Bill."
"Senate Bill 1975, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. The Bill was read for a second time previously. Amendment #3 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #5 is offered by Representative Kifowit."
"Representative Kifowit is recognized on the Amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Floor Amendment #5 is just a technical change that I can discuss at the Bill."
"Representative Kifowit moves the adoption of Floor Amendment #5. All those in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Amendment is adopted. And further Amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further Amendments. No Motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, please read this Bill on Third Reading."
"Senate Bill 1975, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. Third Reading of this Senate Bill."
"Representative Kifowit is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Senate Bill 1975 is a… is a package of multiple Bills that were filed in the House, both sides of the aisle, that we put together. This package incorporates the Bill that passed out of this House, House Bill 448, from Representative Walker. It also extends Homestead Exemptions beyond Cook County for other PTELL counties. It streamlines the exemption process for seniors 10200102.docx 167 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 and a hundred percent permanently disabled veterans. It… it just really helps them, also for individuals with disabilities. It also cleans up some language for our surviving spouses of veterans. It reduces the interest from six percent to three percent of the senior tax deferral program. This program was expanded last year by Representative Meyers-Martin to help seniors stay in their homes when they can't pay their taxes, but the state was charging a very high interest rate. So, we cut that in half to three percent. We've also put in a caveat to disclose by school districts the balance of their cash reserve balances. We extended the sunset from 2026 from PA 102-671, which allows flexibility to adjust 10 percent of fund balances. And then, we're directing the IDOR to do property tax study on the impact of the disabled veterans property tax exemption in counties that have above average or large veteran population. And just for clarity, when we've streamlined the process for seniors and individuals who have disabilities, it’s the intent for the applicant to provide the documentation and not the department that issues the documentation. Such as, for income level programs, we're providing an alternate income verification process which includes documentation that an individual might be on a program from DHS, DCEO, or the Department of Aging."
"Representative Reick is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Representative, there's a whole lot of stuff packed into this Bill, I will admit, but I'd like to focus on our 10200102.docx 168 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 discussion with regard to Amendment 5. We've had discussions that led to the establishment of assessment levels in the collar counties for homestead going from 6 thousand to 8 thousand dollars. And in my discussions… and the senior citizen going from 5 to 8 as well. In my discussions with my assessor, the biggest concern we seem to have still, especially in McHenry County because we have a… still a pretty robust agricultural component to our economy, is the effect that this going to have on farmland. And you and I discussed a bit ago about the manner in which farmland is assessed. There are various levels of quality of farmland upon which the assessment is based, based upon certain characteristics of the soil. Is this something that you are willing to work with us on in order to maybe equalize out the concerns of the farming community toward an increase in taxes upon them that comes from the fact that this is a PTELL… these are PTELL communities, PTELL counties that the taxes got to go somewhere if it's going to come off the bills of residential properties?"
"Yes. Thank you, Representative. It's been a long night, and it did skip my mind. So, I appreciate you bringing that up. I am going to be working with the assessors' association with regards to this situation. We are looking to do a trailer Bill. This equalized assessed value doesn't go into effect until 2024, so we have time to work on that. And I've offered to meet with the assessors' association and the representatives' assessors, Assessor Bob, to talk about these… these situations as well. So, I am on the record going to continue to work with the assessors and will work for a 10200102.docx 169 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 trailer Bill in… in the Veto Session. So, thank you, Representative, for reminding me. I apologize for it slipping my presentation."
"Your previous Amendment took the exemption from 5 to 10 and brought it back down to 8. And this is, again, in response to the request of the assessors' association because they just thought that it would be too radical a shift for… for the… you know, in a very short period of time. The senior… the senior freeze or the senior assessment going from five to eight was also a concern of my assessor, thinking that maybe splitting the difference between five and eight would be a better way to bring that up. Is that also something that you're willing to consider?"
"Yes, Sir. Again, we're going to look at those EAVs and how it affects and… definitely that is also on the agenda to talk with association with. I've been in numerous contacts with their representative over this Bill, and we're going to set a date in May to begin talking about these. So, yes."
"That's great. You know, obviously, the concern we have in McHenry County, and I'm sure it's the same in all the other collars, is the fact that since Cook County… the tax situation in Cook County is becoming, shall we say, somewhat unsustainable, we have a lot of… and with COVID and people moving out of the community and working from home, they're finding the more bucolic settings of beautiful McHenry County, please come and visit, as a place they may want to live and also work. So, what we're doing is possibly disincentivizing businesses to come out to McHenry County if we have a shift in commercial real estate taxes and industrial 10200102.docx 170 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 real estate taxes right in the teeth of businesses that are moving out of Cook, especially since we all of course boarder Cook County. I look forward to working with you on this Bill. I think it's a good Bill. And I certainly urge an 'aye' vote. Thank you. Thank you, Representative."
"Thank you, Sir. I look forward to working with you."
"Representative Caulkins is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Representative, on page two of ours, you talk about the… under current law, a senior must have a total income of less than 55 thousand, 65 thousand dollars in Cook County. How long is that $55 thousand been in effect as the cap?"
"How long has the EAV been in effect? Or what…"
"Yeah, the senior freeze. Freezes eligible seniors overall. Homestead exempted. Under current law, senior must have a total income of less than $55 thousand, except in Cook County."
"Well, with regards of the income limits, I'm not changing that. What we're doing is we're allowing…"
"No, I…"
"…so I can't tell you how long or the historical nature of that, those dollar amounts. But those dollar amounts are current law, as you just stated. And what we're doing is, we're allowing seniors to verify their income in an alternate way. So, we're not adjusting those income limits at all."
"Why not? Well, I mean, those…"
"Representative, we're working on the trailer Bill, and I'd be happy to work with you as well on that trailer Bill." 10200102.docx 171 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Well, I did… I filed a Bill that would adjust that…"
"All right."
"…from 55 to 65 thousand. Your side seems to like to take my Bills. So, I was just wondering why you didn’t take that one?"
"Sir, I was not aware of your Bills. Other Members from your side of the aisle came over and talked about their Bills, but I'm happy to work with you on the trailer Bill to work on that."
"Would you be willing to extend this to PTELL counties as well?"
"No. In talking with… with the assessors of the smaller counties, there is a considerate concern about some of these going into these other counties with smaller property tax bases. But again, you are more than welcome to sit in on the meetings I have with the county assessors and we can work together on that."
"Okay. I would like to address the $55 thousand cap. It's been in place for a long time. Inflation, increases in Social Security, increases of people's retirement benefits over the years, and I think it's way past time that we adjust that cap from 55 thousand to 65 thousand, and if you want to talk about doing something different for Cook County. But at least equalize it across the state. And I appreciate your commitment."
"Yes, Sir. Well, thank you. Give me your Bill number, and I'll definitely put it in my file so that we can work on it over the summer."
"I appreciate that." 10200102.docx 172 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Sir."
"Representative Wheeler is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to thank the Sponsor for bringing this measure forward. Property taxes are vitally… a critical issue in our hometown. This is a start. This isn’t the finish. I think we've heard from some of my esteemed colleagues that there's work to do on this measure by itself, but that's just a marker for where we want to go in the future. There's great work to do here. I appreciate the… I guess just the aiming towards bipartisan support for something that we all need to get done. We've been talking about this for the eight years that I've been here. Let's take more steps like this moving forward. They may be small steps, may be bigger steps, but let's move together tonight and lower property taxes in Illinois. Thank you."
"Representative Halbrook is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Question of the Sponsor."
"He indicates he'll yield."
"So, Representative, I heard it the debate earlier their discussion about farmland assessment. How does this affect the Farmland Assessment Law that's on the books?"
"Well, Sir, I'm being told it doesn't. But as I just mentioned with your colleague, that I'm willing to drive out and talk to his assessor to talk about those nuances. And if it affects it, then we can work on the trailer Bill and work for a compromise that way."
"Right. So, I'm…" 10200102.docx 173 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"I'm told it doesn't, though."
"Okay. That's what I want to be clear on because I don’t want to wake up in the morning and say, hey, why did you vote for this and it affects farmland assessment negatively for our landowners. That's the concern I have. With a Bill that's this lengthy, with this many Amendments, I'm just really concerned about things like that. And I hope you can understand that."
"I can. And you can give them my number, and I'd be happy to talk to them."
"Okay. So, I'm… typically largely in favor of any… things that save property taxes and the… like that. I just want to make sure that we're not negatively affecting our farmland and property owners with the passage of this Bill."
"Well, Sir, it doesn't because, number one, I’m told by staff it doesn’t. But number two, the… this doesn’t affect property taxes until 2024. So… so, we have time to work on this as well. If it does affect them, have them call me. I'd love to talk to them. And we have time to work on that as well."
"All right. Thank you for your answers. I appreciate it. No further questions, Mr. Speaker."
"Thank you, Sir."
"Representative Ness is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"I just want to rise to say thank you to the Sponsor for bringing this Bill forward and for including the senior property tax deferral reduction to three percent. A 10200102.docx 174 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 constituent of mine, Diane Kelly, called me really worried about what was going to happen to her, as she might have outlived her money. So, we wrote this Bill. It got included in this package, and I'm just really excited to see it come to the floor. So, thank you very much. I urge an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Scherer is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I… I, too, rise to thank my seatmate for bringing this Bill. I personally have seen what struggles senior citizens go through trying to go up to the county assessor's office and keep renewing their senior freeze. And this is intended to help as much as we're able. I just… I appreciate… I have seen how hard she's worked and how many of you she has talked to. And I think we all owe her a great deal of appreciation to do all this work and all of our citizens benefit. I strongly urge an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Mason is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. I also want to thank you, Representative Kifowit. This is a great Bill. There are lots of really important things for our constituents, but I am especially grateful that you addressed the loophole for surviving spouses of fully disabled veterans. There was a scenario where two veterans serving in the same war, having the same hundred percent disability, could, you know, end up… one passes away, the other one lives 10 years longer and… but for not living until the disability was rated, one surviving spouse receives the property tax exemption and the other doesn’t. This is clearly unfair. This is something that was so important to 10200102.docx 175 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 our veterans, not just in my district, but all over Illinois to fix. And I'm just so grateful, and I know so many veterans who will be as well. And it's the right thing to treat these surviving spouses of veterans who have really given so much for all of us. Thank you."
"Representative Walker is recognized."
"Thank you very much. I'd just like to thank Representative Batinick for inventing the great phrase, 'this avoids taxing to the max,' because there are structural changes in this to the process in addition to direct benefits for seniors and veterans. So, thank you very much."
"Leader Batinick is recognized."
"Well, that was well done, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will. She indicates she will."
"Representative, there's two… there's two parts that I wanted… well, three parts. Representative Walker just hit upon the… his Bill that he passed that stopped the tax the max incentive with the rollback, that's been rolled into this because that Bill didn’t move in the Senate, right?"
"Correct."
"Okay. And then the other part that's important is, you're raising the… we're going from 6 to 8 thousand, I believe, or 6 to 10 thousand on the general Homestead Exemption. Is that correct?"
"Amendment 5 moved it down to eight."
"Moved it down to eight. Okay. Yeah, a lot of Amendments for me to read here."
"My apologies." 10200102.docx 176 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Do you know when the last time it was… do you know when the last time that was moved?"
"We did move it for Cook County only a few years ago."
"Do you know when it was moved for the collar counties? I mean, I feel like it's been at 6 thousand for…"
"A long… oh, quite a while."
"As long as I've owned a home, actually."
"That's probably the same for me too."
"So, I do… the other reason I support this aspect of the Bill is because it hasn’t been adjusted for inflation, which I have a feeling we'll have some inflation conversations later. Have you ever thought about just tying this to CPI or something like that so that we lock it in instead of having to always go back to the General Assembly for the Homestead Exemption?"
"No. That's a great idea, and we can certainly bring that up and work with that with the assessors."
"Okay. Thank you. To the Bill. Obviously, there's things that I think you're going to see the votes on, on this side of the aisle that… that hit it. I'd love to see the Homestead Exemption tied to CPI. What one of my colleagues that has… was speaking about farmland is concerned about, and this is something that I'm concerned about, is that what we're doing here in addressing property taxes is, we've had people talk about how property taxes are ballooning, and we squeeze it down on one side, the other side goes up. And we're not doing anything to lower the levy here. I want to make people aware of that, except for maybe the Mark Walker part. But with changing the… with changing the Homestead Exemption, when you 10200102.docx 177 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 lower the cost for homeowners, it pushes it off on everybody else, which would be farmland and commercial properties. Here's the biggest danger. I grew up in Southern Cook. I talked about this before. Where I grew up, the idea was we're going to have a two-tier property tax system and just focus on the voters, who are the homeowners, and push it all onto the commercial properties. Well, what happened is, is you get to the point, like where I live in the southern suburbs, where the property taxes got unviable, especially for larger commercial properties that provide a lot of jobs. So, I spoke on this floor before about a point of personal privilege of a gentleman I know that has a $200 thousand warehouse that has a $26 thousand property tax bill because we've pushed everything to the commercial… to the commercial land. And we have to get out of that habit, and we have to find a way to lower the levy overall. Because while that it is a short-term fix, when you make it unviable for somebody to come in new and build those larger commercial properties that maybe don’t have as many employees specifically in manufacturing, eventually as they move out, those levies then fall back onto the homeowners and you have high property tax rates like we have in much of Southern Cook. And frankly, much part of my district and your district, Representative, where… where in Oswego, we're near a four percent property tax rate of market value. So, I support the Bill, but I urge us to be cautious in the future of doubling down on this approach. And we're going to have to attack from new angles for places like Oswego, even Plainfield, and certainly Southern Cook. Thank you." 10200102.docx 178 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Any further discussion? Representative Swanson is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Question for the Sponsor."
"Indicated she will yield."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It says within our analysis that the senior freeze, regardless of household income, will go away. What's the current freeze limit now for household income?"
"No. I think that's incorrect. I'm not even touching the senior freeze as a program. I'm just allowing alternative forms of income to be used to verify low-income applicants and to verify that individuals are disabled. I'm not even touching the inner organs of the senior freeze."
"Any further questions, Representative?"
"I'm good. Thanks."
"Thank you. Representative Kifowit to close."
"Thank you. We've had a great debate, and I appreciate everybody's idea. And hopefully Representative Batinick will still keep in touch with me as I work over the summer on this very important issue. That is precisely the… the path that I would like to choose, is look at alternative, out of the box ideas, things that haven’t been thought of or… or best practices in other states. And so, I appreciate all the input and the ability and the… the willingness for the other side of the aisle to work with me so that we have good policy going forward with regards to property taxes. And I ask for an 'aye' vote." 10200102.docx 179 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"The question is, 'Shall Senate Bill 1975 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Costa Howard votes 'yes'."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"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 110 voting in 'favor', 0 voting 'no', 1 voting 'present'. And this Bill, having received a 10200102.docx 180 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report."
Clerk Bolin: "Committee Reports. Representative Harris, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: recommends be adopted, referred to the floor is Floor Amendment(s) 2 for Senate Bill 157."
"Moving forward to page 7 of the Calendar, under Senate Bills-Second Reading. We have Senate Bill 3616, Leader Gordon-Booth. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill."
"Senate Bill 3616, a Bill for an Act concerning human rights. The Bill was read for a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Gordon-Booth."
"Leader Gordon-Booth to explain the Amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have Senate Bill 36… hold on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have Senate Bill 3616 and Floor Amendment #1, which is actually a gut and replace Amendment. I'd like to move for its adoption and discuss it on Third."
"Leader Gordon-Booth moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Amendment is adopted. Any further Amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further Amendments. No Motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read this Bill on Third Reading." 10200102.docx 181 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Senate Bill 3616, a Bill for an act concerning human rights. Third Reading of this Senate Bill."
"Leader Gordon-Booth is recognized."
"Again, thank you, Mr. Speaker. As stated before, House Floor Amendment 1 is a gut and replace Amendment from the Human Rights… from the Human Rights Commission. It makes a simple change. It retains the intent of the underlying Bill and adds the definition of race to the entire Illinois Human Rights Act. Specifically the Bill provides that racial discrimination that's prohibited throughout the entire Illinois Human Rights Act shall include discrimination based on traits associated with the race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hair styles, such as braids, locks, and twists. House Bill… Senate Bill 3616 is also affectionately called the CROWN Act. The CROWN Act is an incredibly important piece of legislation. And when I think about this particular Bill, I'm in a unique position to pass a piece of policy that will not only affect others throughout the state, but it'll have a significant impact on people like myself, people like my daughter, people like many of the women in this room. Today, I stand here with my colleagues, knowing that they will stand in solidarity with me in voting for this Bill. Because by voting for this Bill, it's not just about simply prohibiting harm, but it is a statement that, frankly, needs to be made. And that statement is that black women and the way that they wear their hair is more than sufficient. For far too long, many women who have worn natural hair or protective hair styles have been told that their hair was unprofessional or unruly. And there are women across this 10200102.docx 182 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 state and across this country who have had to, unfortunately, endure the… some very serious pain, very specific to their hair. They have lost out on job opportunities. They have lost out on advancement opportunities within their respective work spaces because they did not… their hair did not grow out of their head in the way that conformed with more Eurocentric norms. This policy will ensure that the way that women show up… that men or women, excuse me. That the way that men or women show up with the hair that grows out of their head is more than enough and it is sufficient. We believe that, in the State of Illinois, we have the ability to join 11 other states and the United States Congress who has passed CROWN Act legislation that states that we will not allow for hair to be used for discriminatory purposes. With that said, I am open for any questions that my colleagues may have at this moment."
"Seeing no discussion, Leader Gordon-Booth to close."
"This Bill is very personal to me. It's very personal to many of the women in this room. This Bill is for future economic opportunities. It's for self-worth. It's for the ability for black women to be empowered in how they show up to work, play, every single day. Please know that this… that your support of this Bill is you standing in solidarity with black women across the entire State of Illinois. I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall Senate Bill 3616 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk." 10200102.docx 183 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez. Representative Jones."
"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 109 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Continuing down page 7 of the Calendar, under Senate Bills- Second Reading. We have Senate Bill 3761, Representative Walker. Representative Walker. Out of the record. Returning to Representative Walker for Senate Bill 3761. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill." 10200102.docx 184 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Senate Bill 3761, a Bill for an Act concerning education. The Bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, please read the Bill on Third Reading."
"Senate Bill 3761, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this Senate Bill."
"Representative Walker is recognized."
"Thank you very much. Senate Bill 3761 amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act by allowing ISAC, ISAC, to receive and consider, each year, applications from eligible social workers working for an Illinois municipality, who do not report directly to a police department, to apply for loan repayment program that is… was passed last year and applied for teachers as well. This adds municipal employee social workers to that loan repayment program. This Bill was subject to appropriation. There is appropriation for the basic program that was passed last year. This expansion to include municipal social workers does not add to that cost."
"Representative Keicher is recognized."
"Will the Sponsor yield, Mr. Speaker?"
"He indicates that he will."
"All right. Thank you, Representative. We had a good chance to visit on this and a very similar Bill in Higher Education-Appropriations. One of the big questions that came up as we read our analysis is that this program will not apply to those social workers that work with law enforcement agencies. Can you expound on that exclusion, please?" 10200102.docx 185 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yes. This is an expansion from social workers that work for educational establishments. And it was as a response to a request from municipalities that they be eligible. The… we expect that there will be other programs, including joint first responders within the police community and the policing Bills. And therefore, we decided to keep them separate so as not to confuse the issue."
"And so, the intention, just so that everybody is aware, was not to be inclusionary. It was to be nonconflictual with the other legislation that this House has already passed?"
"That's correct."
"Okay. I also happen to see some numbers that have come out of HB900. I don’t know if you've had access to this or not. But I see that there is an appropriation made to a social worker scholarship and loan repayment assistance of $6 million. Is that the amount of money that's going into this?"
"That is correct. But that… that applies to the program that was passed last year…"
"Okay."
"…for which this is an expansion."
"Okay. And so, that $6 million is the cap for all that included?"
"That is correct."
"All right. Including the master's aspect, master's plus aspect, that we spoke about in committee on the other measure?"
"The master's plus aspects, as you know being in committee, did not come out of our committee." 10200102.docx 186 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Oh. Thank you for reminding me. So, for folks on my side, this is actually a pretty good piece of legislation that helps get some social workers into our communities. We had a split vote because there's probably some of those on our side that might light it up like a Christmas tree. Is that right, Mr. Batinick? Thank you."
"Representative Walker to close."
"This is a good Bill. We need this. Please vote 'aye'."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall Senate Bill 3761 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 187 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"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 94 voting 'yes', 16 voting 'no', and 0 voting 'present'. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving forward to page 10 in the Calendar, under Order of Concurrences. We have House Bill 5012, Leader Flowers. Leader Flowers is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. Senate Floor Amendment #2 is a gut and replace Amendment that was an initiative of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and the Illinois Council on Certified Professional Midwives to add various technical changes throughout the Bill to modify and update language that is consistent with the other Acts and streamline their internal process within the department. Changes in Senate Floor Amendment #2 includes the provisions allowing the certified professional midwives to practice in birthing centers was removed from this Bill because it's currently in House Bill 5013. It adds to the definition of license certified professional midwives that they are licensed by the department. It clarifies that the Illinois Midwifery Board shall have one member of whom shall be an Illinois licensed advanced practice nurse, registered nurse, who is a certified nurse midwife who provide home births services. Senate Floor Amendment #2 removes that applicants have three years from the date of application to complete the application process. If the process has not been completed in three years, the application shall be denied, the fee shall be forfeited, and 10200102.docx 188 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 the applicant must reapply and meet the requirements in effect at the time of the reapplication. That portion of the Bill has been removed. In current law, a license certified professional midwife shall annually report to the Department of Public Health, no later than March 31 of each year, information regarding cases in which the license certified professional midwife assisted during the previous year when the intended place of birth at the onset of care was an out of hospital setting. And also, provisions are removed from this Section stating that the board shall maintain the confidentiality of in report and that reports are confidential. That provision has been removed. And also removed that the board may order a rehearing. That’s removed. And what else is removed is the, 'Exhibits shall be certified without cost.' And lastly, the other thing that has been removed is remove timeframe on the board, which is 60 days to review the report of the hearing officer. I'll be more than happy to answer any questions. Thank you."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? We have Representative Davidsmeyer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"I just wanted to clarify something in this. So, we are talking about certified professional midwives, correct?"
"Correct."
"And you are adding a certified professional nurse midwife to one of the Sections, correct? I believe you said certified nurse, professional nurse midwife." 10200102.docx 189 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"We're clarifying that the Illinois Midwifery Board shall have one member, one member, of whom shall be an Illinois licensed advanced practice registered nurse who is a certified nurse midwife who provides home birth services."
"Can… can you clarify to me what the difference is between a certified professional midwife and a certified nurse professional midwife?"
"Yes. A certified professional midwife is a certified professional midwife. And a licensed advanced practice registered nurse is also… can be also a certified nurse midwife that provide home birth services."
"So, I think… I think we're… I'm going to disagree with you on that. I believe that certainly a certified professional nurse midwife has training as a nurse, medical training as a nurse, which is a much longer training than a certified professional midwife."
"I didn’t know… excuse me. I'm sorry. I didn’t know that we were debating the training or the length of time of the training. Because being a midwife is a certain type of education, and being a certified nurse is…"
"Yeah. I was just leading up to my… my question, actually."
"Oh."
"I don't want to interrupt you."
"Okay. Thank you."
"But… so, what is this Bill actually doing? Is it just setting up the board or is it creating the certified registered… or certified professional midwife?" 10200102.docx 190 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"It clarifies that the Illinois Midwifery Board, so the board is already in existence."
"Okay."
"And it's stating that the board shall have one member on the board and the member shall be an Illinois licensed advanced practiced nurse, registered nurse, who is certified… who is a certified nurse midwife…"
"Yeah."
"…who provide home birth services."
"Okay. So, the underlying Bill that was amended by Senate Amendment #2, is that what creates the certified professional midwife?"
"Yes. Amendment… not this Amendment #2…"
"Yeah."
"…but in House Bill 50…"
"The original Bill that passed, that went over there and is coming back amended."
"Yes. Yes."
"Okay. I… I… the reason I ask is my wife… my wife's a labor and delivery nurse, and we've had a lot of conversations about this. And there's a large difference between a certified nurse midwife in training than a certified professional midwife. So, I will be a 'no' on this. My concern is, overall, I think that being in the proper setting is the right thing. I think that individuals should be able to choose where they do it, but I don’t necessarily know that this is the right direction to go for this. If… if there's a… an issue with the birth…" 10200102.docx 191 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"I think you're missing the point, Representative. And I'm sorry if I'm not explaining it right. Because being a licensed advanced practiced registered nurse…"
"I understand. I think the Amendment makes it better."
"…and then… and then on top of that… on top of that, this person is also a certified nurse midwife."
"And I understand. I think… I think adding this Amendment makes this Bill better. I agree with you on that. But the underlying Bill is what I… what I am in opposition to. So… so, for that reason… you know, I understand you've been working on this for a long time, but I think it's just a difference of opinion. So, for that reason, I will be voting 'no'. Thank you."
"Thank you."
"Thank you. Leader Flowers to close."
"I would appreciate an 'aye' vote please."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 5012?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard." 10200102.docx 192 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 109 voting 'yes', 2 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 5012. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. On Supplemental Calendar #1, under the Order of Concurrences, we have House Bill 5488, Representative Harper. Representative Harper on the Concurrence."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur with Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 5488. The…"
"Rep…"
"Go ahead."
"Please continue."
"The changes provides that a school district may require a reasonable advance notice. The notice shall be provided to the appropriate school personnel. It also amends the School 10200102.docx 193 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Code to define a civic event and allows civic events to be a valid cause for absenteeism. I encourage an 'aye' vote."
"Any discussion? Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she will."
"Representative, what was the genesis of this Bill?"
"Sure. The genesis of this Bill is that public schools may allow students, whether in grammar school or high school, to miss one day for a civic event."
"Okay. I think we talked about this previously. There was a similar Bill before that… maybe a House Bill?"
"Yes. This is the Bill coming back on Concurrence. And we've actually addressed some of the concerns brought up by Members. One of them being further defining what a civic event was."
"Correct. I was going to ask that. How do you define what a civic event is?"
"Sure. So, a civic event shall be considered to mean an event sponsored by a nonprofit organization or a governmental entity that is open to the public. It can be defined as, but not limited to, events such as an artistic or cultural performance, an educational gathering that supports a mission of a nonprofit. I'd also like to state that the… the State Board of Education is also granted the ability to adopt rules to further define a civic event if they so wish."
"Thank you, Representative. To the Bill. For my side, I think the Bill is slightly changed but not substantially changed. I know the opponents are the Illinois State Board of Ed… is one of the opponents is the Illinois State Board of 10200102.docx 194 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Educations. In support is the Chicago Teachers Union. I… I think there was… came out, I think, mostly partisan, if not completely partisan previously. I recommend you keep your votes that way. Thank you."
"Representative Mazzochi for questions."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicates that she will."
"One of the questions that I have just looking at page six where you say that a child from a public middle school or high school, subject to guidelines established by the State Board of Education, shall be permitted by a school board one school-day long excused absence for school year for the child who's absent from school to engage in a civic event. I guess the question is, is why… it seems like we're just kind of giving the school board control to dictate whether or not something is a civic event or not. Why are we not just allowing the parents to provide that as an excused absence?"
"The State Board of Education is granted the ability to further define what the civic event is."
"I'm sorry. There's a lot of background noise here."
"ISBE is able to adopt rules to further define a civic event if they so desire. And I'm sure they also helped with this definition here because that was their issue."
"Right. But I guess that, to me, is the question is. While I appreciate that the State Board of Education may adopt rules to define civic event, isn’t that kind of running counter to the whole point of civic event in the sense that if this is something that a… that parents want their children to attend, whether it's for cultural reasons or another 10200102.docx 195 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 educational gathering, if the parents believe that that's part of their civic engagement, why are we allowing the school board to define it? Why are we simply not giving the parents discretion to define it as a civic event?"
"The parents still keep their discretion. All we're doing is that we're allowing the student to be able to have an excused absence rather than unexcused absence."
"Sure. And I guess, to me, I'm kind of unclear then as to what additional rules we need the State Board of Education to identify. If we're going to say that schools have to allow for one civic event day out of the school year, then to me that should be enough and we shouldn’t need to go through a whole round of rulemaking events. Because what I'm concerned about is that over time, what will happen is, the term civic event will be defined by the school board and it'll start to become yet another partisan battle, as opposed to allowing a parent or legal guardian to simply make that representation to the school board. So, for that reason, I'm actually a little bit concerned about giving the State Board of Education so much power, as opposed to parents where it belongs. Thank you."
"Representative Ugaste is recognized."
"Thank you. To the Bill. I have no questions about the intention of the Sponsor or any of the people who brought this to her. But my problem is this. Especially in this time when these kids have been out of school for so long, they've already fallen behind, and we haven’t exactly met and exceeded national averages on test scores and things and kids being at grade level, I think it's just a bad time to be bringing 10200102.docx 196 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 something like this. But in addition to the timing, I also think we really need to stop telling our entire state of educators how to best educate the kids and start allowing them to make more of those determinations themselves. So, I'll be voting 'no'."
"Representative Harper to close."
"I encourage an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall the House concur with Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 5488?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 197 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Tarver 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 68 voting 'yes', 43 voting 'no', and 0 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 5488. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 5 in the Calendar, under Senate Bills- Second Reading. We have Senate Bill 658. Representative Walsh. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill."
"Senate Bill 658, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. The Bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment 4 has been approved for consideration. Floor Amendment #4 is offered by Representative Zalewski."
"Representative Walsh on the Amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a TIF omnibus Bill, and it has some other changes in it. And I'd be… move to adopt it and debate it on Third Reading."
"Representative Walsh moves the adoption of Floor Amendment #4. All those in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Amendment is adopted. Any further Amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further Amendments. No Motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, please read this Bill on Third Reading."
"Senate Bill 658, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this Senate Bill." 10200102.docx 198 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Walsh is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. Senate Bill 658 is an omnibus TIF Bill. The Amendment contains the TIF extensions for Chicago, Madison, Aviston, Warren, Farmer City, Fairmont City, Springfield, and Chicago Heights. It also defines what contiguous parcels within the Illinois Business District Development, the Redevelopment, the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act, and the Industrial Jobs Recovery Law. Under definition, contiguous parcels touch in a reasonably substantial physical sense or are annexed by a municipality. The changes are declared of the existing law and apply retroactively when substantively applicable. It applies to pending actions but does not apply to where a final judgement has been entered. This language was brought forth by the Municipal League in response to a Supreme Court case in my home district, or close to my home district. Be happy to answer any questions, and ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Butler is recognized."
"A question of Lawrence Walsh, Jr., please?"
"Sponsor will yield."
"Representative, this has TIFs in both Republican and Democrat districts. Is that correct?"
"My belief is, yes."
"And I assume all the letters have been put in for the appropriate TIF districts?"
"They usually don’t make this Bill unless they have."
"That's correct. Is there any TIFs with… located within the district of the former Representative Ed Kodatt?" 10200102.docx 199 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Where would that be?"
"Well, you can look it up."
"Oh. Oh. The 13… sorry, I wasn’t here that long."
"I'm just messing with you."
"That I'm not aware of."
"I just want to say thank you for the inclusion of the Springfield district on behalf of Representative Scherer, Representative Hamilton, myself, including the Madison Park Place which is going to be a big project for us. So, thank you, Sir."
"Not a problem."
"Representative Davidsmeyer is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"To the Bill. I think that… and I've supported a lot of TIF extensions in the past. My concern… you'll see a red up there for me today. My concern is the City of Chicago. I believe that many of the TIF districts have created little fiefdoms and little slush funds for the alderman of Chicago. I think that we need to look at more short-term extensions and look at it on a case-by-case basis. So, while I do support this economic development tool, I have concerns about political slush funds. So, I will be voting 'no'."
"Representative Swanson is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"Thank you. And to the Sponsor, I received a note from my seatmate, Charlie Meier, who says thank you for including 10200102.docx 200 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 the Village of Aviston on here. Eviston? Aviston? See, he didn’t tell me how to pronounce it."
"I don’t know either."
"He just told me to tell you thank you. So, thank you."
"Tell him thanks, and hope he gets well soon."
"Representative Walsh to close."
"Ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall Senate Bill 658 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"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 89 voting in 'favor', 14 voting 10200102.docx 201 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 'against', 3 voting 'present'. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Returning to Supplemental Calendar #1, under Order of Concurrences. We have House Bill 4481, Leader Greenwood. Leader Greenwood is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to concur with Senate Amendment 1. It's a gut and replace Amendment that becomes the Bill concerning the Expressway Camera Act. It commits to increasing the amount of cameras along the state highway system in the counties of Boone, Bureau, Champaign, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Henry, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Macon, Madison, McHenry, Morgan, Peoria, Rock Island, Sangamon, St. Clair, Will, and Winnebago to deal with the issues of crime that have been happening along the expressways. I ask for a favorable vote."
"Any discussion? We have Representative Mazzochi."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicate that she will."
"Can you explain why HB1103, which we just passed yesterday, has now been split into two Bills, the one we heard from Representative Williams earlier and now this HB4481?"
"I don’t have a response for you. That was done in the Senate, Representative."
"I'm sorry…"
"I don’t have a…"
"Right. But did you ask the Senate Sponsors why they chose to change this around?"
"No, I didn’t."
"Does your staff know by any chance?" 10200102.docx 202 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"There's a difference in this Bill in that it takes out the residential cameras. The Ring camera incentive."
"Okay. So, I know that that was very critical issue for Representative Zalewski was to have the Ring camera program in. So, now the Ring camera option is completely off the table in terms of using the Ring camera footage to help fight crime with a hundred dollar payment to whoever turns the footage in?"
"In this legislation, yes."
"All right. Well, are we going to see the Ring camera legislation showing up in yet another Bill today?"
"I don’t think so. I don’t know. I don’t have it.
"All right. So… all right. So, the Ring camera stuff is now gone. All righty. Now… and it was the presence of the Ring camera what kind of killed 1103, apparently, between last night and today?"
"It was a decision made in the Senate to take that out."
"Okay. And the Senate was unwilling to take up HB1103?"
"That's a Senate decision, not a House decision."
"All right. Now, one of the things then… you know, since HB1103 is now off the table, let's go through some of the same things that I asked you yesterday. So, when we look at Section 5, that camera program, lines 9 to 16 on page 1 of the Bill, again, this is only pertaining to the programs that are run by the Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Transportation, and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, right?"
"Correct." 10200102.docx 203 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"And this does not apply to independent municipal cameras? I believe you confirmed that it didn’t yesterday."
"This program is for use on expressways or state highway systems under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation."
"Right. So, this… whatever we're doing here in… in Section 5, either in this Bill or Representative Williams' Bill that we looked at earlier, we're not attempting to infringe on whatever the municipalities do with their own cameras, right?"
"Images from the cameras may be used by any municipal police department, county sheriff's office, State Police officer, or other law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the expressway."
"Right, and that's what I want to be clear. And we're not trying to limit the scope in any way of our existing municipality cameras, which are not under their jurisdiction, right?"
"Correct."
"Okay. Thank you very much. So, to the Bill. This has been a really haphazard approach in terms of trying to actually get something done here. So, as I mentioned yesterday, I'm very glad to see that ideas from one of my Republican Bills in terms of expanding the number of expressway cameras is actually happening. Actually, I apologize, Leader Greenwood. I didn’t ask, have you spoken to the Pritzker administration and the Illinois State Police and IDOT to see, now, maybe they've decided if they can actually 10200102.docx 204 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 implement this program, whereas earlier in the year they told me that they couldn't?"
"Right. I still haven’t spoken to IDOT about this issue."
"All right. So then, I guess… again, to the Bill. The same issues are still going to apply as we have no idea whether Governor Pritzker is in fact going to be ready, willing, and able to actually implement this program. We saw how long it took for the Pritzker administration to even try to get the initial cameras on one of the Chicago expressways installed, as required by Representative Jones' Bill. If anybody's got any confidence in IDOT, please do let me know. But while I agree with the Bill, again, I have no confidence that the Pritzker administration's going to be able to actually implement it. Thank you."
"Leader Batinick is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Representative, to be clear to simplify this, take it out of the legal realm, this just adds more cameras to the counties you listed, highways and expressways?"
"Correct."
"Does nothing else in the Bill?"
"Correct."
"How are the cameras paid for?"
"The cameras would be paid for under the Department of Transportation and is subject to appropriation."
"Okay. It's subject to appropriation or it's paid for out of the Road Fund? I'm hearing some elf… elves in the 10200102.docx 205 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 background helping me out here, saying it's paid for by the Road Fund."
"The funds needed to conduct the program for use on expressways are under the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, will be paid for by the funds from the authority."
"Okay. Close enough. I think last time when we had this Bill split, our caucus was all up on it. I think you had some Members 'no' voted or were a 'no' on your side of the aisle. Is that correct?"
"That's correct."
"Thank you."
"Leader Greenwood to close."
"I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4481?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 206 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, you got 95 voting 'yes', 10 voting 'no', 2 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4481. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report."
"Harris in the Chair. Representative Batinick, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Republicans request an immediate caucus."
"The Republicans request an immediate caucus. We will return to Session in 30 minutes."
"We'll do our best. Thank you."
"The House shall stand in recess for 30 minutes." Speaker Hernandez, L.: "Leader Hernandez in the Chair. Mr. Clerk."
"Rules Report. Representative Harris, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action on April 8, 2022: recommends be adopted, referred to the floor is Floor Amendment(s) 3 to Senate Bill 157 and Floor Amendment(s) 1 to Senate Bill 2196."
"Attention, Members. The House shall be in order. Leader Evans in the Chair. Leader Hernandez is recognized." Hernandez, L.: "Speaker, I move that Representatives Didech and Ammons and Mayfield be allowed to participate and cast their vote remotely." 10200102.docx 207 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Hernandez has made a Motion that Representative Didech, Ammons, and Mayfield be allowed to participate and cast their votes remotely. This is a roll call vote. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez. Representative Hurley. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"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 66 voting 'yes', 36 voting 'no', and 0 voting 'present'. And the Motion is adopted. Mr. Clerk."
"Is Representative Ammons present?"
"Representative Ammons is present."
"Representative Ammons is present. Is Representative Didech present?"
"Didech is present." 10200102.docx 208 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Didech is present. Is Representative Mayfield present?"
"Mayfield is present."
"Representative Mayfield is present."
"In the Calendar, under Order of Senate Bills- Second Reading, we have Senate Bill 157, Representative Zalewski. Mr. Clerk, please read the Bill."
"Senate Bill 157, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. The Bill was read for a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendments 2 and 3 have been approved for consideration. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Zalewski."
"Representative Zalewski on the Amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Senate Amend… Floor Amendment #2 becomes the Bill containing all the component parts. I'd ask for its adoption."
"Representative Zalewski moves the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Amendment is adopted. Any further Amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"Floor Amendment #3 is offered by Representative Zalewski."
"Representative Zalewski on the Amendment."
"Floor Amendment #3 adds a tax incentive. I ask for its adoption."
"Representative Zalewski moves the adoption of Floor Amendment #3. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' 10200102.docx 209 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 have it. And the Amendment is adopted. Any further Amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further Amendments. No Motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, please read the Bill on Third Reading."
"Senate Bill 157, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. Third Reading of this Senate Bill."
"Representative Zalewski is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's been a long evening, so we'll do this quickly. But Senate Bill 157 is a revenue omnibus that contains a number of different items related to a tax relief for working families in Illinois, along with some business incentives. Walking through it, there is a property tax rebate. Rebates would come from a fund created by statute. Those who qualify for the income tax credit on the property tax… on their property taxes would qualify. Single filers with an income of 250 thousand, joint filers with an income of 500 thousand. The credit will be equal to the lesser of the person's property tax… income tax credit or 300 dollars. There's a full extension of the EITC to 20 percent. That will include an eligibility increase for 18 to 24-year-olds and 65 or older, along with ITIN filers, and the credit is fully refundable. There is a suspension of the grocery tax in Illinois. The local government imposed a grocery tax. We would statutorily prohibit people… or prohibit towns from imposing a grocery tax and then the state would backfill the revenue based on a creation of a fund. There's a motor fuel COLA adjustment freeze. Based on the 2019 capital Bill, the cost of living… or the COLA adjustment 10200102.docx 210 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 in the Motor Fuel Tax increase would be paused. The Road Fund would be held harmless, however, when we would transfer money from the leaking underground storage tank to the Road Fund. There is a income tax rebate for all taxpayers in Illinois, $50 per filer and $100 per dependent with a cap of three dependents. Income limitations are $200… $200 thousand for individuals and $400 thousand for joint filers. There's a sales tax holiday for back to school for clothing items that have a retail selling price for less than $125 in school supplies. The tax holiday would be in effect from August 5 to August 14. Teachers would receive an increase in purchase of school supplies. There are changes to the revenue… or the REV Act, which is our electric vehicle incentive. There is a sales tax exemption for breast pumps in the Bill, along with coal aggregate and mining equipment. The EDGE Tax Credit is expanded to include startup businesses and change the definition of an underserved area. We also increased the Film Production Tax Credit and the Live Theater Tax Credit. We offer a $1 thousand income tax credit for employees who leave 30 days… their job in… because of an organ donation. There is a biodiesel tax incentive that's created under the law… or it's… reformed under the law and with a seven-year sunset. We removed the parking tax exemption from booking intermediaries beginning in July 1 of 2023. We create an agrotourism credit equal to $1 thousand. We extend the sunset for the Hospital Income Tax Property Tax Credit. We transferred funds from the Budget Stabilization Fund… we transferred $1 billion from GRF to the Budget Stabilization Fund. and we transferred $200 million to the Pension Stabilization Fund. We also make 10200102.docx 211 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 certain tax changes… or we make certain changes to the unemployment insurance with respect to the speed bumps that are already in statute. With that, I would ask for an 'aye' vote."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Ugaste is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill. It's nice that we are finally talking about tax reductions on the floor. I wish we were talking about more permanent reductions for the citizens of Illinois, seeing as how we're one of the highest taxed states in the nation. I just want to say, I note that the language for the speed bumps for Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund are in here. It would've been even nicer if we could've provided real tax relief to business owners who went through this pandemic as well as the laborers who are going to face benefit cuts possibly in the future because we did not fill a $1.8 billion debt when we had the money to do it, and still have the money to do it, and take care of this problem so that the unemployment insurance is not a problem on our job creators, there would be no further tax on jobs, and there wouldn’t be benefit cuts to our employees at a time when they're facing massive inflation."
"Representative Morrison is recognized."
"Quickly, Mr. Speaker, to the Bill. You know, a component of this that's going to grab headlines and grab the attention of our constituents is the relief on gas taxes and grocery taxes, et cetera. And I just want to note that, once again, ideas have consequences, policies have consequences, unintended consequences. And without fuel, without energy, 10200102.docx 212 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 we're all worse off. And it was just a matter of six months ago that you heard Democrats nationally, but… but here in Illinois, just wanting to reduce our domestic production of oil and natural gas. These are the sort of things that move goods and people and food and all sorts of consumer goods, business goods that are necessary. And so, we need to move to be as energy independent as possible and not forget about the mistakes that we've made in the past. Thank you."
"Representative Keicher is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"Mike, thanks for putting this together. I know it's not been easy for you. You've been working a lot of hours. So, I… I do have a few questions though for you. As you might recall from prior discussions that we've had on the floor, I have serious concerns with the State of Illinois and sending out checks and how we put those notices out to our… our taxpayers. We've had a very cloudy past with Governor Blagojevich putting his name on everything. We currently have a Treasurer who regularly expands his programs so that he can put his name into everybody's mailbox with pointless gigantic mailings. And so, I have some concerns in that area that I'd like to ask you about if I could. So, let's talk about these rebate checks. Can you remind me please of the dollar amount of the rebate checks that are going back, please?"
"So, for the property taxes it'll depend on your eligibility for the income tax credit of your property tax portion of your property taxes. For the… for the income tax rebate, which is that one-time tax rebate, it'll be $50 per 10200102.docx 213 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 filer with $100 for each dependent up to 3. The income limitations are 200 thousand for individuals, 400 thousand for joint filers."
"And is that refundable tax credit?"
"Yes. Yes."
"Yes, it is. Okay. And do you have any idea on approximately how many households will be beneficiaries of the program?"
"We don’t. DOR may be able to get you that, Jeff."
"Okay. Will there be physical checks that are sent out?"
"I believe so."
"Okay. So, we have…"
"Or if you signed up for direct deposit when you filed your Illinois income tax, you'd probably be able to get it that way as well."
"So, to clarify, we will have both physical checks and direct deposit sent out on this?"
"That's what I'm told. Yes."
"Okay. How will the taxpayers know about the program? Will there also be any letter that's sent out to the households or will the money just appear into their checking account?"
"The department will have to promulgate a rule on how they're going to notice up the information to the taxpayer."
"All right. So, I think you see where I'm going here, right, Mike? We've got an election year. So, I'm really curious, whose names going to be at the bottom of that check?" 10200102.docx 214 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Well, it won't be mine. Short of that, I would say that it would be typical of whoever signs the Illinois… your check when you get issued a check from the State of Illinois."
"Okay. When that signer's name is on there, will that signer also happen to be somebody who appears on the ballot in November?"
"It's likely that’s the case."
"Okay. So, we have virtually every household in the State of Illinois earning under $200 thousand receiving a check in an election year from someone running for office?"
"Yes."
"Is that problematic to anybody on that side?"
"I would only, Jeff, say it's… we have to issue the checks. So, if someone… the Constitution requires a constitutional officer to sign them. I know the… I know what the point you're making, but the truth of the matter is, someone has to sign the checks."
"Well, I would also think that we would have some administrative person or role that is nonelected person who should be able to sign checks on behalf of the State of Illinois. I mean, the Comptroller, for example, isn’t physically signing all of these checks. And my insistence since day one, even my criticisms of the Treasurer expanding his program and getting his name out there, is I would have a different sense for this, if not only our checks but our letters where we have benefits going to taxpayers, was actually signed by the taxpayers of the State of Illinois. I think that's the true person who's… who's returning the checks. So, my fear is, again, this is an election year. It’s 10200102.docx 215 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 a slippery slope. I'd like to see if we can't find an alternative on that. Thank you."
Speaker Evans: "Thank you. Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill. This Bill has a gas tax freeze that's not really gas tax relief. Gas tax and the sales tax on gas disproportionately hurts the poor and middle class and it disproportionately hurts those who live in rural areas. Those who live in rural areas drive 20, 25, 30 miles a day to go to work, to go to the doctor, to go to the hospital. They have no other options but to drive. When people in rural areas have to go somewhere, we have to drive. And because of Illinois' oppressive tax structure, we have to pay and pay a lot. Sometimes up to 70 cents a gallon more than our surrounding states. What we need is real gas tax relief. If we really want to help, we should limit, suspend, or completely eliminate the sales tax on our gasoline. Thank you."
"Representative Butler is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A question of Representative Zalewski."
"The Sponsor will yield."
"Thank you. Mike, thanks for bringing this forward. I just want to follow up on a couple questions that came up in committee yesterday. Specifically asked about the… is there any constitutional concerns around using the LUST Fund to backfill the Road Fund?"
"You know, we don’t have any, Tim. We think it's okay." 10200102.docx 216 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Okay. I appreciate that. And then thank you for taking care of the coal and aggregates credit that we talked about at length. I appreciate your work on that. And finally, did… is MICRO in this? Is that correct?"
"Microchip is Floor Amendment 3."
"3. It's in there?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Yeah? Okay."
"Representative Davidsmeyer is recognized."
"No, no, no. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. He's… I think he's…"
"Mr. Speaker, we're going to briefly pull this from the record for a moment."
"Please take this Bill out of the record. Leader Gabel is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that Representative Crespo be allowed to participate and cast his vote remotely."
"Leader Gabel has made a recommendation… has made a Motion that Representative Crespo be allowed to participate and cast his vote remotely. This is a roll call vote. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons."
"Yes."
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'. Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy." 10200102.docx 217 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Yes."
"Can you say that again with your camera on, please?"
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"One more time with your camera on, please."
"Didech votes 'yes'. I believe my camera's on."
"The camera is not on."
"You'll have to come back to me. I'm sorry."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley. Representative Jones. Representative Manley. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
"Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver. Representative Didech."
"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 81 voting 'yes', 13 voting 'no', 6 voting 'present'. And the Motion is adopted. Mr. Clerk."
"Is Representative Crespo present?"
"Crespo, present."
"Representative Crespo is present." 10200102.docx 218 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Leader Batinick, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"The light was on waiting to speak on the last Bill, Mr. Speaker."
"Thank you. Returning to page 5 of the Calendar, under Senate Bills-Second Reading. We have Senate Bill 157, Representative Zalewski."
"Mr. Speaker, we're on Third Reading though, correct?"
"This Bill's on Third Reading."
"Okay. Good."
"Representative Zalewski."
"I think Representative Butler was still asking questions, Mr. Speaker."
"Representative Butler is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just one last thing. We kind of got cut off there. So, MICRO is included in this. Is that correct?"
"It is. Yes, Sir."
"Yeah. Thank you. Thank you because that's just another great Republican idea that you guys have included in here as I look at my sheet here. I introduced that on February 18 of this year. So, I appreciate you including this in this Bill. Thanks, Mike."
"You're welcome."
"Representative Davidsmeyer is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicated that he will."
"Because of the scattered schedule, I kind of missed part of the debate. So, if I… if I hit on something that's 10200102.docx 219 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 already been hit on, just please let me know. I'm going to start with the biodiesel part that was added, what, just this afternoon or whatever… maybe this evening. Just quick question on… so, I asked you about coprocessing, talked to Representative Delgado, and I think we have an agreement to continue working on that to get a better understanding…"
"Yeah. I'm waiting for language to come from LRB. We would file the definitional change, and I would commit to the group to work on that in the fall."
"Okay. And I definitely appreciate that. Also, I know there's some concerns on the trucking side with that. When it gets cold, sometimes biodiesel tends to gel up in the filters. So, we want to make sure that the… it allows for that timeframe. So, when we look at the winter months that the lower biodiesels covered for those."
"My biodiesel expert, Representative Delgado, is nodding vociferously, so she agrees with you."
"Thanks, and I appreciate that, definitely."
"She's nothing if not a trucking expert on gas and stuff."
"That's good. I'm glad you have one of those on your side. So, did you already go through all the tax cuts and all that stuff?"
"I… I did."
"So, what… what does that… what do they amount to? Let's say the gas tax, what's that amount to, to the average person?" 10200102.docx 220 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"So… well, the gas tax… the cost of inflation… it's tied to inflation. It's adjusted for consumer price index. We think this year would be between 2 and 3 cents a gallon."
"Okay. So, 2.2 cents from what I've… I've looked up. About 2.2 cents a gallon. The average person… you know, we're talking maybe $50 bucks."
"Is that a question?"
"Yes."
"I don’t know the average person's…"
"In six months. So, we're talking about pushing it back. It will go up in January 1, right?"
"Correct."
"And then again July 1. So, we're just pushing it back six months."
"Well, we're… what we're doing is taking that first adjustment that’s scheduled to happen in July, we're pausing that and we're backfilling what the Road Fund would be lost with the LUST Fund… yes."
"With the LUST Fund."
"Yes."
"Yes. So… so, you're giving people maybe 50 bucks there. The grocery tax cut. Same thing, goes back into place January 1?"
"It's one year on the grocery tax."
"Okay. So, that's July 1 of next year."
"Correct."
"Okay. So, you're looking at a hundred bucks over the year for the average person."
"Correct." 10200102.docx 221 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Okay."
"Unless you eat a lot of food, like me, then it could be more."
"I understand. I do the same thing. I think we are… we are passing something here that's obviously a little bit disingenuous so that… in election year so that you can say you passed a tax cut, right?"
"I… on that…"
"That's what we're doing. Let's call it…"
"…on that, C.D., I genuinely disagree. We have a responsibility to pass a balanced budget. We have… we are blessed with incoming revenues right now that allow us to do this. There are things we are doing that are permanent in this Bill. There are things we are doing that are inflation relief during times of high inflation. What $50 may not seem like a lot some people, a couple dollars here, a couple dollars there may not seem like a lot to some people. I can tell you there's people in our caucus for whom it is very important. The EITC expansion is incredibly important. So, I don’t stand… I don’t accept the premise this is small ball. I think it's important. And I think it's important we vote 'yes' for it."
"And… you know, I understand and I… I am not an opponent of the Earned Income Tax Credit, and I appreciate us looking at that. I just think that we're doing the bare minimum here to say that we pass a tax cut. And you may disagree, but this is the bare minimum to the majority of Illinoisans. I'll watch the board."
"Representative McCombie is recognized." 10200102.docx 222 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Speaker. I just have a quick question."
"Please continue."
"Illinois is the fourth largest refining state in the nation, and we're obviously lucky to have those refineries. Today, those refineries are developing a technology that’s called coprocessing, which is widely used in California to meet the low carbon fuel standards. I noticed that this Bill specifically excludes coprocessing. Will you commit to working on coprocessing and any issues concerning testing with that trending technology?"
"Yes."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
"Thank you."
"Leader Batinick is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"Representative, did this go… this Bill go through Exec the first time, the sample version of it? Is that right?"
"It did."
"It didn’t go through Revenue, it was through the Exec. Thought I was watching Exec. I just…"
"A lot of component parts went through Revenue, but the Bill itself went through Exec."
"Okay. So, one of the Representatives earlier said two… what I heard in committee was two point two cents that the… what we're doing for gas is about stopping an increase of a two point two cents gas tax increase, correct?" 10200102.docx 223 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"It's between… we've said between two and three cents. But two point two is accurate."
"Two point two. And you guys think you need a sticker for that?"
"We do."
"So, is the sticker going to say, 'Hey, gas is 50 cents more a gallon over here across the border, or across the river. It would've been 52.2 cents more, but here's the sticker to say that it's only 50 cents more. 'I mean, in all honesty, the idea of a sticker is almost like a Saturday Night Live skit to me in this sense."
"I would argue, in 1990, when George Ryan was Governor and we had the same dynamic going on… or I'm sorry, in 2000 when the Governor Ryan was Governor and we had… some Republican colleague was presenting this Bill and the Democrat said, 'What are we doing a sticker for? It's silly.' And yet, we did it anyway because we want our citizens to know that government is on… the Illinois government is on the mend. We're in the best fiscal health in a generation and we've done this for them to make it a little easier."
"That sounds like… that sounds like something that somebody would do that pushes the line on campaign ethics, honestly. To the Bill. I don’t think everybody was in the room listening to what Patrick Windhorst had said earlier. We have House Bill 5723. There is an extra 400 to 500 million dollars in this budget because of the spike in gas taxes. That spike in gas taxes is disproportionately hurting middle class and poor people. More importantly, or as importantly, it's really disproportionately hurting rural people. And when 10200102.docx 224 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 we talk about the divide between urban and rural areas in this state, this is an example of… of telling somebody that can… has to drive across the border for cheaper gas, or whatever the situation is, or lose jobs because of it that… here's… we're not going to take an extra two point two cents from you. We know you have to drive 20, 30 miles to work. They don’t have subsidized public transportation. All this side is asking for regarding the gas tax is not take the money that they weren’t expecting anyway on the backs of the poor and especially rural poor. Four hundred to five hundred billion dollars of the revenue that's coming in that’s extra is because we're paying way more in gas than we were a year ago. And it is unfortunate that this Body feels the need to hold on that money and not take an extra two point two cents. It was an easy fix that was brought up on our side a long time ago. I was shocked that it wasn’t passed in a bipartisan manner. That’s extremely frustrating. And I hope you guys understand when people in rural areas get frustrated by the policies being dictated to them by Chicago, this is a real- world tangible example where somebody has to spend as much of an hour or two of their wages just to get to their job."
"Representative Mazzochi for questions."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"So, I understand that the language in this Amendment for SB157 is the same as what's before the Senate in HB1539. Is that right?"
"I will… I don’t know if the microchip Amendment made it into the Senate's version. So, I don’t want to…" 10200102.docx 225 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Okay. Well… you know, we… we've a little bit of going back and forth where we've been voting on essentially the same Bill. Sometimes it's a House Bill, then it comes back as a Senate Bill. What's… yeah, I mean, you guys are the Democrats. You're in charge of these chambers. What's going to actually be the final Bill that we vote on? Is it going to be HB1539 that's going to ultimately go to the Governor? Or is it going to be SB157?"
"Deanne, I have no idea. They're calling the Bills that are before us and trying to get out of here."
"Well, right. But, you know, I'd like to vote… if we're going to have to take a vote on these issues, I'd like to actually do it once on one Bill that we know is the final Bill. Whether it’s a version that's passed the Senate that's coming here or a version that we have here that's going to go over to the Senate. And you guys keep playing these games back and forth where we vote for it here, we vote for it there, something gets changed here, something gets changed there. You know, you don’t… make up your mind. Get a Bill done and then present it. I know it's the end of season. I know it's late. I know we're now an hour and 24 minutes past what was supposed to be the end of Session. But the fact of the matter is, is that this was on you to try to get a Bill in form before the end of Session. You guys keep playing games with what you're going to do because you don’t want to actually have to take tough votes, because you misspent all the federal dollars and the federal funds that were coming in. You were the ones who misspent $1.8 billion so that you could dole it out to your Members for their pet projects 10200102.docx 226 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 instead of responsibly paying off unemployment insurance debt that we absolutely owe, that we're accruing interest on every single day. So, pardon me if I'd like to know exactly what's the final Bill that I should be voting on so that I can maybe try to make a decision on behalf of my district. Thank you."
"Deanne… Deanne, if you want to vote 'no' on a Bill that cuts taxes, adds money to the Budget Stabilization Fund, adds money to pensions because you want to be pedantic right now, that's on you. This is a tax cut. This is fiscally responsible. The time for lectures has long passed, long passed, Deanne."
"Oh, the… yeah. It's… the time for lectures has long passed. I love it. The Democrats are somehow saying, look at us. We're willing to give you a tax cut. If you wanted to really give us a tax cut, you would, number one, make something that’s actually permanent. If it is was something that you really believed in, you would file it as a standalone Bill so that you can show bipartisan support, not with a whole bunch of gimmicks so that you're trying to…"
"Deanne. Deanne. Deanne…"
"No, no. This is for…"
"…do not yell. I sat in Exec for two hours and I heard…"
"Don't yell? I listened…"
"…from your caucus about things that were problematic with the Bill. We added microchip. We took… we put coal back in. Do not tell me… do not lecture me about bipartisanship. Do not do it."
"Oh, I don’t need to lecture you about bipartisanship because…" 10200102.docx 227 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"…bipartisanship long left the window in this chamber."
Speaker Evans: "Please bring your remarks to a close. Representative Stava-Murray for questions."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill."
"Continue. To the Bill."
"I rise in support of this relief package, which will shape the lives of many Illinoisans across this state. I could talk for hours about all of the great high-profile programs that are in this proposal, but let's bring this out of the abstract and into real terms. People across our state, across all of our state, in the suburbs, in Chicago, in downstate have found it harder and harder to get by. We need to help everyday lives of everyday people. Paying for gas and groceries is an everyday thing. And doing whatever we can to make it cheaper is our responsibility if we take it seriously. This package will freeze taxes on gas and groceries. A college student filling up her car at the gas station or a dad going to the grocery store won't make headlines, but this package will save them money. We are talking about working parents who may stay up nights working… worrying about feeding their kids or buying them school supplies. Those are the people I'll happily cast an 'aye' vote for, and I encourage every single other person in this chamber to do the same. Thank you."
"Representative Brady is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will." 10200102.docx 228 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative… Mike, over here. Just a quick a question for you."
"Yes, Sir."
"In committee I had this question and I… there was not an answer at that time. What's the cost of the sticker that's going to go on the pumps?"
"I… I do not have that answer for you yet, Dan."
"I'm sorry?"
"I don’t have that answer for you yet."
"Okay. Thank you very much."
"Representative Stuart is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to speak to the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"Many of you… I'm sure I've mentioned it many times, I'm a former teacher myself. I think I talk a lot about how important it is to have respect for teachers and the role they play here in Illinois and the role they play in children's lives. I really think it's a privilege to be able to talk about what I believe is a really beneficial, probably one of the most beneficial provisions in our budget this year. We're doubling the rate of the tax credit that we're giving teachers. Teachers purchase classroom materials. They make investments in Illinois kids. Those investments are investments in our future. The hard-working educators in our schools should not be giving up parts of their own hard- earned incomes, paychecks that are frankly too low, even though we've already raised the teacher minimum salary. And they have to do that just to keep their classes on track. 10200102.docx 229 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Teachers are not robots, they're human beings. It takes a lot of work to create engaging lessons and it takes a lot of resources. It takes supplies. It takes materials. Those cost money, money that’s not provided frequently because our schools don’t have enough to give our teachers. So, that comes out of their pockets because of the care and the passion that they have for… for their jobs. With this budget, we're saying teachers deserve support. We're sending the message to our current teachers and to those of you thinking about being teachers in the future. We're telling you that Illinois has your back. I'm very proud of this budget and this is just one of the many reasons why. And I thank you for including this really important increase in the tax credit."
"Representative Hammond is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates that he will."
"So, Mike, I'm kind of getting the feeling that you're in a little bit of a giving mood tonight, working with Representative Butler on the microchip and my seatmate over here on the coprocessing. So, I'm wondering if you would give me your word that you will work with me on Endow Illinois?"
"Yes. You have my word on Endow Illinois. We… it's a worthwhile tax credit. We need to… we need to continue to work through. It's… we have a limited amount of excess revenue to be able to afford these things this year but it's a worthwhile project and I'll be… I'll continue to work with you on it."
"Promise?"
"I promise." 10200102.docx 230 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you."
"Representative Reick is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill. The Sponsor said this is not small ball. I haven’t seen small ball like this since Whitey Herzog managed the St. Louis Cardinals. It was a good… it was a good time, folks. You know, I am looking at this and I'm thinking, okay, we got a billion-eight in tax cuts, but we also got a bunch of things that have been thrown into this Bill to sort of induce us to vote for it. The extractive industries sales tax, which our constituents aren’t going to understand. The issue of… what else is in the Bill? Oh, my goodness. Oh, the unemployment trust fund, a billion-eight of money left in our AARPA that could've gone to pay for the trust fund. What we have here, folks, is JB Pritzker just put a billion-eight into his own campaign to pay for these temporary and farcical tax cuts that are going to disappear as soon as the election is over. So, I'm going to tell you something, I have a conflict of interest here. I can't vote on this Bill because I'm running for election in November and I'm not going to lie to my constituents."
"Representative Scherer is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's an interesting spot that I have found myself in to follow, comments that are… okay. To the Bill. We've all been through some really tough times, all throughout America, especially over these past couple of years. Families are hurting. If you don’t think they're hurting then you're not paying any attention to your constituents. We have to help people get back on their feet. That's why I'm so encouraged by what's going on in this 10200102.docx 231 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 budget. Direct payments to families will help. I saw someone roll their eyes about a hundred dollars to a family. Well, when a hundred dollars is what you pay for a bottle of wine, it doesn't mean much. But when a hundred dollars is all you have to feed your family, clothe your family, pay for the laundromat, figure out how to pay all those little charges that come up for your kids at school, and figure out how your kids are going to fit in with all the rich kids, let me tell you, $100 is a mountain load of money. And you should, right now, thank God that you're not in that situation. We have to do something. Yes, every person in this room recognizes the problem that people are facing with what they're having to pay on gasoline and their groceries. Is this the perfect answer? I will be the first one to say, no, it is not. And I will also be the first one to say, I'm not going home to my constituents and saying I did nothing. And I hope none of you even consider voting 'no' because then you get to go home and say I chose to do nothing because I found something that I could pick apart and make it an easy no. We're trying to help you out here and take a right vote. We're going to help people with their household budgets. We're going to help with school funding, thank goodness. We’re going to help with public safety. We're going to help with health care. We're going to help people with taxes to buy school supplies. They're people in this room that just snap their fingers and all the kids' school supplies are taken care of. Well, there are also constituents at home who don’t know how they're going to buy a pair of shoes for their kid's feet. I have been at that door. I have seen the struggles. I have seen houses with no 10200102.docx 232 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 furniture. I have seen children with no shoes. Let's leave no one behind tonight, and let's help our state recover. I encourage every single person in this room to take the high road and vote 'yes'."
"Thank you, Representative. Representative Ortiz is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill. I'll echo my colleague's words that all Illinois income… low-income families are having a hard time right now, and we must provide assistance. Considering the revolting national trend of racism and the resulting need for Illinois to remain a haven for the immigrant community, my thoughts also turn to the many struggling immigrant families who also need assistance now more than ever. The Earned Income Tax Credit has been a key source of financial relief for many low-income Illinoisans. So, this budget is making crucial expansions in age eligibility and the size of the credit. Critically though, we are finally granting eligibility to ITIN tax filers, people who do not file with a Social Security number, so the entire immigrant community in Illinois can receive this critical assistance. We are giving immigrants relief that has been denied to them for too long. Allowing them to be eligible for EITC is a vital financial measure that will have a huge positive impact, but it is also a sign of our commitment to equity. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle may hate to admit this, but immigrants pay billions, billions in taxes every year. Not affording them the same opportunities as all other taxpayers is treating them as second-class citizens. 10200102.docx 233 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Equity should be a priority for this Body and a 'yes' vote will reflect that. I urge an 'aye' vote."
"Zalewski to close."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm… I got a little spun up before because it's been a long night, week, whatever, but I just want to address some things. This is a good Bill. It's good for me. It's good for you. It's good for the people we represent. A person's going to pay less at the pump as a result of the passage of this Bill, and they don’t care about esoteric arguments about where we live or how we go and how we get there. A person's going to pay less groceries as a result of this Bill, and they don’t care about who voted for it and who didn’t vote for it and whose name's on the receipt and who got the… gets to sign the check. A person's going to get a check from the State of Illinois for the first time in a generation because we have finally, finally got this state on the right track. This is a good Bill. This is going to lift up everyone we care about. It's going to do real things to get us back on our feet. You should want to support this Bill, regardless of the politics, because it's a good thing. Vote 'yes'. Thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall Senate Bill 157 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons."
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'."
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'. Representative Cassidy."
"Cassidy votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 234 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Conroy votes 'yes'."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
"Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 235 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"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 110 voting in 'favor', 0 voting 'no', 4 voting 'present'. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report."
Clerk Bolin: "Committee Reports. Representative Harris, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: recommends be adopt… recommends be adopted, Motions to Concur… Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1, 2, and 3 for House Bill 1950, Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1, 2, and 3 for House Bill 2770, and Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1, 2, and 3 for House Bill 4343."
"On Supplemental Calendar #1… sorry, Harris in the Chair. On Supplemental Calendar #1, under the Order of Resolutions, appears Senate Joint Resolution 55, Representative Evans. Please read the Resolution, Mr. Clerk. Ladies and Gentlemen, once again, on Supplemental Calendar #1 is Senate Joint Resolution 55, offered by Representative… I'm sorry. Senate Joint Resolution 55, offered by Representative Evans."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and the great Members of the Assembly. Good morning. Even though it says arguments, the argument has already happened. So, my hope today is that we can pass this formality. This is the next step. We've had the argument. Some of us believe in workers' rights. Some of us have other opinions. But today is just what we must do after Bills have been passed or the Resolution been passed which 10200102.docx 236 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 we'll continue to follow the law and just take the next step that will be… the question will appear on the ballot. We have to lay out what that question will be. We've taking the steps to do that here in this Senate Joint Resolution. A brief explanation of the Amendment. A brief argument in favor. A brief argument against and the form in which such Amendment would appear in a separate ballot in the General Election. And we've done that, so I request your support, again, for this Resolution."
"Representative Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Resolution. I'll make this short and sweet. We had a big, long debate on this months ago about putting this on the ballot. My recommendation is, if you voted to put it on the ballot, you vote for language. If you didn’t vote to put it on the ballot, you don’t vote for language."
"Representative Evans to close."
"I request your support."
"Leader Evans has moved for the adoption of Senate Joint Resolution 55. All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons."
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'."
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'. Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 237 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
"Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'."
"Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. With 86 voting 'yes', 24 voting 'no', and 4 voting 'present', this Resolution, having received a Constitutional Majority, 10200102.docx 238 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 is hereby adopted. Representative McCombie, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Speaker. Just a inquiry, please."
"Please state your inquiry."
"Could you please advise if we're going to be calling HB3850 this evening? I do know it was… or called out of Rules… brought out of Rules."
"I will check into that, and we'll get back to you."
"Thank you, Sir."
"Mr. Clerk, Committee announcements."
Clerk Hollman: "The following committees will be meeting immediately: Revenue & Finance will meet in Virtual Room 1, Labor & Commerce in Virtual Room 2, the Executive Committee in Virtual Room 3, Judiciary - Criminal in Virtual Room 4."
"Committees shall meet immediately. House will stand in recess to the call of the Chair. Committees, please meet immediately."
"Mr. Clerk."
Clerk Hollman: "Committee Reports. Representative Zalewski, Chairperson from the Committee on Revenue & Finance reports the following committee action on April 9, 2022: recommends be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 4132. Representative Evans, Chairperson from the Committee on Labor & Commerce reports the following committee action on April 9, 2022: recommends be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 and 2 to House Bill 4600. Representative Rita, Chairperson from the Committee on the Executive reports the following committee 10200102.docx 239 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 action taken on April 9, 2022: do pass Short Debate is Senate Bill 4020; recommends be adopted is Floor Amendment(s) 1 to Senate Bill 2364. Representative Slaughter, Chairperson from the Committee on Judiciary - Criminal reports the following committee action on April 9, 2022: recommends be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 4 to House Bill 1091 and Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 2 to House Bill 4383."
"The Chair will institute Short Debate. On Supplemental Calendar #1 appears House Bill 1950, Leader Harris. Leader Harris."
"Mr. Speaker, I move to concur with Senate…"
"One moment, Leader. On the Order of Concurrence appears House Bill 1950. Leader Harris, you may proceed."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I move to concur with Senate Amendments #1, 2, and 3 to House Bill 1950. With these Amendments, this Bill is the renewal of the hospital assessment, which as you know brings about $3.9 billion to the State of Illinois to pay for hospital and health care systems. This is an update that happens every couple years to the hospital assessment, and it maintains the current tax structure and methodology. It shifts some of the payment calculations to make it more predictable for the various hospital systems. It redefines certain class of hospitals to comport with Federal Law. And it adjusts some of the pools to be sure that Safety-Net Hospitals receive more funding than the previous model. It does a number of other things. It has pandemic relief through an assessment tax reduction. It provides additional mental illness beds for Safety-Net 10200102.docx 240 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Hospitals, funds the poison control center, and there's several other things. I'd be happy to answer any questions in the interest of time."
"On this question, Leader Batinick. Leader Demmer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First, an inquiry of the Chair. What day is it?"
"Good question."
"To the Concurrence. Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, this is an extension of an extremely important program here in the State of Illinois. As Leader Harris mentioned, this funds a significant piece of the state's Medicaid program. I commend folks on both sides of the aisle over the past several months working together on this renewal Bill, and I urge a 'yes' vote. Thank you."
"Leader Harris to close."
"Do what Tom Demmer says, vote 'yes'."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments #1, 2, and 3 to House Bill 1950?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all oppose 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons. Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 241 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
"Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"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 113 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendments #1, 2, and 3 to House Bill 1950. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Batinick." 10200102.docx 242 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the record reflect that Representative Keith Sommer will be excused for the remainder of the morning."
"The record will so reflect. Leader Harris on House Bill 4343. Please proceed."
"Mr. Speaker, I move to concur with Senate Amendments 1, 2, and 3, I believe. Yes, Senate Amendments 1, 2, and 3 to House Bill 4343. And to… I'd like to explain a little bit about this Bill because it has changed slightly since it has left the House. When it left here, it dealt with improving the ability of folks to access Medicaid to be sure that people who were aging, blind, and disabled could continue on their program without being redetermined, that once they had reached that state that they were permanently included. In the Senate, there were several other matters related to Medicaid that were added on to this Bill, and I'll just go through a couple of them very briefly. It expands the funding to increase out-patient treatment for children in behavioral health settings across the state. It provides that midwifery services can be covered and funded at HFS. It increases the base rate per diem for any patient acute and rehab services for children's specialty hospitals. It sets prenatal and postpartum rates at the level of adult visits. It increases the age range for our program under Healthy Illinois to expand insurance coverage to undocumented folks to age 42 to 54. It increases the number of procedures and the rates for dental services and several other items. I would be happy to answer any questions and would appreciate an 'aye' vote."
"Leader Demmer." 10200102.docx 243 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, over the past several years the Medicaid Work Group has been a really productive and collaborative experience for Members of all four caucuses and the administration, no matter which party was in control of the Governor's Office, to work through complicated issues in the Medicaid space and to evaluate a wide range of options that were brought before the House and, over the course of many, many meetings, come to a consensus that all four caucuses in the administration could agree upon. We remember many of those Bills that have come before us at the end of that collaborative process that then received a unanimous support. Unfortunately, the Bill that we see before us today has many items we did talk about and reach consensus on but others that were simply added at the last minute. And for that reason, I urge a 'no' vote."
"Leader Harris to close."
"I would appreciate an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments #1, 2, and 3 to House Bill 4343?' This is final action. All those vote in… all in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons. Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 244 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
"Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 71 voting 'yes', 42 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate 10200102.docx 245 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Amendments #1, 2, and 3 to House Bill 4343. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Katie Stuart on House Bill 2770. Please proceed."
"Thank you. I move to concur with Senate Amendments 1, 2, and 3 to House Bill 2770. So, with these Amendments, this Bill will eliminate many of the redundancies and duplications that are within our Procurement Code. It does include language from three Bills that have previously passed the House. So, just in case you need to know, House Bill 1724, House Bill 4384, and House Bill 3820. The goal is to make sure that more small and minority-owned businesses have access to contracts within units of higher education. This doesn't fix all of the issues with procurement. There are still some other outstanding issues. So, the Bill will also establish a task force to focus on the changes needed to procurement."
"On this question, Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Representative, nice to speak with you again. Do you have any plans… the stuff that got dropped off, there's a lot to do in procurement. Do you have any plans to address those things that dropped off the last couple of days?"
"That’s what the task force will look at."
"Okay, the task force. Okay. Well, this is a step in the wrong direction. I feel like it's going to be a journey. Vote 'aye'. It's late. It's a step in the right direction on what is going to be a long journey. Vote 'aye'."
"Leader Brady." 10200102.docx 246 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Representative, does this also address the lease side of things, a 10-year… a change from 10 year to 30 year in this Bill at all?"
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"Representative Stuart to close."
"I don’t know if I could be as eloquent as Batinick, but please vote 'yes'."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments #1, 2, and 3 to House Bill 2770?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons. Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 247 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
"Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'."
"Have all voted who wish? 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 113 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendments #1, 2, and 3 to House Bill 2770. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Returning to Supplemental Calendar #1, Representative Evans has House Bill 4600."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and the great Members of the Assembly. I'd like to concur on Amendment 1 and 2. The Bill in question… the main Bill is House Bill 5412, which was discussed on the floor last month. House Bill 5412 amended 10200102.docx 248 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 the Wage Payment Act. We had a long debate, robust debate. And even though it passed, and we passed in the Senate, we didn’t make the commitment, but offline we made the commitment to continue the work. Let's try to get it right, or right in the minds of the opposition. This Bill exempts small projects valued under $20 thousand, limits statute of limitation. We took into account a lot of input, and I think we got to a place where it's… our position is much, much happier. I can answer any other questions. Request your support."
"Representative McCombie."
"This is not to the Bill."
Speaker Hoffman: "We'll return to you after the Bill. Representative Reick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Representative, is the only thing that these Amendments do… set is exempt contracts under $20 thousand and set up some sort of a task force?"
"Limits the statute of limitations for claims down from 10 years to 3 years. It says three things that it does mainly, in addition to what you mentioned. The task force and the exemption, which is very important because not attacking… not having a supply to single family homes and, you know, individuals like me and you doing projects at our houses, I think is very important."
"5412 was a lousy Bill and this… these Amendments don’t do much to improve it. Vote 'no'."
"Representative Evans… Leader Evans to close."
"I request your support." 10200102.docx 249 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments #1 and 2 to House Bill 4600. This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons. Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 250 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
"Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 74 voting 'yes', 40 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority… the House does concur in Senate Amendments #1 and 2 to House Bill 46 (sic-4600). And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative McCombie."
"Just a point of personal privilege real briefly, please."
"Please state your point."
"If I could have everybody's attention just for a quick moment. Some of the new Members that we have are not familiar with Pam Knight, who was the DCFS worker who was brutally beaten and killed while protecting one of our vulnerable children. You are maybe more familiar with Deidre Silas, who was just recently brutally murdered, also checking on our most vulnerable, March 31. After this happened, the Governor stated that he was going to support the Bill that has been in 10200102.docx 251 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 our House. We filed a Bill 2/6 of 2018. That Bill was made of an example of when things weren't so great between all of us. Do not pass on 4/12. We filed that Bill on 2/6, and she died on 2/8 after being in a coma. Then in April of 2019, we had it again in the House… and thank you to Chair Slaughter and Members of the Judicial Criminal Committee… and many in this House voted unanimously to pass that Bill. However, the Senate didn’t have the courage that we did. This year it's different. Here it is again, another DCFS worker has been brutally killed. We have not one, not two, three Bills. Three Bills. We finally get one passed in the House, and here it is tonight, released from Rules that we could call this Bill, and it's not going to be called. We have plenty of time. Plenty of time. I just want to read this, as the Governor quoted. 'Our DCFS workers dedicate their careers to our most vulnerable children lying in pursuit of the belief that every child should have a safe place to call home. These professionals do everything in their power to protect children so it's time for the legal system to treat them like the first responders they are. I'm working with the General Assembly to enhance the penalties for adults who harm DCFS workers to align with the protections for other first responders. In honor of Deidre Silas, in honor of Pam Knight, in honor of all of our DCFS employees, and in honor of all who live and service to others.' What a disservice that the Governor and this House has done again to Pam Knight and her family, and now most recently to Deidre Silas. Whoever's in charge of calling this, and I'm going to have to say it's the Governor, should be ashamed of himself. Because I know the 10200102.docx 252 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 folks in this House have stood behind Pam and would certainly stand behind Deidre. We always sit here and talk about DCFS and the system and the agencies and defending our most vulnerable. We have two women who've been killed doing just that. And here we go disgracing them, their memories, and their families."
"On page 7 of the Calendar, under the Order of Second Reading, appears Senate Bill 3737, Leader Wheeler. Read the Bill, Mr. Clerk."
"Senate Bill 3737, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. The Bill was read for a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the Bill."
"Senate Bill 3737, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this Senate Bill."
"Leader Wheeler."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ladies and Gentlemen, Senate Bill 3737 is an initiative of Kendall County. In their efforts to keep property tax at a minimum, they are offering a judicial facilities fee instead of a property tax levy. They've worked through all angles here to try and make this so that all waivers can apply for any low-income issues who are… needs to address those fees. We appreciate your support. Thank you."
"Representative Guzzardi."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield." 10200102.docx 253 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Leader Wheeler, can you tell us about the proponents and opponents to your Bill?"
"I'm sorry, you said the proponents?"
"Are you aware of proponents or opponents to your Bill, Leader?"
"The proponents were Kendall County and the associated organizations, like the Association of Counties and AFSCME, and the I think ACU slipped in opposition but did not speak to the Bill in committee."
"I'm sorry. You said that… can you say it one more time who was opposed? You said ACLU? Our analysis says the Chicago Council of Lawyers and Appleseed for Fair Courts are also opposed."
"They didn’t reach out to me, Will, and I don't have them on our analysis that way. So, I don’t have any knowledge of that."
"Okay. Just for colleagues on my side of the aisle here, your Bill would propose to finance operations of the court by increasing court fees? Is that correct?"
"Yeah. There's a third level of the court house that needs to be built out. The volume keeps rising and… the court volume keeps rising. We're trying to do that via judicial facilities fee rather than just in the levy of property taxes."
"So, to finance this project, you'd propose to do it on the backs of people who are in the court system rather than the taxpayers at large?"
"Well, there's a waiver for anybody who has a low-income situation. And I want to say around… I don’t have numbers in 10200102.docx 254 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 from of me here… about 36 percent, if I recall, of all the felonies and 46 percent of all the misdemeanors, if you said all the fees… of those trials had all the fees waived last year."
"Okay. To the Bill. I believe that if this is indeed in the public interest, it should be paid for by the taxpayers who are at large and not by increasing court fees. I would urge a 'no' vote. Thank you."
"Leader Wheeler to close."
"Appreciate an 'aye' vote. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall this Bill pass?' All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; opposed vote 'no'. The voting's open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons. Representative Cassidy. Representative Conroy. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard, can you turn your camera on and say that again?"
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes." 10200102.docx 255 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
"Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"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 is 72 voting 'yes', 17 voting 'no', 6 voting 'present'. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report."
Clerk Bolin: "Committee Reports. Representative Harris, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: Motion to… Motions to Concur… recommends be adopted, Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 722, Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 4 to House Bill 900, Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 and 2 for House Bill 4700."
"Representative Caulkins, for what reason do you seek recognition?" 10200102.docx 256 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker."
"Please state your point."
"Thank you. Well, here we are, Groundhog Day for me. Four years, four end of Sessions, and still no ethics reform. Year after year, none. We did pass some Bill that was termed ethics reform."
"Representative Caulkins, I understand. Okay? We get it. It's 4:00 in the morning. We know your position. We know your position."
"I… I will just… just give me 30 more seconds."
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"Thirty more seconds if you don’t mind, Sir. We now have another Member of this Body under investigation, and we will not address ethics reforms. This is the… the people of this state look at this Body, and they lump us all together, and it's beyond the pale. We have made a commitment. We must address ethics reform if we're going to restore the confidence and the trust of the people of this state. And another year has gone by without it, and it's a tragedy. And I just have no way to address my people."
"Representative Buckner on House Bill 1091. Representative Buckner."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 1091 creates and specifically defines a violation of organized retail crime and formalizes partnerships between law enforcement and the retail industry in order to most effectively dismantle sophisticated enterprises that orchestrate these crimes. It also aims to reduce a criminal's ability to avoid prosecution by providing jurisdiction to any state's attorney where any 10200102.docx 257 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 element of the organized retail crime takes place. It also provides the Attorney General's Office the use of the statewide grand jury to prosecute organized retail crime. The proposal also provides dedicated enforcement resources. It addresses online fencing. It enhances public and private coordination. It aims to deter smash and grab thefts and supply chain thefts. Mr. Speaker, we worked with the Illinois Attorney General's Office, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, many other groups, like the ACLU, and the victims' rights advocacy groups to craft this. I just want to go on record to say that there are some concerns about the rights given to retail merchants in comparison with the rights given to victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence crimes. I have committed to continue to work on that. There is legislation that has been filed already. There's been a commitment from the Attorney General's Office to help me work through a number of those things that many of these advocacy groups had issues with. Happy to answer any questions."
"On this question, Leader Durkin."
"Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Representative, this issue's been around for a few months and I've put a Bill in back in December to begin this process. Could you explain to me what the penalties are for the crimes that we have created under this Bill?"
"Give me one second, Leader. So, a violation of this… this statute would be a Class 3 felony."
"Class 3 felony?" 10200102.docx 258 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yes, Sir."
"Okay. Let me ask you this. Under the law that will be going into place in January 1, will this be a detainable offense?"
"This… well, this is a new offense. So, it's not a part of that."
"It's not a detainable offense?"
"Not a part of that."
"So, they will be able to get a ticket and say we'll rely upon the honor system and just go along… go upon your way, right?"
"It is… once again, it's a Class 3 felony except that when bodily harm is involved, and then it becomes a Class 2 felony."
"Okay. Is that Class 2 probational or nonprobational?"
"Class 2 is… you said is it probational or nonprobational?"
"Yeah."
"It's… it is probational, and it will be covered by what's already the law."
"But even in that situation where bodily harm has been inflicted upon someone, it is not a detainable offense based on the House Bill 3653, correct?"
"Leader, I know you want to rehash the SAFE-T Act. This is…"
"I do because this is… directly affects the SAFE-T Act and it's about whether or not bad actors…"
"You'll have the opportunity to do that… you'll have the opportunity to do that later tonight." 10200102.docx 259 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"But the thing is, it's about whether a bad actors are going to be able to pay a penalty and a price for this scourge that has taken upon the City of Chicago and other places within the State of Illinois."
"I live in the City of Chicago, and the thing you're talking about has not taken effect. And so, I know you'll have the chance later today to talk about the SAFE-T Act."
"No. I can talk about the SAFE-T Act, but…"
"I know it's important to you. So, thank you."
"…the fact is, here's what we're doing. There's some good in this Bill. I will say this. There's good in this Bill, and this is about forcing the online marketers to… shows transparency and responsibility about the products that they peddle. It forces them to comply and actually shows some due diligence about where these products are coming for… coming from. But I will just say for the balance of this, there's really nothing that shows to me, as someone who's worked in this system, no deterrent on the bad actors that we've been talking about for the past year. 'Cause I know the ACLU has significantly watered down this Bill. But at the end of the day, we talk about smash and grab, we talk about how horrible this is. But we just haven’t done enough to discourage or to provide that deterrent upon these bad actors. Because at the end of the day, if this is going to be charged, they're not going to be held. There's not going to be a bond hearing. It doesn't make a difference how many times they have been picked up and they've been arrested or done time on theft cases or burglary cases. We won't even have that option because of what you did with 3653 and that starts in January. So, 10200102.docx 260 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 unbalanced… look, you got us over… you know, we're in this situation. Do we help the retailers on this? I think the fact is, as I said earlier, we've got a good provision in here because it's going to force the online marketers to do something for the first time. But we're not doing anything to discourage or deter the people who are destroying the River North, businesses in the South Side, West Side, everywhere else in the City of Chicago who have had to deal with this time and time over the past year and half. So, it's disappointing that this is the best we can do. But I will just say this, if we are ever going to be true to our citizens and also to people who deserve to run a business to make an honest living, we got to make sure that at some point that the people responsible for this epidemic of a crime at least should go before a judge to determine whether or not they should be held in a county jail. But you guys, you kept that from us, 3653. We're not going to let that happen. So, I'm done."
"Leader, you are… you mentioned the South Side of Chicago. I'm from the South Side of Chicago. I live in the South Side of Chicago. You mentioned River North, I represent River North. I would love to agree with you, but if I did, then we would both be wrong. I look forward to your 'yes' vote."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Question of the Sponsor."
"Sponsor yields."
"Representative Buckner, what is the effective date of your Bill?" 10200102.docx 261 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Effective immediately."
"Thank you. To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"There are… I'm a little emotional right now, so I'm just gathering myself. Contained in this Bill are a new set of rights for victims, except the victims that we're talking about here are retailers like Target and Walmart. And in this Bill, they get consideration that victims of violent crime, that rape victims, that domestic violence victims do not get. And I am blown away at our rush to do this at a time when… I mean, I hear from the other side of the aisle constantly, who's thinking about the victims, what are we doing for the victims? And today, what we are doing is telling survivors of gender-based violence that Walmart and Target are more important than them. That Walmart and Target are more worthy of protection than they are. And so, if you want to vote for this today, know that that's what you're saying to the… mostly women in your district who are afraid to report their crimes because they get disregarded, they get doubted, they get accused of being… of lying about it. The messages we send make a difference in the way survivors exist in our world. And today, we are telling them we don’t care about them. We have had plenty of time to make changes to this Bill to make the bankers happy. We went out of our way to make sure that there wasn’t any conflict between the retailers and the bankers. But we told the folks that represent survivors of gender-based violence that they need to wait till the fall so that this can take effect immediately. And here in Illinois, we are ensconcing in law, for multiple months, that large 10200102.docx 262 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 retailers have more rights than a woman who has been raped. Within this law, we make very clear when a victim of organized retail crime has to be notified about updates and… and hearings. We put a number on it. Whereas in existing law, for every other victim of crime, it just has to be timely, which could mean anything. We go even one step further. And as someone who watched a police officer tell my mother that prosecuting my father for strangling her would ruin a good man's life and so discouraged her from reporting. Here in this Bill that we are about to put an immediate effective date on… we do that when something's an emergency. Here in this Bill, we prohibit law enforcement from even discouraging a retailer from a filing a case. We take that extra step. We prohibit law enforcement from refusing to take reports in domestic violence and sexual assault cases. But that doesn’t stop them from discouraging. We went one step further here because God forbid anybody should suggest make some leniency to Target or Walmart. If you vote 'yes' for this Bill, you are telling me and every survivor in the State of Illinois to pound sand, you are telling me and every survivor in the State of Illinois that you care more about the retailers and the businesses in your district than the victims of violent crime. I strongly urge a 'no' vote."
"Representative Buckner to close."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First off, I want to thank Representative Cassidy for her courage. We've had some conversations on this, and these are issues that are extremely important to me as well. The conversations that we've had with victims' rights groups and folks who are survivors of 10200102.docx 263 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 gender-based violence has been focused around making sure that we bring that parity that Representative Cassidy talked about to the fore. I have committed to that, and I wasn't… I wouldn't commit to moving forward on the Bill until we had those conversations. I have filed House Bill 5748 to directly deal with the issues that Representative Cassidy addressed. And I look forward to doing that work to make sure that we are doing all that we can from a resource and an intention standpoint for those folks who are victims of gender-based violence. I thank you for this debate. I urge an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #4 to House Bill 1091?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons."
"No."
"Representative Ammons votes 'no'. Representative Cassidy."
"No."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'no'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 264 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield. Representative Tarver."
"No."
"Representative Tarver 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 question, there are 96 voting 'yes', 5 voting 'no', 2 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment #4 to House Bill 1091. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. On the Order of Second Reading appears House (sic- Senate) Bill 2364, Representative Slaughter. Mr. Clerk, please read the Bill. Apologize. Mr. Clerk, please read the Bill."
"Senate Bill 2364, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. The Bill was read for a second time previously. 10200102.docx 265 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Slaughter."
"Representative Slaughter on Floor Amendment #1."
"Mr. Speaker, this is a gut and place… gut and place Amendment. I'd like to debate it on Third Reading."
"Representative Slaughter moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to Senate Bill 2364. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The Amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, please read the Bill."
"Senate Bill 2364, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. Third Reading of this Senate Bill."
"Representative Slaughter."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. House Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2364 comprises important refinements and clarifications to the SAFE-T Act. Designed to put forth a transformative systemic change within our criminal justice system, the SAFE-T Act establish a robust comprehensive framework for our state to address needed changes to both law enforcement and mass incarceration. As various components of the SAFE-T Act become effective, it is absolutely critical that our state embrace refinements and important clarifications so that we can optimize the impact and the implementation of these significant initiatives. We will now turn our attention to the true intent and objectives of the SAFE-T Act. And we'll put forth these refinements to respect the great people of Illinois, to respect our brave men and women, officers that 10200102.docx 266 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 are implementing these reforms, and yes, yes, to also push back on the steady drumbeat of lies. Lies that misrepresent these much-needed reforms. Lies that mislead the public. Lies that politicize a very real crisis that disproportionately impacts our underserved communities. Lies that all too often reek of systemic racism. This is not a penalty enhancement. This is definitely a policy enhancement, a clarification Bill that upholds and protects our reforms but also prioritizes public safety. We've heard various concerns, not necessarily about these policies, but more so about the specific wording and how these provisions can be interpreted. The first refinement in this Bill is regarding a clarification for misdemeanor citations. The Bill clarifies and emphasizes that an officer is able to use their discretion to make a custodial arrest when the individual is a threat to the community. The second refinement is regarding electronic monitoring. Clarifying language is put forth relating to movement periods for individuals on EM to accomplish basic human needs. More specifically, this Section clarifies that (1), during any period of authorized movement, the supervising authority may monitor the participants location. Secondly, the Bill replaces the phrase 'two days per week' to 'two periods of time per week' and gives the supervising authority the authority to determine those periods of time. And lastly, in this Section, the new language allows the state's attorney to file a petition to deny the movement period for individuals charged with forceable felonies. The Bill also puts forth the commission on pretrial implementation as we march forward to January 1, 2023. This will be a robust bipartisan entity that 10200102.docx 267 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 will be tasked with studying this subject matter and providing comprehensive recommendations. Lastly, the Bill pushes back the start date regarding mandatory supervised release to March 1, 2023 and pushes back the start date on the Pretrial Practices Data Oversight Board's data collection project to January 1, 2024. Mr. Speaker, this is the Bill. I urge a 'yes' vote on Senate Bill 2364."
"We will go to Representative Gong-Gershowitz and then Representative Windhorst. Representative Gong- Gershowitz for legislative intent."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Thank you, Representative, for all your incredible work on this. I just have a couple of questions just to clarify legislative intent. I wanted to just, first, establish the original intent. If you could just explain what the original intent of the movement period was."
"It was to allow a maximum two days per week for eligible people on electronic monitoring to accomplish basic human needs, like doing their laundry, going to get a haircut, going to the doctor's office."
"And can you please just explain specifically the intent of this Amendment on that… on that particular provision?"
"Sure. It was to clarify that the supervising authority, like the Cook County Sheriff for example, has the discretion to limit those movement periods based on the needs that need to be accomplished. A person buying groceries may 10200102.docx 268 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 not… may only need an hour of free movement, but a person undergoing chemotherapy, for example, may need more time."
"Could it be more than 24 hours for a period?"
"No. I believe the intent is clear that the period of time is not more than a day. A day is a day."
"So, for example, could the two periods account for say eight days?"
"No. That totally just doesn't make any sense."
"So, it… I… does this Amendment make clear that it is the law enforcement authority supervising the individual that gets to decide the movement period?"
"Yes. The Amendment clarifies that it's the supervising authority, the expert best-equipped person to make determinations as to the terms of release that would make the decision."
"Thank you for that clarification, Representative. And thank you for your incredible work on this… on this Bill. And I'd urge an 'aye' vote. Thank you."
"Representative Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"It's déjà vu. A criminal justice Bill at 4 a.m. with no law enforcement involvement and no public input. If you look at this Bill, it's not going to do what it claims it will do. First, the supposed fix to the Class B and C misdemeanor problem is no fix at all. It's basically no change in the law. Next, we have a commission on pretrial implementation. Guess what? The Speaker appoints two Members. House Minority Leader, one Member. The sheriffs. There has to 10200102.docx 269 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 be a sheriff on the commission. You know who appoints the Sheriff? Not the Sheriffs' Association. The Governor. There's a police chief on the commission. You know who appoints the police chief? Not the police chiefs association. The Governor. Electronic monitoring. We changed two days to two periods with no definition to what period means. If someone's on electronic monitoring and they commit a forceable felony, do they lose their electronic monitoring automatically? No. The state has to file a petition and go to court and prove by clear and convincing evidence, a heightened legal standard, that the person should lose their electronic monitoring after committing a forceable felony while being on electronic monitoring. Ridiculous. There is no change, absolutely no change to the detainable offenses in the original SAFE-T Act. Serious violent felons will be released after 48 hours after arrest. Safety… safety now. We want safety now. This Bill doesn't give us safety now. Vote 'no'."
"Representative Slaughter to close."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And really not just this trailer Bill but the other previous two as well, make no mistake about it, our side of the aisle is fed up with the complaining from the other side of the aisle. The blatant disrespect all coming from the people that created this crisis. We are literally… we are literally in this crisis because of your failed lock 'em up, throw away the key policies. And now, you want to politicize this recent crime and violence by blaming it on the SAFE-T Act when you know major pieces of this Act have not even gone into effect. You don’t care about public safety. If you did, you would know in 10200102.docx 270 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 the black community it's been a state of emergency for a really long time now. But as long as crime and violence is contained in the hood, it was okay. As long as black folks terrorized other people of color, it was fine. But now… but now, Chiraq is in your communities. And now, it's a state of emergency. We can smell it. It's a bad stench of racism coming from that side of the aisle. The bottom line is that you don’t deserve our respect. Your dog and pony show is over, and we're going to make you turn the page to a new chapter, a new and different era. We will not be insane. We will not turn back the clock to what created your mass incarceration prison industrial complex. You want to talk about the bloodshed, but you don’t want to vote for violence prevention and the $250 million dedicated to the Reimagine Public Safety Act. You want to talk about victims, but you don’t vote for this proposed budget that invests 240 million in public safety initiatives. You want to talk about how people of color are criminals, but you never, never want to talk about the root causes of violence. The sad thing is that the respect is lost. You have literally demonstrated your ignorance on this topic. And for the sake of the people of Illinois, your time must be up. Mr. Speaker, let's pass these critical refinements and continue to march forward with the needed reforms of the SAFE- T Act. I urge an 'aye' vote on Senate Bill 2364."
"The question is, 'Shall Senate Bill 2364 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed 'no'. The voting's open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons."
"No." 10200102.docx 271 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Ammons votes 'no'. Representative Cassidy. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"A reluctant yes."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield. Representative Tarver."
"Hell no."
"Representative Tarver votes 'no'." 10200102.docx 272 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"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 64 voting 'yes', 45 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report."
Clerk Bolin: "Committee Reports. Representative Harris, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2022: recommends be adopted, Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 for House Bill 2379."
"Leader Andrade in the Chair."
"Under the Order of Concurrence, House Bill 4132, Leader Hoffman."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to… the Body to concur in Senate Committee Amendment #1 to House Bill 4132. The initial Bill passed, I believe, without opposition. And that would exempt, from the excise tax, the parking at the State Fair here in Springfield and the parking at the… or the parking tax, I apologize, and the parking at the DuQuoin State Fair. This Amendment would simply add that it would be exempt from the parking tax for a parking area or garage operated by the state, a state university, or a unit of local government. Also, a parking space leased to a governmental entity for use by the public, and that would no longer be part of the Parking Excise Tax. And I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He says he will. Please proceed." 10200102.docx 273 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative, is this part of the crime package?"
"No. Not part of the crime package."
"Okay. So, again, I think we're just kind of coming down from something. What exactly… what are we trying to do here today? It gets rid of it? Is this another fee decrease, Leader?"
"Yes. Twice in the same week."
"You know, we are auditioning for a Floor Leader over on this side of the aisle. But we've been being called names lately. So, I urge an 'aye' vote."
"Leader Hoffman to close."
"I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 4132?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons."
"Yes."
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'. Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo." 10200102.docx 274 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Crespo votes 'yes'."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
"Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"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 111 voting 'aye', 0 voting 'nay', and 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 4132. And this Bill, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Under Concurrence, House Bill 4383, Representative Buckner." 10200102.docx 275 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur with Senate Floor Amendment 2 to House Bill 4383. As amended, 4383 seeks to ban the sale and possession of ghost guns by requiring the serialization of firearms and gun kits without serial numbers. Ghost guns are untraceable guns due to their lack of serial numbers. HB4383 provides that it shall immediately be unlawful to knowingly sell or transfer a firearm or unfinished frame or receiver, also known as a gun kit, without a serial number. For those who currently possess an unserialized firearm or gun kit, they must get them serialized by a federal firearms manufacturer, a federal firearms dealer, or a other federal licensee authorized to provide marking service within 180 days of the Act. After that time, it shall be unlawful to knowingly possess an unserialized frame or receiver or unserialized firearm unless one of the enumerated exemptions are met. Those exemptions include firearms made permanently inoperable, antique firearms as defined by the Federal Law, firearms manufactured prior to October 22, 1968, which was when Lyndon Johnson passed the firearm… the Gun Control Act, an unfinished frame, a receiver possessed by a bona fide supplier for the purpose of transfer to FFL, or a firearm or unfinished frame or receiver processed… possessed, sorry, through inheritance so long as it's serialized within 30 days. Happy to answer any questions."
"Leader Mazzochi."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Says he will. Please proceed."
"Thank you. I'm looking through House Bill 4383, and I don’t see any legislative findings. Can you confirm, as the 10200102.docx 276 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Sponsor of the Bill, that there are no legislative findings in here?"
"I don’t see any either, Leader. No."
"Sorry?"
"No legislative find… I don’t see any legislative findings either. Excuse me."
"All right. And the reason why I asked that is because the State of Illinois has unfortunately not had a particularly good run in the court system recently. We had our… I believe you'll recall, Sir, that we had our… our gun tax held unconstitutional. I think that was Guns Save Life v. Cook County."
"Yes."
"And then our FOID system was held unconstitutional, granted at the Appellate Court level, and that was People v. Brown?"
"I remember that as well."
"Right. And that's currently before the Illinois Supreme Court, I believe."
"It is."
"And then we also had Solomon v. Cook County Board of Commissioners in the Northern District of Illinois, case #117CVO6144 from September 13, '21. That also struck down one of our conceal carry laws. Is that right?"
"I believe it's true."
"All right. So, to the Bill. At… whether you agree with the notion that we should have firearms that are serialized or not, the State of Illinois has been very aggressive in terms of regulating firearms. And again, whether you agree 10200102.docx 277 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 with that position or not, one of the reasons why our efforts to regulate in this area have consistently failed as a state is because we haven’t actually done the legislative work that is required to comply with court requirements in connection with laws relating to Second Amendment type issues. When it comes to HB4383, I think that without any type of legislative findings in this legislation, a court is likely to find that at the time of the founding it was lawful to possess firearms or even portions of firearms without a serial number because the federal firearm regulations relating to that didn’t come into place… they only come into place, really, within the last 50 years. Furthermore, I'm concerned that a court is going to find that to the extent anyone is participating in… in the federal firearm process, it is because Congress is authorized, not any jurisdiction or rights that it has to regulate under the Second Amendment, but rights that it has to regulate under the Interstate Commerce Clause. And that simply isn’t going to arise here in the context of the State of Illinois, particularly when we're talking about hobbyists or people who are keeping their activities solely in… within the State of Illinois. Further, to the extent our prior gun taxes or FOID card regimes were deemed unconstitutional, usually it was because they were in accompaniment with criminal penalties and because the burden of compliance was not viewed as de minimis. Here, Representative Buckner, I see a whole host of criminal penalties, including felony convictions for violations. Is that right?"
"It is." 10200102.docx 278 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"All right. So, you know, related to this, I think that a court is also going to look at this particular piece of legislation and is going to be concerned that it's going to capture innocent lawful activity in addition to… that might be tied to unlawful activity. And usually when that happens, it also renders a lot of our statutes void for vagueness. Further, we're going to run into a situation where we have not provided any type of analysis under the Seventh Circuit's means-end test. We have not demonstrated the reason why all of a sudden now we have substantial government interest in connection with this particular regulation. We're not demonstrating that there's any particular rates of crime that are disproportionate in connection with what's happening for someone who does not comply under this statute versus someone who has a serialized firearm. So, while I appreciate all that you are trying to do in connection with this legislation, it does us no good to pass pieces of legislation that the courts are only going to turn around and strike down. And in fact, I note that, even in connection with Solomon v. Cook County Board of Commissioners, when the court struck that law down, the court gave this Legislature time to try to come back and fix it. To date, we haven’t done it, and therefore the injunction that the court issued has expired. So, I think at the very least if we're going to spend time on these issues, number one, we should solve the issues that the court has already raised in connection with our existing laws before trying to expand into another one. But if we're going to start regulating in a whole new area, we really should take the time to actually comply with the court orders. Because 10200102.docx 279 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 otherwise, for people where this is a very important issue to them, we're giving them false hope that the goals they're trying to achieve are actually going to be realized when in fact we're setting them up for failure. Thank you."
"Leader Buckner to close."
"Thank you. And, Leader Mazzochi, I know that as an attorney those issues are important to you. As an attorney, they're important to me as well. I just remind this Body that when a ghost gun law was passed in Nevada, two lawsuits were filed, both… one on a state level and one on a federal level, and the federal court upheld the law in its entirety. In fact, the federal judge said that there is nothing in this law that prevents anyone from exercising their Second Amendment right to go buy a gun and to use it for self-defense. And I contend to you that would also be true in this case. Thank you. I urge an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 4383?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting… 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment 2 to House Bill 4383?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting 'nay'. The voting is open."
"Representative Ammons."
"Yes."
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'. Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
"Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy." 10200102.docx 280 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
Clerk Bolin: "Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"Yes."
"Representative Jones votes 'yes'. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
"Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 281 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"All voted who wish? All voted who wish? All voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 66 'yea', 36 'nay', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment 2 to House Bill 4383. And this Bill, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Hoffman in the Chair."
Speaker Hoffman: "Representative Hoffman in the Chair. On Supplemental Calendar #3, on the Order of Concurrence, appears House Bill 4700, Leader Harris."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. I move to concur with Senate Amendments 1 and 2 to House Bill 4700. This Bill becomes the 2013 (sic-2023) Budget Implementation Act, which as you know is a series of fund transfers and other instructions of different agencies of government on how to implement the items passed in the state budget. I'll just give you a sense of what some of these things are in here. It provides for the transfers of necessary amounts from all funds to the Audit Expense Fund for the Auditor General. It increases the maximum annual transfer to the University of Illinois Hospital Services. It directs the State Treasurer to transfer 3.7 million per month from GRF to the Budget Stabilization Fund. It increases, for one year, the transfer authority between lines from two to four percent. Creates the Opioid Remediation State Trust Fund, which will receive and disburse, according to the federal opioid settlement, the appropriate funds. It sets at 9.25 the shared percent… the share of personal income taxes and 14.5 percent the share of corporate income taxes deposited into the Income 10200102.docx 282 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Tax Refund Fund to reflect the actual cash needs. And there are obviously many more. If you have specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them."
"On this question, Leader Demmer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Thanks for the explanation of this Bill, Leader Harris. This is obviously an important initiative that we deal with each year, very comprehensive and a lot of unusual and disparate pieces get assembled together. I just want to hit on just a couple of items and ask for something of the genesis of why those things are included in this… this Budget Implementation Bill. The first is around the Legislative Budget Oversight Commission, which both you and I are currently members of. I notice that this BIMP removes the requirement that that… that commission meet quarterly and instead says that it will meet at the call of one of the cochairs. Why remove the meeting requirement?"
"To allow the commission to meet on a either more frequent or less frequent basis."
"Wouldn’t the commission be free to meet more frequently if it wanted to? The quarterly requirement was at least quarterly."
"And this just clarifies that."
"So, do you intend the Legislative Budget Oversight Commission to meet more than quarterly in the upcoming fiscal year…"
"I think…"
"…as one of the cochairs?" 10200102.docx 283 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Well, I think neither of us are going to be around next year to make that decision. But I would refer that…"
"For at least the first six months we'll be there."
"I would think we would meet as often as we need to, to review the different documents and financial returns from the Department of Revenue and GOMB."
"The second question I have for you is around another unusual inclusion in this proposal and that is a provision that terminates the membership of the appointees to the Illinois Investment Policy Board. Why terminate all the appointees to the Illinois Investment Policy Board in a Budget Implementation Bill?"
"This is actually one of the few boards in the State of Illinois which are essentially lifetime appointments. There are no term limits on them. And this would establish term limits."
"And they all have term limits… they're all terminated on the same day and Governor Pritzker gets to appoint all members to the board?
"I believe that would be correct."
"And what does that have to do with implementing the budget?"
"They are involved in the decisions regarding the investments of the State of Illinois, which directly affect revenue and finance."
"All right. Have you read recent news reports of the Governor's appointees to various boards and commissions and spots?"
"I might have. Which one did you have in mind?" 10200102.docx 284 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Oh, quite a few. I mean, there's been a huge amount of turmoil. I question the wisdom of gutting an entire board and allowing Governor Pritzker to appoint members to it, given the track record of, frankly, mixed spotty success. Even with a Democratic controlled Senate, several of his appointees have failed to… to be confirmed. Don’t we endanger the functioning of the Illinois Investment Policy Board by terminating all members, especially at a time where this… this investment board is charged with overseeing the prohibited investment lists, which, through recent action of the General Assembly, we just added companies that are domiciled in Russia or Belarus? Yet, you're terminating the entire membership of the board, jeopardizing our ability to carry that out."
"Well, I think you mentioned there were a couple cases that made the news. You know, what… as we know as Legislators, what does not make the news is the hundreds and hundreds of appointments that go through successfully and are very high- quality professional people. And I assume that’s the caliber of person that would be appointed to this board."
"Are there any other boards where you fire all members in this BIMP?"
"I think the others have term limits."
"So, that's no?"
"I thought you guys were big supporters of term limits over there?"
"And you?"
"I'm the Sponsor of this Bill." 10200102.docx 285 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Understand. Interesting choice in a Budget Implementation Bill to terminate all members of the Investment Policy Board, especially at a time when they're investigating whether various companies are domiciled in Russia or doing business in Russia, whether it's certain corporations or certain holdings in people's… that are disclosed on people's statements of economic interest, might be doing business over there. To fire all of the members of a board who are charged with overseeing that in a Budget Implementation Bill is quite curious. Mr. Speaker, to the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"You know, the first question that I asked in this discussion was about the Legislative Budget Oversight Commission. This has been an incredibly important commission, one that, honestly, frustratingly, has met only once a quarter during the last couple of budget years. This is a commission comprised of both Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate and has been really the only avenue to try to ask any questions about what's happening with these incredibly unusual budgets that we've dealt with over the last couple of years. In fact, over the last year, since we passed the budget last year, and since we appropriated money out of the American Recovery Plan Act, there has been some tremendous developments that you may have read about. For example, in November of last year, many months after you voted 'yes' on last year's budget, the Chicago Tribune ran story, the title of which was, 'Illinois budget allows Governor JB Pritzker to spend billions in Federal COVID-19 aid without legislative 10200102.docx 286 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 input.' Without legislative input. When we had this debate last year and we approved the budget, there was no mention of the Essential Government Services and Support Fund. We were told that in order to spend those additional funds, we would need further legislative action. However, once the budget was signed into law, it became apparent that Governor Pritzker had the authority to spend up to $3 billion of ARPA funds without any legislative input. We would not have been able to ask those questions in any public forum if, under this BIMP, the cochairs had decided not to call a meeting. We would not been able to get those answers from the Governor's Office. The Chicago Tribune and other members of the media would not have been able to figure out what in the world is going on with billions of dollars of Federal COVID relief funds. Not a single syllable was mentioned in debate last year about those programs. The only way it was brought to light was through the determined effort of some reporters and pointed questions we were able ask in a budget oversight commission. This is our duty in the House of Representatives, in the Legislature, to be a check and a balance on the other two branches of government. When we water down these kind of commissions, when we appoint task forces to go through the motions, we abdicate that responsibility. You have ideas on how to spend those dollars. I have ideas on how to spend those dollars. But these are where the decisions should be made, with the people's elected officials. And when we give up that control and when we don’t talk about the fact that those things are authorized in budgets, we need a way to come back when we're not in Session and get the answers that the people 10200102.docx 287 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 of Illinois deserve. This budget takes a step back in transparency. This Budget Implementation Bill does a disservice to the people of Illinois who are asking us every day, where are my taxpayer dollars going? Vote 'no'."
"The Chair will implement a three-minute time limit. On this question, Representative Ann Williams." Williams, A.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield." Williams, A.: "I just wanted to take note and recognize the relief and recovery for an array of businesses in our struggling hospitality industry, and I'm pleased to support this initiative. But, for purposes of legislative intent, Leader Harris, are beer pubs, tasting rooms, tap rooms, breweries, microbrewers, wineries, and distilleries considered to be eligible entities under the Restaurant Employment and Stabilization Grant Program?"
"Yes." Williams, A.: "Thank you."
"Representative Keicher."
"Thank you. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"All right. Mr. Harris, thank you for all the time that you put into this. I know it was not easy and there's a lot of hours spent at that. One of the reasons I know that is I'm spokes on Higher Education-Appropriations. And to date, in speaking with Representative Ford a little bit earlier, we still haven’t sat down to come up with any final numbers. So, what I'd really like to know is, how were these numbers that 10200102.docx 288 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 are in the BIMP derived at if the appropriations committee didn’t meet to vet and approve those numbers?"
"The BIMP is about implementation language."
"I understand. We're implementing the numbers that… that were allegedly derived through that process. So, how were those numbers derived if we didn’t sit there and meet and approve what those… those spending dollars should be?"
"They were written into an appropriation Bill, posted publicly. Folks made their comments. It passed to the Senate. The Senate made some changes. It passed back to us, and it will be on Concurrence tonight."
"So, up to… up to this point in time, my experience on the appropriations committee has been that we… that we go through a process, a very lengthy process, of open hearings and subject matter hearings, and we're all busy for endless hours hearing from folks. Yet, at the end of the day, that's all to waste because we don’t have any input on what's happening here in front of us tonight."
"Well, I think, if I recall, it was probably mid-March, maybe the 19th or the 16th of March, when House Democrat budget negotiating team and the House Republican negotiating team met in an afternoon and started a process with the Governor's Office and GOMB, going in detail through the entire budget walk. So, several months ago, a process of communication began. House Democrats worked on our own proposals. I'm assuming you and your colleagues worked on yours also."
"So, my experience has been that Representative Ford and I have established a great relationship but have worked 10200102.docx 289 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 collaboratively on this. And to date, he continues to say that he hasn’t been involved in that discussion either. So, I'll leave it at that. Obviously, there's other things going on, but thank you."
"Representative Davidsmeyer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"So, I understand this isn’t the budget, this is the BIMP. But I want to make reference to something that the previous speaker was asking you about. You said something about mid-March, about meeting. How many times did you meet?"
"We met to go through the initial revenue estimates and all the above-the-line expenditures on that day."
"And how many times did you go… did you meet?"
"That group met once I think. Then appropriate committees met on a regular basis thereafter."
"For hearings, but not for work groups, correct?"
"I'm not a Member of an approp committee, so I'm not sure what they all did."
"Did the approps committees create this budget?"
"Approp committees…"
"Or the budget we're about to see?"
"Approp committees had input onto this budget. The Speaker has a budget working group that was a key crafter of the budget that represents all the sub caucuses of our caucus, the Black Caucus, the Latino Caucus, the Women's Caucus, the Progressive Caucus, the Asian American Caucus, the Moderate and Downstate Caucuses." 10200102.docx 290 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Yeah. I think it would've been good for us to be on there. So, I'm looking at the… at the board. To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"Looking at the board. Gambling disorders. This state and this majority has had a long-term gambling problem. We're going to look at the budget and we're going to spend every dang penny coming in and hope that the economy continues to grow, despite our actions here on this floor. Mr. Speaker, should this Bill receive the requisite number of votes, I request a verification."
"The Gentlemen has requested a verification. Leader Bourne."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Thank you. Leader Harris, I'm going to follow up on some questions that I asked in committee, particularly when it comes to the State Board of Education and the Evidence-Based Funding model. I believe that starts on… around 257 in the BIMP. Have you gotten any clarity on which school districts will receive payments through the change in the Evidence- Based Funding model?"
"It's my understanding from the State Board of Education that… are you referring to the situation of the Chicago Public Schools?"
"Yes."
"Yeah. So, it's my understanding, with the State Board of Education, they're still working through an analysis, which is turning out, as they go through it, to be a little bit 10200102.docx 291 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 more complicated than initially they believed. So, I don’t believe there's a comprehensive list yet."
"Thank you. Yeah, I think this is going to be incredibly complex, especially if we're looking backwards and looking forwards. And the way that the formula is written, everything is inner-dependent on another. And so, if one school district is overfunded or underfunded, it impacts every calculation for every other school district. And so, I think this is going to be a huge change and not a whole lot of certainty for some districts that may be hopping tiers. Have you had any conversations with those on the Professional Review Panel, with those who are charged with making changes to the funding formula?"
"I have not directly, and I agree this is serious problem, which dates back, I believe, to 2017, 2018. It's going to take a little while to unravel. And I just wish when the Rauner administration made this error, they had corrected it so we would not find ourself in this position today."
"You said it was in 2017?"
"I believe it was 2018."
"So, it went unchecked in 2019, went unchecked in 2020, went unchecked in 2021, to the tune of about $87 million in errors?"
"And it was caught by the Pritzker administration."
"Yeah. I'm… I'm glad that it was caught. I don’t want any school to be overfunded or underfunded. I just think that this monumental of a change that's going to impact literally every single school district, we should have a little more information about how that's going to impact schools before 10200102.docx 292 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 we vote on it at 5:03. I'd like to move to a different section of the BIMP. On page 506, starting with line 18, there's a pretty nondescript description of a school district. I wondered if you knew which one fell into those criterias. It's a Tier 1 school that has a population of less than 50 thousand inhabitants, whose population is between 5800 and 6300, in which 57 to 62 percent of students are low income, whose district's spending between 10 and 12 thousand dollars per pupil."
"It's Collinsville."
"Collinsville? Okay. Is there a reason that we described Collinsville in that manner and just blatantly say Decatur in the section above?"
"I did not type it up, so I don’t know."
"Okay. I mean, I appreciate the fact that at least you're not hiding who it is in the section above that."
"Actually, I do know, Representative. Staff just said when the school districts made their requests, Decatur made it one way, Collinsville made it the other. So, it reflected the request of the individual school district."
"Okay. Thank you."
"Leader Bourne, would you like someone to give you some time?"
"Yes, please."
"Representative Reick yields three minutes."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could you explain to the Body what is changing on this page, 506, with Decatur and Collinsville?" 10200102.docx 293 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"This is about helping school districts obtain federal funding for construction projects."
"Okay. Mr. Speaker, to the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"It's not about obtaining federal funding. I would urge all of my colleagues to turn to page 506. This is exactly what taxpayers expect of us. At 5:05 in the morning, tucked deep inside a Bill to implement the budget, two school districts' taxpayers are getting a property tax increase without their knowledge. I want you to read it. It says, if the school districts use federal funding for infrastructure, for building, they don’t have to go through a referendum for the other half that they're using from taxpayer dollars. And so, for everyone on the other side of the aisle who runs on bringing down property taxes, you are literally voting for a Bill that is forcing a property tax increase on two specific school districts. A school district, by the way, we heard earlier from the Gentlelady from Decatur, they are struggling. That she goes to these doors. They need help. They need support. They can't afford school supplies, but they can afford a property tax increase tucked into the budget at 5 a.m.? This is the worst of what happens in these giant omnibus Bills from a party that says they want to bring down property taxes and then carves out special deals to give property taxpayers in two specific school districts no say in what their levy's going to be. If you really believe that the people in Decatur need help, if you really believe in giving them a tax cut like you said you did, then you would not be supporting this Bill. Vote 'no'." 10200102.docx 294 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"On this question, Representative Stava-Murray."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"I am glad I have an opportunity to speak to this budget, which so many of us and our staff have devoted long hours to. Today, I want to talk about something that's incredibly important to the people of my district. I want to talk about fiscal responsibility. Our state is getting back on track because of the sound fiscal decisions we have made over the past few years. And this budget is a big additional step in that direction. This budget will continue to improve the state's financial footing. On top of making the tough but responsible decision to pay a big chunk of our debt related to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund earlier this Session, this budget means we will meet our full pension liability plus additional payments to save on future interest. Illinoisans want us to get our fiscal house in order, and that's what this budget does. I urge an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Scherer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to clarify some things. I'm not sure where the information was coming from, but it's incorrect and it… I feel it's my responsibility to correct, since no one on her side is correcting. Two Republicans went to the school board about the very issue with Decatur schools and both of them… I was told by the CFO of Decatur that both of them were okay with the way that this was going to be in the Bill. And this is no secret. The Republicans have known about this for, I'd say, at least three 10200102.docx 295 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 or four weeks, if not longer. So, on top of that, what is happening is the school is doing what Collinsville did last year, which is they're using some of their ESSER Funds, but they have to have the General Assembly make an approval of this. Which all we're doing is saying, okay, you can use your ESSER Funds for this and we're not going to go to referendum because we're not going to raise your taxes. And then that's why there's no need to go to referendum because we're not raising your taxes. We're using the ESSER Funds for it. It's as simple as that. And I'm sorry if Members had to be confused by false facts."
"The final speaker, Representative Wilhour."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll go to the Bill here. But first off, I just want to put on the record that whoever is in charge of time management around here needs… needs fired. It's terribly inefficient. They'd never make it into competitive marketplace, I can tell you that. And I'm really getting… getting a kick out of hearing the Democrats talk about fiscal responsibility. A wise man once said that there's nothing in the… there is nothing that the government can give you that hasn’t already been taken from you in the first place. So, you know, we can… we can try to fool the voters into believing that… that your side of the aisle really wants to help them, but I don’t think that they're… I don’t think they're going to buy it. They're not going to buy it because they've been fleeced by this… by the politicians in here for decades. And you know, I'm… I'm not going to sit here and sit back and listen to the Democrat Party talk about supporting working families. This Governor, this General Assembly, has… 10200102.docx 296 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 has done nothing but destroy economic opportunity for working people in this state. They've destroyed it in the rural areas, and they've destroyed it in the urban areas. The blue-collar areas of this state that I represent, and a lot of you are supposed to represent, they're like ghost towns. They're a shell of what they once were and what they should be. And it's because of your policies. Working families, seniors, folks on fixed incomes are getting hammered. They're getting hammered today because of a Democrat-fueled inflation. An inflation that is spreading like wildfire. And inflation, we all know, is the most cruel and regressive tax on working families and it's a biproduct of your policies. And now, you got the audacity to come in here and brag about fiscal responsibility? Because revenues are being temporarily boosted on the backs of the working families of this state. They're paying more for everything that they need. The people that can afford it the least are the ones that always pay, every time. Working folks are paying it at the pumps. They're paying it for me. They're paying it for milk. They're paying it for eggs. They're paying it for diapers. They're paying it for everything that we need to survive. And what do you want to do? You want to mail us a $50 check at election time and tell us you're looking out for us. That doesn’t even buy me a half a tank of gas. I can't even take my kids to McDonalds for that. It's an insult. It's an insult to the struggling families of this state. The cost of surviving in this state is growing because for generations politicians in this chamber have refused to do their jobs, refused to make tough choices, refused to stand up to the special interests that's 10200102.docx 297 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 run this place into the ground. The time for gimmicks is over. The time for easy choices are over. You've made sure that there's no easy choices in this place. You spent most of the year wasting time making poor speeches for…"
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"…you've spent most of the year wasting time making floor speeches for political press releases, but you sit silent on the real issues that are destroying families and destroying communities in this state. You know, after we look at what's going on here and gone on this whole time, it's no wonder that regular folks in this state can't stand their government. But I'll tell you, you're not fooling the folks on main street. They get it. They're tired of it. And they're going to… they're going to clean this chamber out come November."
"Leader Harris to close."
"Boy, oh boy. You guys really hate that we balanced the budget and are paying our debts, don’t you? You actually see fiscal responsibility after years and years and years of complaining about fiscal responsibility and you won't even lift a finger to vote 'yes' to support fiscal responsibility. You know, you liked it better when you were driving the state into the ground. You liked it better when you had an unpaid bill backlog of $17 billion. You liked it better when we were laying off workers. You liked it better when people were suffering out in our communities. You liked it better when you were cutting services to seniors. You liked it better when you voted against funding K-12 education. House Democrats, Senate Democrats, we're doing the work. This isn’t about the shows. This isn’t about the speeches. This is about 10200102.docx 298 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 paying our debts, increasing our credit ratings, balancing a budget, and funding the services our folks need. Please vote 'yes'."
Speaker Hoffman: "Members, Representative Davidsmeyer has requested a verification. All Members will be in their chairs and vote their own switches. The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments #1 and 2 to House Bill 4700?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; all opposed vote 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons."
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'."
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'. Representative Cassidy."
"Cassidy votes 'yes'."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes." 10200102.docx 299 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones."
"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 72 voting… on this question, there are 72 voting in 'favor', 42 voting 'against', 0 voting 'present'. Mr. Clerk, please read the names of those voting in the affirmative."
"A poll of those voting…"
Speaker Hoffman: "I'm sorry, Mr. Clerk. Representative Davidsmeyer."
"Mr. Speaker, it's very nice to see that Members of your party have decided to join us. We've been here on the floor for, I don’t know, 16 hours, and I'm glad to see that they're back. So, I withdraw my verification." 10200102.docx 300 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Davidsmeyer has withdrawn his request for a verification. Again, there are 72 voting 'yes', 42 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendments #1 and 2 to House Bill 4700. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Remaining on Supplemental Calendar #3, appears House Bill 900, Leader Harris."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. This is the budget Bill for the State of Illinois. As you know, we passed a budget this morning. This is a version of the budget which is coming back to us from the Senate on Concurrence. And just to remind people, since I think it deserves some reminding, this is a balanced budget. This year we have the largest surplus the State of Illinois has had in a quarter century. We have paid down $3.2 billion worth of our debts. We have contributed $1 billion to our rainy-day fund. We have invested $500 million additional into our pension funds to save us over $1 billion in pension liability. We put 200 million more dollars than in the Governor's introduced budget into funding law enforcement on top of $250 million more in public safety and violence prevention. This is a balanced budget. It's a responsible budget. You know, I know we're going to hear a lot of speeches. I know we're going to hear a lot of stunts. But for the people of Illinois, Democrats are delivering. Democrats are balancing the budget. Credit rating agencies are noting it. The civic organizations are noting it. Ladies and Gentlemen, I ask you to vote 'yes'."
"Leader Demmer. Leader Batinick."
"Before I start the debate, quick inquiry of the Chair." 10200102.docx 301 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"State your inquiry."
"I forgot. Who had… who had supermajorities running the House and Senate during 2016, 2014, 2015, and all that? I'll move on. To the Bill. I do find it a little bit incredulous, and you know you're one of my favorite people, Representative, that your side of the aisle would act as if there was no culpability. We don’t live in a kingdom. You had a supermajority when I first came here, supermajority in the Senate, and the closest thing you passed to a balanced budget was $7 billion 'cause your side was playing political games. And I think we're being a little bit disingenuous here as well. We are in an inflation-induced sugar high right now. And this is not something I said recently. I've been saying this for a while. While we're dancing around about the budget surplus that we have, I would note that every state that touches us has a bigger budget surplus per person than we do. It's from federal funds, and inflation, and some of the other things that were talked about earlier today. A couple extremes. You guys can type in Minnesota budget surplus. They're about half our size, $7.7 billion budget surplus in Minnesota. Mississippi, arguably, if not the poorest state in the nation, that’s a quarter of our size, has a $2 billion budget surplus. So, for us to sit in this chamber and act as if there was some magic pixie dust that was sprinkled throughout the way government has been run, is… is just a fallacy. That's not what happened. It's happening throughout the nation, and we're actually, as usual, on the low end of this. We have done very little in terms of structural change, and I want to read something that happened to pop up today 10200102.docx 302 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 from… from Reuters. This is from Bank of America, their top economist. 'The macro-economic picture is deteriorating fast and could push the U.S. economy into recession as the Federal Reserve tightens its monetary policy to change surging inflation, Bank of America strategists warned in a weekly research note. Inflation shock'… not a dissimilar term. 'Inflation shock worsening, rates shock just beginning, recession shock coming, Bank of America chief investment strategist Michael Hartnett wrote in a note to his clients.' We have not done anything significantly structural to change the trajectory. I am grateful for things, and I've been public about some of the things in… in putting more money towards pensions. But the idea… the idea of having a billion dollars of projects just for one side of the aisle instead of funding something like the unemployment trust fund, which is a tax on jobs. I don’t know if that's the decision that a Body would make if they knew that there was potentially a hurricane that was going to hit our land. But this time… this time is not going to last. Winter's coming, and we haven’t prepared in the way that we need to prepare. We should be doing that. I urge a 'no' vote."
"Leader Wheeler."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Greg, this is probably the last time I'm going to get ask this question I've been asking you for about eight years. It has to do with… a question… actually a former Member, colleague of ours, I run into him frequently on the second floor, asked me if I was downstairs looking for the revenue 10200102.docx 303 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 estimate. And I thought, maybe… maybe I'll just ask you face to face one more time. Are we going to adopt a revenue estimate that puts a spending cap in place in this year's budget?"
"I think the revenue estimate is actually included in the budget and the documents we're passing today. It reflects the available revenue."
"It's not a Joint Resolution that’s adopted that puts a true spending cap according to the… onto Article 8, Section 2, paragraph (b) of the…"
"No, no. We're not passing… we're not passing Resolutions. We're passing a real budget that does real things for real people. Not just pieces of paper."
"No. That Resolution actually is required by State Law. It's a spending cap. I want to move on. I'll go to the Bill, Speaker. We're going to hear a lot about all the wonderful things that the Democrats have put in this budget. I want to talk about one thing that's not in this budget. What's not in this budget is the $1.8 billion in outstanding debt that the UI Trust Fund should've been paid with. We're bragging about the best budget in years. We hear our credit ratings… upgrades are imminent. And the Majority Party has had every opportunity to fully pay off the remaining $1.8 billion deficit in the UI Trust Fund with free money from the Federal Government. Instead, Democrat pet projects were prioritized over every small business, every not-for-profit in the State of Illinois, along with unemployed workers who deserve help coming out of this pandemic. So, this so-called fiscal responsibility and balanced budget somehow doesn’t 10200102.docx 304 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 conveniently consider the $1.8 billion that they're leaving on the heads of every small business, every not-for-profit, and every unemployed worker in the coming months. Please vote 'no'."
"Leader Demmer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"Folks, each year we get together in our appropriations committees after the Governor's introduced his proposed budget and we start to hear from agencies about what their proposed budget contains. We ask questions. We offer input. We hear revisions. We talk about what the next year might bring. And typically, after that process, we start to have conversations, both at a high level and among rank-and-file Members of those appropriations committees. This year, there's been much made of this supposed outreach to Republicans to engage in the budget process. I received a letter saying, we'd like to… from the House Democrats saying, we'd like to engage in budget talks. Would the House Republicans be willing to do so? I said, yeah, of course. When we got that meeting set up, a meeting that Leader Harris referenced earlier this evening, we sat down and went through the revenue projection at the time. We talked about what some of the above-the-line spending levels would be. And we talked about what next steps should be. Because one meeting does not make a budget. Our recommendation was to involve more people, was to involve all the appropriations committees and the working groups like we've done in the previous years. We suggested that, and it was met with a cool reception, saying, 10200102.docx 305 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 I don’t know if we'll have time. This was in mid-March. I don’t know if we'll have time to go through that process. And we never heard anything again. That's the extent of bipartisanship that was extended in this year's budget. I've talked on this floor many times over the last couple of years about how unusual the budgets have been. And they have been, we can all agree on that. We had unusual times. We had a global pandemic. We had significant swings in our revenue projections, good and bad. We had one-time revenues. We had unprecedented action from the Federal Government through the CARES Act and the American Recovery Act. All of these things were unusual and all of these things required us to try to figure out what was going on and what was the right thing to do with those dollars. We pushed for answers, and we pushed for oversight, and we pushed for the Legislature to exert its role as a coequal branch of government, to be a check and balance on the Executive and the Judiciary. Those unusual aspects of previous years' budgets have also made comparisons year to year very difficult. It's been hard for us to see. How is spending changing if we back out some of these one- time expenses or some of these one-time revenues? How can we get an apples-to-apples comparison of what direction our financial policy is headed in? When we take away some of those one-time changes, those one-time revenues, or those one-time payments, and we look at just the normal operating budget of the state and we compare that with our normal operating revenues, our normal general fund revenues, in this year's budget we find that our spending is growing at about 10 percent, but our revenues, to the best we can estimate… 10200102.docx 306 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 because as Leader Wheeler pointed out, we never adopted a revenue estimate. To the best we can find out, our revenues are declining by, perhaps, as much as five percent. Spending, growing by 10 percent, revenues declining by 10 percent when we take out these one-time changes. The reason that's important is because if we think back to just a year and half ago, Governor Pritzker and many of you were going around the State of Illinois urging voters to approve a three and a half billion-dollar tax increase. And your argument at the time was, without that tax increase, we would need draconian cuts. Or, as Lieutenant Governor threatened, we'll raise taxes on every person in the state to make up for that revenue. Voters of both political parties, Republicans and Independents and Democrats, voters rejected that tax increase. Voters said, no more. Voters said, don’t just get more revenue, focus on the expense side of the state budget. After voters said no, you continued to spend as if they said yes. The budget you passed the year that question was on the ballot, originally relied on $5 billion in borrowing to make it work. You were bailed out by billions in direct federal aid in the CARES Act and the American Recovery Act. You were bailed out by billions in additional funding from the Federal Government in Medicaid matching funds. You were bailed out by, across the country, trillions of dollars that were injected into our economies, that led to higher-than-expected collections in revenue for the state. Temporarily. Temporarily. So, as we look at this year's budget and we try to ask which direction is it heading in, it's growing spending faster than we're growing revenues. It ignores the fact that voters rejected a tax increase. And 10200102.docx 307 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 when this one-time revenue dries up, the only thing you'll know how to do is go back and raise taxes yet again. I encourage a 'no' vote."
"Question? Representative Mazzochi."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"Leader Harris, I don’t know how many doors you've knocked on in your district, but I've knocked on plenty of mine in the past several months. And a lot of those people have seen Governor Pritzker's TV commercials where he's talking about what a fiscal wunderkind he is by actually managing to balance the budget. And when I asked them, 'You know, what do you think about those commercials? Do you believe them?' They laugh, and they say no. And they're right to say no because with the federal spigot set to stop flowing, we have to get serious about getting our essential operations right. And they're out of balance, including in this budget. The so-called higher-than-expected state revenues exist because of inflation, not because of real economic growth. It isn’t surprising that the state gets more tax sale dollars… or sales tax dollars when the price of gas, groceries, consumer goods, and other things go up. But within a year, all of that will be lost to the cost of things that the state also has to fund. If you want proof that throwing money at a problem also isn’t going to guarantee better government, I would think the Pritzker administration would be exhibit A. This chamber voted for one of the most expansive capital programs in decades. I supported that. But who here really thinks that the Pritzker administration and IDOT has done 10200102.docx 308 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 wonders with our road building dollars? IDOT's continued delays in fact mean that, with the cost of inflation, we're going to get many fewer roads for the funds we originally appropriated. This chamber gave more money to the Veterans' Affairs Department in the Pritzker administration. And in exchange, we got an inspector general report showing disfunction and mismanagement and 39 dead at the LaSalle Veterans Home. The Department of Children and Family Services, they have a billion-dollar-plus budget. At the outset of his administration, Governor Pritzker spent a lot of money on expert consultants to say here's how he was going to do DCFS better. Did he implement it? Did he achieve better outcomes? Did he have any really innovative ideas? No. They got a budget increase last year, and what did we get in return? An unprecedented eight contempt of court orders. You're now giving Governor Pritzker another few hundred million to play around with for DCFS. Do you trust him to spend that wisely? I don’t. Let's talk about the Ligas Consent Decree. For over 10 years, the State of Illinois has been under court supervision because over and over and over again we failed our residents with disabilities, have underfunded the organizations that serve them, and we have unacceptably high turnover in those jobs. To pay just basic market rates, and you all say that you love paying everybody a living wage, would require adding an additional 152 million a year into that Illinois system. Are we doing that with this budget? No. Will what we're even putting into it keep up with inflation? No. Are we at least saying that all of these budget increases must get into the hands of front-line workers and providers 10200102.docx 309 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 and not lost to the great maw of administration? No. You're actually creating a whole host of new expensive programs and not funding the ones you're under a court order to properly fund. As with many things with this Governor and with this budget, the people are going to have to read the fine print. The Governor has touted his bond rating increase, but it means we just went from one notch above junk to two. He's talked about his capital infrastructure plan where the roads aren't getting built and the vertical capital infrastructure isn’t also moving along. He's going to talk about a gas tax, but all he's doing is postponing collecting the full amount until conveniently right after the November election. And the check's in the mail? That’s really… you know, I know that people need the money, but the way in which you're doing it, you're basically giving the Governor a taxpayer funded mail piece. He's a billionaire. He shouldn't need that. We could've used our one-time Federal Government dollars to get our financial house in order. We all know that one of the reasons why we don’t have the money to fund operations is because so much of our dollars each and every year are increasingly going to pay more and more pension obligations. If we really do have extra funds, if you really think you have money to set aside in a rainy day fund where there's going to be an irresistible source of the fund sweep, just as the Governor couldn't resist taking the federal COVID funds and sweeping them into general revenue, at the very least push those funds into the pension fund or towards paying off the unemployment trust fund debt. That's going to help reduce the long-term cost of government for the people for years. And maybe that 10200102.docx 310 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 will prevent the need to raise taxes on businesses or cut benefits to the unemployed. But you enshrined the latter two options into law today and sent that to the Governor's signature. I don’t know why politically you've decided that you can't, shan't, or won't actually try to make a genuinely balanced budget, but Illinois is going to continue with its structural deficit problems. And when Governor Pritzker can no longer rely on federal bailouts, when he can't bribe people with their own money in the form of a so-called tax credit, and when he no longer…"
"Representative, please…"
"…I'll wrap it up."
"Representative, please… Representative, please bring your remarks to a close."
"And when he no longer needs your vote, he's once again going to turn to tax hikes. I'm not willing to set the stage for his demands that taxpayers bail him out again. This has been a wasted opportunity for our residents who deserve so much better than this. And, Speaker Welch, you promised a new day at the outset of your tenure. What a sad thing that, after a full Session, it's the same old, same old."
"Representative Walker."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I… I came out of the financial industry. That's where I made my money. It's where my expertise is. I was retired before I got involved in politics. I never thought I'd see this day. I have been looking at, very carefully, the fiscal health of Springfield for over 15 years. And it was grim, there is no doubt about it. I fully accept that, and it was quite a hill to climb in front of us. 10200102.docx 311 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 The… let's just think about it. We have billions in late bills. Billions. Paying 12 percent interest penalty that cost us tens or maybe hundreds of millions of dollars in penalty. That was a disgrace. It was like a household that had a whole series of bad credit cards that we were juggling. We had… we were on, appropriately, on the edge… tap toeing at the edge of junk bond status so that the expense would be even higher for our borrowing. And we had to borrow, 'cause we had cash flow problems. This is all true, for sure. We even had the absurdity of… while tap dancing around junk bond status, we had some political activists trying to nudge us into that hole to get political advantage while costing us, the people in this state and all our households, more money. That was ridiculous. We were wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on interest. We… all we said, we wanted a rainy day fund. Well, that rainy day fund was ludicrous. It got under water. It wasn’t just under water, it was a dry well in the middle of a desert. There was nothing there. So, where are we today? And I'm going to… I'm going to tell you some things about today that everyone should be proud of in this room because there were a lot of good ideas in this room about this. Today, there is no bill backlog, period. Down from $19 billion on hundreds of millions in penalties. No backlog, period. And that is not covered by the billions we got from the Federal Government. And it is a greater savings than that, as you can do the simple math. The… our credit rating has been upgraded twice and probably will be upgraded as a result of this budget that Leader Harris just presented because people have faith in us. We're making a robust investment in a rainy day fund, 10200102.docx 312 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 and I believe this administration is serious about that. A rainy day fund is what we should have. We can cover our expenses as things get worse. We're paying debt down early. We must stay on this responsible path. I understand, as people have said… and I greatly appreciate some of the comments, especially from Leader Demmer, about where we are and where we can be. I understand those numbers. The reality is, I predicted that we would be on the path for fiscal health either this year or next…"
"Representative, please bring your remarks to a close."
"…before COVID, before we got relief from COVID. And remember, the COVID money was in fact meant to go to expenses in GRF to cover the excess COVID expenses. So, I think we're in good shape. I am proud of Illinois. I really am. I never thought this day would come. I think we all should be proud of Illinois, and I approach this budget with joy."
"Leader Spain."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I rise this morning with great disappointment. And here we are, once again, witnessing a go- it-alone strategy from the Majority Party. I'm a believer in this institution. I think we're all here, it's 5:40 in the morning. We have been here a very long time. We certainly could have other things that we would be doing with our lives and our public service. But I hope that we're all here because we want to make a meaningful difference in the future of the State of Illinois. I certainly know that House Republicans 10200102.docx 313 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 do. But again and again, we're not given an opportunity to participate, and I think it’s a great disservice to the State of Illinois and the people of Illinois. Whether it’s the Democrat-only, Governor Pritzker strategy of lockdowns and mandates. Whether it's blocking Republicans from being involved in having a voice in redistricting, or the budget process, or the actions of Democrats that all of you voted to put the graduated income tax on the ballot, or the obliteration of the Medicaid working group tonight that has been one of the hallmarks of bipartisanship in this chamber for so many years. The list goes on and on and on. And again, it is a disservice to the people of the State of Illinois because we're not focusing on the issues that people care about, the issues that are hurting people in this State of Illinois that are pushing people away permanently from being a part of our great state. We have to tackle corruption. We have to understand the rising costs that are a burden on our working families and our job creators. And we have to get serious and understand that public safety is a huge concern. And the mistakes that we have made to the people of law enforcement in the State of Illinois have very serious consequences that need to be addressed. This is not the way to run a government, and it is certainly not the way that we should be running this chamber. We've spent the last several weeks trying to clean up from mistakes and crisis that have been caused by the Democrat Party in the State of Illinois. I think it's time that we work together. But it's been disappointing that the actions throughout this Session have not given an opportunity to do so. You know, a few weeks ago, 10200102.docx 314 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 after the House Third Reading deadline for House Bills earlier in March, Republicans raised, I think, a very legitimate concern. Of the hundreds of Bills that had passed through this chamber on our Third Reading deadline, only 13 percent of those Bills were Republican Bills. A low watermark for anytime that I've seen in recent memory in the House of Representatives. This concern was brought to Speaker Welch, and he had a very simple reaction. Go win some seats. A rather glib response to an earnest interest for being involved in the work of the people that we represent in this State of Illinois. Go win some seats. It's good advice, Mr. Speaker, and we will do it."
"The final speaker is Representative Guzzardi for three minutes."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"First, I have a quick question for matter of legislative intent. I'd like to just ask you question, Leader Harris, about a matter that’s on pages 811, 812 on appropriation to the Illinois Housing Development Authority. Is it your intent that that unappropriated might also be used… the language is a little unclear… might also be used for purposes including supportive and transitional housing, resources for returning residents, loan assistance for existing homeowners, outreach for homelessness prevention, or programs to preserve community integrity?"
"Yes."
"Thank you. And just briefly to the Bill. I got to pinch myself because I might otherwise think I was dreaming hearing 10200102.docx 315 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 what's being said by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Disparaging the rainy day fund. Claiming that we're not putting money toward our pension obligation when we're putting $500 million over and above the required contribution for the first time that I can remember. Not a peep about the hundreds of millions of dollars of additional investments, both in community and in law enforcement, to make our communities safer in a wholistic approach. Lowering taxes from working people. This… the fact that you all are about to vote 'no' on this budget is a feat of staggering hypocrisy. I urge an 'aye' vote. Thank you."
"Leader Harris to close."
"Did any of you notice what we didn’t hear tonight? I'm just wondering if other people noticed what we didn’t hear tonight. We heard about what was going on in other states. We heard about what went on in other years. We heard about how many Bills people got in or out or how many meetings people got to attend or didn’t attend. Not one person over there even asked what was in the budget or what came back from the Senate. You asked not one question about the actual budget. If you were serious, you would've even asked, what did the Senate put in? I'll give you some examples. Five million dollars for the Attorney General to prosecute retail crime and theft. Another $5 million in police grants to the Secretary of State. Six hundred and fifty thousand dollars for Future Farmers of America. Fifty percent increase to soil and water conservation districts, one of the priorities you guys talked about when we debated the Bill earlier this morning. Thirty and a half million dollars for fire 10200102.docx 316 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 departments spread throughout the State of Illinois. Those are what's in this budget and a lot more. So, please go ahead, vote against the police, vote against your fire departments, vote against your soil and water conservation districts, vote against your public schools, vote against your seniors, vote against the child care, vote against the disabled, vote against DCFS, vote against fiscal responsibility, go ahead, vote 'no'."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #4 to House Bill 900?' All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; all opposed 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons."
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'."
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'. Representative Cassidy."
"Cassidy votes 'yes'."
"Could you say that one more time, Representative Cassidy?"
"Cassidy votes 'yes'."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Conroy votes 'yes'."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Costa Howard votes 'yes'."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 317 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Could you say that one more time, Representative Barbara Hernandez?" Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"One more time, Representative Tarver."
"Sure. Yes."
"Representative Tarver 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 72 voting 'yes', 42 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment #4 to House Bill 900. And this Bill, having received 10200102.docx 318 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving on to Supplemental Calendar #4, appears House Bill 722, on the Order of Concurrence. Members, we will do this Concurrence and one more, and then we'll have some closing remarks. Representative Buckner."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sorry, everybody, last one. I move to concur House Bill 722, Amendment 1. Essentially what this is, this is the Student-Athletes Name, Likeness, and Image Bill that we passed out of this House last week. We had to change the effective date. It wasn’t right on the previous Bill. And so, it makes this Bill effective immediately. I would urge an 'aye' vote. Thank you, everybody."
"Leader Batinick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill."
"To the Bill."
"We probably want to keep our votes the same. It's House Bill 1175 is what we voted on before. If you want to pull that up. The vote was 92 to 17. We were mixed on this side of the aisle. I'm not sure what happened over there. But it was House Bill 1175."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition, the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 722?' All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; all opposed 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Ammons."
"Yes." 10200102.docx 319 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'."
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver."
"Yes."
"Representative Tarver votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 320 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"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 94 voting 'yes', 14 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. And the House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 722. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Final item, appears House Bill 2379, on Supplemental Calendar #5, under the Order of Concurrence, Representative Willis."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask to concur with Senate Floor Amendment 1. This is a gut and replace. This takes… last May, we passed a Bill unanimously in this chamber to allow a land sale for the Bensenville Park District. It had an expiration date of January 1 of 2023. They have not had a chance to be able to do all of the things they needed to and they are asking for an extension of that to June of 2024. I respectfully ask for an 'aye' vote."
Speaker Hoffman: "Leader Batinick, you've given up? Representative Mazzochi."
"Thank you. Because some of the residents who are going to be near this property don’t want it to be sold, I urge a 'no' vote."
"Representative Willis to close."
"This is still requiring all the things for the park district to go and work with the residents on this. It just simply extends the deadline for them to do that investigation. Thank you. And I strongly ask for an 'aye'. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 2379?' All those in favor 10200102.docx 321 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 signify by voting 'yes'; all opposed 'no'. The voting is open. Mr. Clerk."
"Representative Ammons. I'm sorry, Representative Ammons. Could you say that again?"
"Yes."
"Representative Ammons votes 'yes'. Representative Cassidy."
"Sorry, 'yes'."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Cassidy votes 'yes'. Representative Conroy."
"Yes."
"Representative Conroy votes 'yes'. Representative Costa Howard."
"Yes."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Costa Howard votes 'yes'. Representative Crespo."
"Crespo votes 'yes'."
"Representative Crespo votes 'yes'. Representative Didech."
"Didech votes 'yes'."
"Representative Didech votes 'yes'. Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Yes."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez votes 'yes'. Representative Hurley."
"Yes."
"Representative Hurley votes 'yes'. Representative Jones. Representative Manley."
"Manley votes 'yes'." 10200102.docx 322 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022
"Representative Manley votes 'yes'. Representative Mayfield."
"Mayfield votes 'yes'."
Clerk Hollman: "Representative Mayfield votes 'yes'. Representative Tarver. I'm sorry, Representative Tarver. I don’t think we hear you."
"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 102 voting 'yes', 2 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 2379. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Durkin, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Well, I'd just like to say hi. It's been a long day. I don’t even know what… where we're at right now. But anyway, it's been a lot of strong meat over the past hour and that's the way it is. You know, we have sharp feelings and very stark distinctions between both sides of the aisle. And a matter of fact, I was going to go with a long speech, but I'll have plenty of time over the next four or five months to talk about it. But at this moment, I will be the proverbial blue bird of happiness and wish everyone in this chamber health and safety over the upcoming months. But more importantly, I want to thank our staff for the work they've done. I never thought we'd be here today, a year ago, to do the work that, many times, we take for granted. And I also particularly want to thank Andrew Freiheit, my chief of staff, who does such an amazing job. But I also want to congratulate Tiffany who… you 10200102.docx 323 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 took on a very difficult position and yet you've performed very, very well and admirably. So, thank you for both of you for making this crazy operation work. And sometimes it’s… the rhetoric is dysfunctional, but the fact is, we still finish and we do our job. So, with that being said, we've got many months ahead of us and elections come and go. And let's see where the chips fall. And God bless everybody."
"Leader Welch."
"Good morning, everyone. Mr. Speaker, Leader Durkin, Members of the General Assembly, let me begin my comments by saying thank you. Thank you all for sticking around through the final days of this Legislative Session. Thank you all for sticking around for almost 24 hours here to get the job done. Even though this Session was condensed, I truly believe the facts will show that there was no shortage of productivity. Tonight… this morning, we passed a fiscally and socially responsible budget that responds directly to the needs of families across this state. With inflation surging to its highest in nearly four decades, it was our responsibility as lawmakers to put money back in the pockets of hard-working Illinoisans. That's what we did here today. We also passed a public safety package that addresses the very real concerns in our communities while also targeting the root causes of violence. You had to address it wholistically. That’s what we did here this Session. I am incredibly proud of the work that we accomplished in this Session together. You may not hear that on talking points, but there's a whole lot of people on both sides that have come into that office, many for the first time, and we got 10200102.docx 324 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 some things done together. And no matter what you say publicly, I'm proud of the work we've done together. I also want to take a quick moment to just recognize and have us all put our hands together for someone who appeared here today, stayed until 6 a.m. in the morning. It was amazing, wonderful to see Representative Barbara Hernandez return to Session today. What happens here is real. There's real things that go on inside here and outside of here. Life does happen, and we have to recognize that. And I am so thankful that Representative Barbara Hernandez came across Representative Paul Jacobs. Because of Representative Jacobs, Representative Hernandez was able to appear here today. She was able to get the medical care she needed. And we should all be thankful that Dr. Paul Jacobs is in this General Assembly. You know, we don’t always agree. We've had dinner together. He's invited me to his house a few times. But I got to tell you, I'm going to miss him. The retiring Floor Leader on the Republican side is a Gentleman, he's a statesman, he's a professional. And I think we have to give Representative Mark Batinick a round of applause, please. But I'll tell you one that I'm going to really miss. A Leader of Leaders, our Majority Leader, our chief budgeteer, really chief everything. Leader Harris, my friend, you are the embodiment of a public servant, and this chamber will miss you dearly. We were able to land this plane early because of your work. You're one of the smartest people I know with one of the biggest hearts. Your 15-year career has made an incredible mark on Illinois history. This state is in a better place because of you, Greg Harris. And I know we should all stand to our feet and give Leader Harris the 10200102.docx 325 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 round of applause that he deserves. I want to thank all my colleagues in this chamber for your dedication throughout this Session and your passion for your communities. This is a diverse state. We all come from different communities. We have to come here and represent those communities. We may have differences, but we have to respect those differences. And so, I congratulate you all in traveling down here every day every week to represent your constituents. Thank you all for the job you've done. But I wouldn’t do my job without thanking a very special someone. Her first Session, an accelerated Session at that, she got the job done. Let's all thank my chief of staff, Tiffany Moy, please. And I thank Leader Durkin… I thank Leader Durkin and the staff on both sides of the aisle because we got… we don’t get it done without the staff on both sides working together. They go out to dinner together when we leave this place in the evenings. They work together to make it happen. And so, thank you, Andrew. Thank you everyone on staff. But really truly, I want to thank our budget staff. I snuck up on them yesterday just to watch them work, and boy they do an amazing job. Can we give our staff a round of applause, please? Keep standing. Keep standing. Let's conclude this Session. Let's go forth, and let's go to work. Thank you all so much for a great Session."
"Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions."
"Agreed Resolutions. House Resolution 830, offered by Representative Nichols. House Resolution 831, offered by Representative Mah. House Resolution 832, offered by 10200102.docx 326 STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 102nd Legislative Day 4/8/2022 Representative Ness. And House Resolution 834, offered by Representative Davis."
"Leader Greenwood moves for the adoption of the Agreed Resolutions. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolutions are adopted. Mr. Clerk, please read the Adjournment Resolution."
"Adjournment Resolution. Senate Joint Resolution #56 offered by Representative Harris. Be it RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that when the two Houses adjourn on Saturday, April 9, 2022, the Senate stands adjourned to the call of the President; and the House of Representatives stands adjourned to the call of the Speaker."
"Leader Greenwood moves for the adoption of the Adjournment Resolution. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The Adjournment Resolution is adopted. And now, at 6:09 a.m., allowing perfunctory time for the Clerk, Leader Greenwood moves that the House stand adjourned to the call of the Speaker. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed indicate 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the House stands adjourned." 10200102.docx 327