"The House will be in order. Members will be in their chairs. We shall be led in prayer today by Wayne Padget, the Assistant Doorkeeper. Members and guests are asked to refrain from starting their laptops, turn off all cell phones, and rise for the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Padget."
"Let us pray. Dear heavenly Father, you are the pillar of strength and shield. You are our shepherd who internally guides us. Father, as we start Session today, be with us and guide our thoughts and actions in this august Body. With your help, good things and new beginnings will happen to this great state. Father, we have faced many challenges in our state, some with impossible odds and others that were simply unbelievable. But still, throughout both of them, you proved through for us. Lord, finally, we stand before you today because we hope for a better future. We pray that our investments, plans, and relationships will come to fruition. Walking in your light has taught us, by your power, we will persevere and win. Thank you for this Session and you deserve nothing less than eternal glory. These things we pray, Amen."
"We will be led in the Pledge of Allegiance today by Representative Severin."
"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." 10300011.docx 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 11th Legislative Day 2/21/2023
"Roll Call for Attendance. Leader Gabel is recognized to report any excused absences on the Democratic side of the aisle."
"Speaker, let the record show that Representatives Ammons, Croke, Hurley, and Smith are excused today."
"And Leader Keicher is recognized to report any excused absences on the Republican side of the aisle."
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Let the record reflect that all Republicans are here ready to conduct business."
"Have all recorded themselves who wish? I'm sorry. Chair recognizes Leader Keicher once again."
"We have a locked voting button that we need to unlock here and allow Representative Sosnowski to record his presence, which he has done. Thank you, Ma'am."
"Well, look at that. Have all recorded themselves who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. There being 113 Members answering the roll call, a quorum is present. The Chair recognizes Leader J.C. Hoffman. For what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"Please proceed."
"Today, I'd like the Body to welcome Norah Rompel and her mother Lauren Rompel here today. Norah's turning 12 on February 24. She's a sixth grader at St. Theresa's Catholic School in Belleville, which is in my district. It's my understanding that Norah took a trip here during the pandemic, fell in love with President Lincoln, and her State Capitol. She loves women's rights and women in politics. She's here at the invitation of former Senator, and now our U.S. Attorney, 10300011.docx 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 11th Legislative Day 2/21/2023 Rachelle Crowe. I'd like to please give a warm welcome to Norah and her mother Lauren."
"Welcome to Springfield. The Chair recognizes Representative Collins."
"Can you hear me? Okay. Thank you, Madam Speaker. So, we're still in… celebrating the month of black history. And today, I want to highlight an unsung hero in our Black History Month, who is Bayard Rustin, who we don’t hear a lot about. Rustin was born in 1912 in West Chester, Pennsylvania to Florence Rustin and Archie Hopkins, but raised by his maternal grandparents, Julia Davis and Janifer Rustin, as the 9th of their 12 grandchildren. Growing up, he believed his biological mother was his older sister. His grandparents were relatively wealthy local caterers who raised Rustin in a large house. Julia Rustin was a Quaker, although she attended her husband's church. She was also a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which is the NAACP. And leaders such as W.E.B. Du Bois and James Weldon Johnson were frequent guests in their… Rustin home. With these influences in his early life, in his youth, Rustin campaigned against racially discriminatory Jim Crow laws. Rustin worked with A. Philip Randolph on the March on Washington movement in his earlier years. In 1941, to press for an end to racial discrimination in employment, Rustin later organized Freedom Rides, and helped to organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to strengthen Martin Luther King, Jr.'s leadership and teaching King about nonviolence. He later served as an organizer for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Rustin worked alongside Ella Baker, a co- 10300011.docx 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 11th Legislative Day 2/21/2023 director of the Crusade for Citizenship, in 1954. And before the Montgomery bus boycott, he helped organize a group called In Friendship, amongst Baker, Stanley Levison of the American Jewish Congress, and some other labor leaders. In Friendship provided material and legal assistance to those being evicted from their tenant farms and households in Clarendon County, Yazoo, and other places. Rustin became the head of the AFL- CIO's A. Philip Randolph Institute, which promoted the integration of formerly all-white unions and promoted the unionization of African Americans. During the 1970s and 1980s, Rustin served on many humanitarian missions, such as aiding refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia. And at the time of his death in 1987, he was on a humanitarian mission in Haiti. Rustin was a gay man, and due to the criticism over his sexuality, he was usually acted as an influential adviser behind the scenes to civil rights leaders. In the 1980s, he became a public advocate on behalf of gay causes, speaking at events as an activist and supporter of human rights. And later in life, while still devoted to securing workers' rights, Rustin joined other union leaders in aligning in ideological… I'm sorry. I'm getting tongue tied. And after his death, President Ronald Reagan praised him. On November 20, 2013, President Barack Obama awarded Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I wanted to highlight Bayard Rustin because often times, when we hear about the civil rights movement, we talk about Martin Luther King, but we never really talk about the people who played behind the scenes. And because of Bayard Rustin and him being a part of the LGBTQ community and the first open black man who was organizing around those times, 10300011.docx 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 11th Legislative Day 2/21/2023 he kind of got swept under the rug. So, I just really wanted to lift him up today because I think that he played a very critical role in a lot of our freedoms. And so, again, that's something new to some who probably didn't know about him, but he is someone that I learned about in the labor movement. And I just wanted to highlight someone who I feel like is a giant for all of us. Thank you."
"Thank you, Representative. Chair recognizes Representative Ladisch Douglass. For what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege."
"Please proceed."
"Thank you, Speaker. I am very pleased to be here today, and I think it's a gorgeous day to be here and to recognize everyone here. And I wanted to point out that one of our Members is finally back, and she's been very missed on our side of the aisle and I think across the floor. I know we've all noticed her absence, but through a series of unfortunate events, she has had a broken arm and a broken leg and could not be here. And I'd like to welcome Diane Blair- Sherlock back to the floor. Thank you."
"Welcome back, Representative. Chair recognizes Representative Schmidt. For what reason do you seek recognition?"
"A point of personal privilege."
"Please proceed."
"In recognition of Black History Month, I would like to honor Doctor Fred Rubel. Dr. Fred Rubel was the first African American chiropractor in the world. He graduated in 1913 from 10300011.docx 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 11th Legislative Day 2/21/2023 National College of Chiropractic near Chicago. He later went on to start Rubel College of Chiropractic a year later. Rubel College of Chiropractic was founded on the premise that people of all races, if they will be successful in coexisting, must incorporate into every profession. And speaking from personal experience, Dr. Rubel was instrumental in moving the chiropractic profession forward. Thank you."
"Chair recognizes Representative LaPointe. For what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege."
"Please proceed."
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to let everyone know in the event you didn’t already, that today is something that we call Paczki Day. And I probably butchered that pronunciation after practicing several times. What that means for all of us in the chamber is we have paczkis… no S… paczki from two bakeries from the City of Chicago. One from the far Northwest Side of Chicago that I picked up this morning from the Polish American Alliance that is a long-standing human service organization that serves the Northwest Side and the Southwest Side. And we also have paczki from Bridgeport Bakery that Leader Mah brought. So, I invite everybody to taste test and we can do a Northwest Side, Southwest Side paczki off. Enjoy."
"Chair recognizes Leader Mah for an announcement."
"Speaker, the Democrats would request a caucus immediately in Room 1… 114."
"And Leader Keicher for an announcement." 10300011.docx 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 11th Legislative Day 2/21/2023
"Madam Speaker, the Republicans would request a caucus in 118."
"Immediately upon adjournment, Democrats will caucus in 114, Republicans in 118. Mr. Clerk, committee announcements."
"The following committees will be meeting this afternoon. Meeting at 2:00 is Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education in Room 122B, the Insurance Committee will meet in Room C-1. Meeting at 3 p.m. is Energy & Environment and the Public Utilities Committees in a joint hearing in Room 114. Meeting at 4:00 is Energy & Environment in Room 114 and Cities & Villages in Room 118. Meeting at 5:00 is Health Care Availability & Accessibility in Room 115."
"Chair recognizes Representative Moeller. For what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Personal… point of personal privilege."
"Please proceed."
"I wanted to wish two of our Members in the House Democratic Caucus a wonderful birthday today. We have Leader Mah, it's her birthday. Happy birthday, Leader Mah. And we… he's not with us this afternoon, but Representative Lamont Robinson is also born on this day. So, happy birthday to Representative Robinson."
"Happy birthday. Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions."
"Agreed Resolution. House Resolution 76, offered by Representative Robinson."
"Leader Gabel moves for the adoption of Agreed Resolutions. All those in favor say 'aye'; opposed say 'nay'. 10300011.docx 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 11th Legislative Day 2/21/2023 In the opinion of the chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Agreed Resolutions are adopted. And now, allowing perfunctory time for the Clerk, Leader Gabel moves that the House stand adjourned until Wednesday, February 22, at the hour of noon. All those in favor say 'aye'; opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the House stands adjourned."
"House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Introduction and First Reading of House Bills. House Bill 3975, offered by Representative Gabel, a Bill for an Act concerning public aid. House Bill 3976, offered by Representative Ford, a Bill for an Act concerning education. House Bill 3977, offered by Representative LaPointe, a Bill for an Act concerning public aid. House Bill 3978, offered by Representative Collins, a Bill for an Act concerning education. First Reading of these House Bills. Introduction of Resolutions. House Resolution 75, offered by Representative Scherer; House Resolution 77, offered by Representative Marron; House Resolution 78, offered by Representative Evans; House Resolution 79, offered by Representative Ammons; House Resolution 80, offered by Representative Caulkins; House Resolution 81, offered by Representative Jiménez; House Resolution 82, offered by Representative Stuart; and House Joint Resolution 17, offered by Representative Swanson, are referred to the Rules Committee. Introduction of Executive Order from the Governor. Executive Order 2023-03, referred to the Rules Committee. There being no further business, the House Perfunctory Session will stand adjourned." 10300011.docx 8