Illinois House Floor Debate — March 7, 2024

"Speaker, let the record show that Representatives Costa Howard, Guerrero-Cuellar, Johnson, Moylan, Vella, and Yednock are excused today." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Leader Keicher is recognized to report any excused absences on the Republican side of the aisle." 10300075.docx 1  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. To the Bill." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "To the Bill."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to thank Chair Williams and those who have worked on this legislation. I know it's many years in the making. I've paid close attention to the evolution of this legislation, and I believe moving to an elected school board in Chicago is long overdue because ultimately, at its core, it provides accountability. Accountability. While I don't represent any part of Chicago, both of my parents worked in the Chicago Public Schools for over 30 years. And they were members of the Chicago Teachers Union. So, I'm very familiar with this decades-long effort towards an elected school board. Yet, I have some concerns. 10300075.docx 11  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 Being honest, my concern about this legislation is rooted less in the alternating preferences of the mayor or CTU and more in the historic and alarming rise of anti-Semitism in Chicago Public Schools. We have not addressed this issue on the Illinois House Floor, but I've been increasingly concerned with the unchecked expansion of anti-Semitism in Chicago Public Schools. Nearly a year ago, I met with the leadership of CTU with a number of Jewish organizations in Chicago to address this issue and to talk about the frequent anti-Semitism being expressed by some CPS teachers and shockingly happening not just on social media, but inside the classroom, making Jewish students feel unsafe in Chicago Public Schools. CTU responded in the meeting by saying that they oppose hate and discrimination against anyone. But actions, my friends, speak louder than words. Because there has been no response since that meeting to our repeated requests for education, training, and addressing these issues of anti-Semitism in Chicago Public Schools. None. No response. In the recent months, anti-Semitism has exploded in CPS. Just over a month ago, Jewish high school students hid in a bathroom because of the fear they had for their own safety. They hid in a bathroom because they were Jewish and didn't feel safe in their schools. The mayor indicated that he was 'incredibly proud' of the students and teachers who were threatening the safety of those Jewish students that day. He was incredibly proud. CTU helped organize teachers to participate in those protests, again, causing Jewish students to feel unsafe in their own school. And they were silent in the days and weeks and months after because these Jewish 10300075.docx 12  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 student's safety was threatened. I'm willing to bet most of my colleagues are unaware that there is now a U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights investigation that has begun because of that anti-Semitism that has raged unchecked at the Chicago Public Schools. All the while, elected leaders in the City of Chicago and leaders of the CTU have been silent. It doesn't seem to matter to them. Their inaction has frightened Jewish families in Chicago. And the most urgent question that I have is, where is the accountability for the anti-Semitism in the Chicago Public Schools? To me, an elected school board actually offers that accountability. If elected leaders and teacher's union leadership in Chicago refuse to hold people accountable for this hatred, I trust the public to do that, to do so. And that's what this legislation offers. So, to close, I support this legislation, as it will bring accountability, has long been lacking in the Chicago Public Schools to elect independent school board members. And for those Chicago leaders who have willingly turned a blind eye to rising anti-Semitism in CPS, you must finally step up to address this hate and discrimination. It is both the right thing to do, and also, if you continue to stay silent against hate, you, too, will face accountability. Thank you, Madam Speaker." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Wilhour is recognized."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker and the great Members of the Assembly. I have to take a deep breath after the last comment. I'm looking forward to that Representative's vote on evidence-based funding increase to give more money to the South Suburbs and to the South Side of Chicago. I can't wait until you're there to give more money to schools like me and Rep Davis' community. I had to take a deep breath on that one. To the Bill. The voices of my community, the children of my community that we've been fighting for are finally realized. You know, I have the pleasure of representing the South Suburbs of Chicago where they have an elected school board, where the people from that community, Lansing, Burnham, Calumet City, they come together and they have a voice for their education. And me being a father now, understanding the importance of having an impact, picking, making decisions for my black son, I want my community to make decisions for the black community of Chicago, for the Latino community of Chicago, for every community of Chicago. I want those voices to be there and have a strong voice. And right now we have a piece of legislation that moves us in that direction. We have not done anything to this point. The voiceless have been shut out. Now, we have an opportunity to 10300075.docx 15  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 do that. And it's because our mayor, our new mayor, made a promise to do that, and that's now being done. Many folks have talked about it, but now it's being supported by city hall and it's moving forward. And I want to thank my colleague, Representative Williams, and all of my colleagues, like Representative Buckner, like our Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, who put the work in to make this happen. So, I can't wait to cast the vote to have somebody from my community go down to make the decisions for my school. And lastly, there's been a lot of comments made about CTU and black union leadership. It's a reality. We have black union leaders, and they're going to be talking about black issues. Just like we're going to have women leaders. They're going to be talking about women's issues, you know. This is not the past. We're moving forward. So, get ready and get comfortable with the realities of society. We need diversity in all spaces. But, most importantly, we want to make sure that those black kids that can't read, it's all over now. We're going to fully fund education in my community. We're going to fully support this new elected school board. And the other side of the aisle is going to lead the way. Will Davis, relax. You're going to do a lot less work now because educating black children is now the priority of my colleagues on the other side. And, again, I'm… I'm in shock, but I'm excited about that. We're going to send them all to University of Illinois because they don't have a lot of black children there. We're going to revolutionize education. Ann Williams, Democrats, relax. It's all over now. They're going to take control and educate all of the black children, and we're going to get it done. So, 10300075.docx 16  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 thank you, Ann Williams, and cast a vote. A voice for my community, let's do it." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Andrade is recognized."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Sorry, I'm a little emotional. Grandma passed away this morning. Mom… my mom's on the way to… but I stand here today not as a State Rep, but as a father of a daughter who has got accepted into a select enrollment school, which should be her proudest day ever, but her mother said you should've seen your face. It was all excitement, sad, proud, everything at once. Because I don't know if you're familiar, but there was a private briefing that we had with CPS board, which was recorded. I didn't know, maybe I did, but it ended up on channel five news. I asked a question to the CPS board. I want to know what is their intentions with select enrollment schools. Because… and I had that question yesterday, and someone said the Representative deserves an answer. I said no, Jamie Andrade the father, the parent deserves an answer of what is the intention of the school. Because she is turning down a scholarship for another school because it's her dream, and our dream was to send her to a selective enrollment CPS school. But I've been told by a certain union that they have intentions to change selective enrollment. They have intentions to ask for funding to be changed. These students are taxpayers, and they deserve their school to be fully funded. But they want to change how they're funded and basically defund the highest performing schools in CPS. So, I ask the Governor, as my Governor, as… to not sign the Bill until we get a response. What is their intentions? How… because as a parent, we deserve to know what is their 10300075.docx 17  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 intention for the next few years. Because my daughter and all these CPS parents that send their kids to selective enrollment schools because it's a choice. There is a choice, and they're making that choice. But I think, unfortunately, we have to make that choice on the false belief that the school she's going to go to is not going to change. So, I fought for a fully-elected school board, but now we have a half board. I spoke to the president of CPS this morning. He says, at this moment, there is no changes. That's the word. They are not looking at dockets. They are not looking at anything. But that doesn't mean tomorrow or anything. So, if they are not looking at anything, the administration should not have a problem with us passing House Bill 5766, which puts a moratorium on changes to selective enrollment until it's a fully-elected school board. So, I ask the mayor, I ask the CPS board to tell the father of a daughter who's been elected, who's been chosen to go to that school. I want her… she texted me yesterday, says, 'Dad, I saw that the Senate passed the hybrid Bill. What does this mean for my school?' And I had to tell her I don't know because I am not getting the… an answer. I asked, are they going to change testing? We're not talking about testing right now. Are you going to change selective enrollment schools? They say we're not closing schools. They're not answering my question. So, I am fortunate enough, blessed to be elected and represent my community. And so, I even received calls, and other State Reps have received calls, from parents from CPS. They want to know what is the intention if they send their kid to a selective enrollment school. They're using words as hold harmless. What that means is they 10300075.docx 18  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 will defund the highest performance schools in future years, but they won't (unintelligible). So, those are the words being used. Hold harmless. Oh, that… but, basically, it's a code word for defunding the highest performing schools. These schools have given an opportunity for black and Latino, Asian, all of them from immigrant families to receive an education second to none. And we don't know what their intention is, to change them or not. So, I am asking my Governor, ask that question. I am asking every CPS parent that has sent their kid that's been chosen to ask the mayor's office, ask CP… CPS board what is their intention. We, as parents and as taxpayers, deserve to know the truth. They have fought so hard to get into power because they said there was no transparency before. Well, I expect transparency. Our taxpayers expect transparency. And the father of a daughter who wants a question answered wants transparency. I should be able to make my decision and our family should make our decision based on the truth. If you want to change it, then let us know. I… unfortunately, we're forcing her to go to another school because I want to feel comfortable of what she's getting into. So, I will vote for the Bill, but I just want to go on record. We deserve the truth to know the intentions of this CPS board because we are giving them, right now, the power. Even though it requires two-thirds vote to change something in CPS, but they already… I promise you now, I hope I'm wrong, but they are already looking at defunding these schools. And they call it hold harmless, but I call it defunding future funding for the school. So, thank you very much, Madam Speaker." 10300075.docx 19  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Crespo is recognized."

"Thank you, Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?" Speaker Hernandez, B.: "She indicates she will."

"Congratulations, Representative. I know you spent a lot of time in working on this project. I just have a couple of questions. When drawing the map, did the committee use the Citizen Voting Age Population?" Williams, A.: "We did not use the Citizen Voting Age Population, no."

"You didn't? You did not?" Williams, A.: "Okay, the American Community Survey uses those numbers you referenced, and we have, based on data, found that that is not an accurate representation and might jeopardize this if it came to a legal challenge. So, that was not the… the demographic information we utilized here."

"Okay, thank you. In terms of the requirement to get on the ballot, my understanding is that they have to get a thousand signatures." Williams, A.: "Yeah."

"How did you come up with a thousand?" Williams, A.: "The districts were approximately the size of Senate districts. And so, we utilized that our basis. When the districts become 20 and smaller districts, then we will use a number similar to the House. So, that's what we based it on, size."

"Did they consider using the model used by the alderman? Isn't the requirement less?" Williams, A.: "We felt comfortable. Based on the size of the districts moving forward, it was kind a group decision that 10300075.docx 20  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 that was the best way to ensure we had people that were willing to put in the work and… and do that but not make it inaccessible for people, just like we do here in the House and Senate."

"Okay, thank you. To… to the Bill. I don't represent Chicago. I am proud to say I was born there, so I respect whatever they want to do. I think there are two issues that concern me. When we passed this Bill originally, there was some questions as to whether there was going to be a financial impact to the state or the city. And there was a report that was put out. We did get the State Board of Education to interpret the report for us, and it is still unclear to me whether at some point there's going to be a financial impact on the state. So, I'm concerned about that. And finally, I think we know that they have expressed their intentions or have expressed they want to get paid, they want to have a salary. Obviously, I hope that never happens. I have the second largest school unit in the State of Illinois in my district. So, they've been doing a great job. They have… they haven't been paid for that. In Los Angeles, they do have an elected school board. They do get paid at the tune of, like, $120 thousand, plus they have staff. So, those two things concern me. I'll still listen to the debate to decide what I'm going to do. But, once again, Representative, congratulations. I think you've done a fantastic job so far. Thank you." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Leader Buckner is recognized."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?" Speaker Hernandez, B.: "She indicated she will." 10300075.docx 21  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024

"First off, much like my… my Chicago public school classmate, Leader Evans, I'm a little flabbergasted at the Gentleman from 110th District's diatribe. As a Chicago black student who reads very well, I will say that for those in my district who have reading comprehension issues, I will welcome that Representative to refund some of the money that Chicago sends to your district to help us out. But, Representative Williams, how are you?" Williams, A.: "Wonderful. Thank you, Representative."

"A couple questions. One, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and a number of other organizations, like the Coalition of African American Leaders, was really concerned about making sure that we had advisory boards for black student achievement. Is that in this Bill?" Williams, A.: "Yes, that was included. It's called the Chicago Board of Education Black Student Achievement Advisory Board. And it really was created to provide black students with maximum opportunity for success, both through elementary and then on through secondary education. And… and the board can take and run with this, and there's a lot of opportunities for them to really make a difference in the lives of these students."

"Fantastic. Thank you. Also, I just want to make sure I understand the makeup of some of these districts correctly. I know I was one of those folks who was really concerned about making sure that the districts looked like the school district. Obviously, considering our legal… legal restraints, the maps needed to reflect the City of Chicago, right, and not the districts one-to-one. But am I correct in my 10300075.docx 22  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 understanding that of 20 districts, 7 of them are majority black, 6 are majority Latino, 2 have strong Latino influence based on population, and 2 will have strong Asian American influence based on population? Is that correct?" Williams, A.: "That is correct."

"Fantastic. To the Bill. I, for years, have been a huge proponent of a fully-elected school board as soon as possible, and that doesn't change with my vote on this Bill today. This is a transition that is nearly 190 years in the making. Creating an elected body with a $9 billion budget, we cannot be haphazard about it. We still have work to do, to Representative Crespo's point. We have work to do on campaign finance, on whether or not board members will be salaried, on codifying a process for the city council or the board to draw their own maps from here on out. We also need to have respectful and robust conversations on about… about a number of other pressing issues that involve the CPS system, like selective enrollment. Representative Croke has a Bill that should be the focal point of that conversation. And SROs and LSCs, Representative Gill has a Bill that should be the focal point of that conversation. But today we get a chance to finish the work on this specific issue. I'm a third- generation CPS product. And because of what we are doing now, my son will not only just be a fourth-generation CPS product, but he will be the first generation of my family enrolled in the CPS system with an elected representative school board. That's a big deal to me. We have been engaged in this fight for a long time. Those who have been a Member of this… Members of this Body for a while have voted on this legislation five, 10300075.docx 23  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 six, seven, eight, fifty-'leven times. The process worked, and this process that we are putting in place today will work. This isn't just about getting it done. This is about getting it right. We have to resist the temptation of a quick fix. These are our kids, so just good enough will not do. This gives us the chance to get it right. We all want to reach an elected school board as soon as possible, but it's okay to take the stairs to get there. Our young people deserve it. Thank you, Representative Williams, for your work on this, and everybody on the working group. It's a long time coming. Thanks." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Ugaste is recognized."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong support of Senate Bill 15. But before I say a few words about the Bill, I want to begin by giving a huge thank you to this Bill's Sponsor. I'd ask that this Body give a warm applause to a champion on this issue, Representative Ann Williams. Thank you, Representative, for bringing this Bill to the floor today. I also have to acknowledge her collaborative partners on this Bill because this truly has been a team effort. So, to the Members of our House Democratic CPS district, districting working group, Representative Mike Kelly, Representative Eva-Dina Delgado, Representative Will Guzzardi, Representative Curtis Tarver, and Representative Kam Buckner. Let's also give them a round of applause, please. 10300075.docx 25  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 Thank you all for your leadership on this historic effort. And I use that word, it's not an exaggeration. We are making history here today. Let me take us back a little bit. In 1995, people sitting in these same seats took power away from Chicago parents and Chicago taxpayers to decide what was best for their school. Now, I've spent my public service career representing suburban communities. And as many of you know, I started by serving on my local school board. My community sent me to that school board, and elected me, and re-elected me to do the things that they believed were in the best interest of that district. In fact, many of us sitting here today got our starts on our local school board. Everywhere in this state, except the City of Chicago, the people elected them and sent them to make those decisions on those school boards. So, I can only imagine how much it pains Chicago parents to be shut out of their children's education, to not have a neighbor that they can turn to when they have a question or an opinion about how their schools are run, to see the local schools closed while investment and opportunity flow to other parts of the city, to see a district serving more black, Latinx, and Asian families then almost any school district in the country being led solely by people who don't look like them, who don't know their neighborhoods, and who don’t answer to them. So, here today, we're correcting an injustice done on a generation of Chicago families and we're charting a brighter future for generations to come. And that change is coming fast. With this vote today, Chicagoans in every part of the city can start circulating petitions to run for school board just three weeks from now. Regular, everyday 10300075.docx 26  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 people can get a petition, a box of pens, and go run for office just like all of you. And every Chicagoan will be able to vote for an elected representative school board this November. The people will vote. The people will decide. The people will determine what happens in their local district, just like they do in all of your districts. And they'll continue to elect the board they choose in districts that look like Chicago, created directly from the testimony we receive from community organizations. When you consider the gravity of this change, the creation of a new governing body tasked not only with the multi-million… multi-billion-dollar budget, but with the education and safety of our children, it's no wonder it has been a long, deliberate process, complete with passionate disagreement and a whole lot of compromises. And as we stand up this new board, it will continue to require deliberation and a lot more compromise. And that's a good thing because that's democracy. That's democracy with a big D. And democracy is what we're giving back to Chicago families today. We, as a House, have stood strong in that commitment and stood by the compromises made that made this board possible after years of negotiation. And for that reason, I rise today and ask for a vote in favor of Senate Bill 15 and ask for a vote for the people to decide who represents them. By voting 'yes', we're saying let the people vote, let the people decide. I urge an 'aye' vote. Thank you, Members." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Ann Williams to close." Williams, A.: "Thank you, Madam Speaker. Before I close, I just wanted to touch on a few items that came up in debate. First 10300075.docx 27  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 of all, it seems like there might be a little confusion on the other side of the aisle about what this Bill actually does. If we wanted to empower the mayor and his allies, we'd actually do nothing, leaving them with a fully-appointed board. So, there's that. To Representative Morgan's point, I want to recognize and thank you for your comments about the safety of Jewish students in our schools, and I pledge to stand with you and work to fight for candidates who will stand strong against anti-Semitism. To my good friend, colleague Representative Andrade, who has been fighting this fight alongside me for many years, you speak for a lot of parents today and I will continue to fight alongside you for… for your daughter and many others like her that want to achieve the highest levels in Chicago. So, thank you for your comments. Also, Speaker Welch, thank you for giving me the opportunity to work on this and kind of bring it across the finish line. It's something that's so important to my community and something we've been working on for years. So, thank you for your leadership. I have to echo Speaker Welch's comments about the working group. They have been fabulous. I couldn't ask for a better group to work with. Staff, of course, has been working on this for a decade, so they're ready to get this thing wrapped up. But I have to call attention to Jon Maxson, whose grasp of the issue, organizational style, and skillset has really enabled us to translate our vision into a very equitable map and been such a pleasure to work with. So, thank you, Jon. And, of course, this never would've happened without many, many advocates who have pushed for the elected school board for years. I think 10300075.docx 28  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 one of my first meetings in my office when I was elected several years ago was on the elected school board. And at that time, I was not convinced, but I sure am now. Thanks to all those who took the time to testify, to attend a meeting, to send an email, to make a phone call. So grateful for your willingness to lend your passion and your perspective to bring democracy to the Chicago Public Schools. Plus, I would be… finally, I would be remiss if I didn't recognize my former colleague in the House, and now Senator, Rob Martwick, whose unwavering fight brought us to where we are today to bring democracy to Chicago Public Schools. So, thank you, Rob. And with that, I hope for an 'aye' vote." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "The question is, 'Shall Senate Bill 15 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay'. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, take the record. On this question, there are 75 voting in 'favor', 31 voting 'against', 3 voting 'present'. And this Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Under Concurrences appears HB779, offered by Leader Smith. Leader Smith on the Motion."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I move to concur Amendments 1 and 2 to House Bill 779." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Windhorst, for what reason do you seek recognition?"

"Absolutely. HB779 modernizes the Pawnbroker Regulation Act. It's an agreed compromised measure. It came about following lengthy negotiations with the IDFPR, the industry, and consumer advocacy groups, and the Bill does three things. It provides new consumer protections, it modernizes regulations, and it also contains important data disclosures that will give regulators and Members of this Body and the public the insight we need to ensure that law provides fair capital access to our communities. In short, it's an agreed Bill. It's good for consumers, it's good for small businesses, and it's good for Illinois."

"That is correct. We currently have about 209 licensed pawnbrokers in Illinois. The cap is at 250. It's… it's the early stages of this. We realize that the cap, if it's… if it's too limiting to the industry, we'll take another look at it in a couple of years. But there's no… there's no mad rush to open pawnbroker establishments in Illinois. That number at around 200 has been that way for the last several years."

"It's approximately 209, to be exact." 10300075.docx 30  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024

"I'm not aware of that. But I know the cap was put in place to just be able to monitor the existing establishments, any new establishments, and to keep a close eye on any potential out-of-state folks coming in and just opening up a pawn store and not following these new regulations."

"Well, that's one reason…"

"Absolutely. Well, remember now, this is an initiative of… of IDFPR. So, they… they are accepting that challenge. A part of that, which I know you'll get to in your… in your comments, is the increase in the licensing fee. So, the fee is being increased in order to add additional staff to be able to monitor the industry."

"Prior fee is 1 thousand. It will go to 2 thousand."

"Yes." 10300075.docx 31  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024

"Thank you." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Ugaste is recognized."

"As… as well as the consumer advocacy groups. All three groups."

"Absolutely. It's fair and… and equitable amongst all licensed pawnbrokers."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Would the Sponsor yield for a quick question?" Speaker Hernandez, B.: "He indicates he will."

"Thank you. Leader Smith, I just want to ask, in the process of this particular Bill that's going to collect some information statewide, which we certainly need, would it cover at all… I was just told last, maybe a week or two ago, that pawnbrokers are charging consumers additional insurance within the period of time that they are supposed to be able to reclaim their items in order to then insure these things. Was that at all part of the conversation you all had?"

"I… I am not aware of that."

"Okay."

"I'm not aware of that, but I will ask about it."

"And would this Bill, the data that they're collecting, would it look at some of those other areas of how the industry works?"

"Well, its… the intention of this Bill is definitely to take a closer look at the practices, whether it's interest rates or fees…"

"Yeah."

"…and all of those things. That's why we brought this Bill forward. It's really to protect consumers, but also still allow these small businesses to exist. So…"

"I mean, I don't have a problem. I love pawnbrokers. I love to go… I'm a… you know, that kind of shopping. So, I don't have a problem with going. But when I got the call last, maybe a week or so ago, someone reached out to us and said, hey, are you all aware that they're making people now pay an 10300075.docx 33  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 insurance to reclaim their items? I would love for the group to have a look at this."

"I'm not aware of that, but I'll take a look at it and I'll definitely get back to you on that."

"Thank you so much. Thank you." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Guzzardi is recognized."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?" Speaker Hernandez, B.: "He indicates he will."

"Just a quick question for you, Leader Smith. Thank you for bringing this Bill forward, and I appreciate your long work on this issue. Can you just talk about the question of APR and fees versus interest? Can you walk us through that just a little bit?"

"Sure, you clearly are a number guy. So, the rates, the new rates, they're on a scale of determining the… how large the pawn operation is, obviously. Larger the pawn operation, the different scale they have to adhere to. The smaller operation is a different scale. The amount of money is… is a sliding scale as well. We have something here, a hundred… under $500. It's still quite a high percentage rate, but it's not as high as it was. The more you borrow, the more valuable your pawn is, the lower the interest rate is. So, anything over 5 thousand is at a 60 percent APR as opposed to the previous APRs of 4 and 5 or 600 percent."

"That's great. Thank you. I know there's been ongoing negotiation about this topic, and I know that many of us are proud of our collective work on the PLPA, working at that 36 percent rate cap. And this conversation of whether this constitutes an interest rate or a fee, right, and how that 10300075.docx 34  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 ought to affect the borrower, I know it's been going on for a long time. I appreciate your efforts at compromise here, and it seems like you've landed at a place where there's consensus. And I just wanted to make sure that we continue this dialogue, as your Bill does, to make sure that we're keeping an eye on this going forward and providing whatever additional consumer protections we might need. Thank you for your work, and I appreciate it."

"Thank you, and I assure you that we will be keeping a very close eye on this practice for the next couple of years." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Reick is recognized."

"There is an increase in the fee for a license. Yes."

"You are correct."

"You are correct."

"According to my information, we have about 209."

"That number has hovered around that number for at least the last three or four years."

"No. That is the beauty of our democracy, Sir."

"I urge an 'aye' vote." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "The question is, 'Shall House concur in Senate Amendment 1 and 2 to House Bill 779?' This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting 'aye'; all those opposed signify by voting '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 question, there are 80 voting 'aye', 27 voting 'nay', and 2 voting 'present'. The House does concur in Senate Amendment 1 and 2 to House Bill 779. And this Bill, receiving a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Scherer, for what reason do you seek recognition?"

"Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. Today, I have two Pages for the day. They are both students at the University of Illinois here in Springfield. Very interested in government. So, my first person that I would like to introduce is Elijah Matthews, and Elijah majors in legal studies and political science. And give them a wave, Elijah. And then the second one is Colton Soto, and he is majoring in computer science. So, they've been around and many have signed their books. Thank you so much, and welcome to our State Capitol." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Yang Rohr, for what reason do you seek recognition?"

"A point of personal privilege, please." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Please proceed." 10300075.docx 38  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024

"Thank you. I just wanted to introduce my Page for the day and job shadow, Helen Liang. Helen is a junior at Naperville Central, the captain of her school's Congressional Debate team, and she has used her public speaking skills to really advocate for those in her community. She has shown great dedication to Youth Voices. It's a nonprofit that she champions, and it helps middle schoolers on speaking up, making sure that they have the confidence they need to advocate for themselves, and make sure that their voices are heard. She is also a student representative on the Naperville City Council and a student advisor in the Naperville Teen Suicide Disruptor Program. And just would just love for the Body to welcome Helen." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative McLaughlin, for what reason do you seek recognition?"

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I just wanted to thank the Body and all of our… my colleagues because I brought my daughter, Hattie, down this week and everyone was so incredibly kind. Didn't matter what side of the aisle you were on because everyone loves babies. And I just want to say that I don't think that there is a more caring General Assembly than this one when it comes to helping people out and helping out everyone with their kid. So, thank you again." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Jones, for what reason do you seek recognition?"

"Point of personal privilege." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Please proceed."

"I would like to introduce my chief of staff in the gallery, Erica Jenkins, and then also Scott Nnamah and Jerico Thomas, 10300075.docx 41  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 who are publics works commissioners in Calumet City. Please give them a Springfield welcome." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Bunting, for what reason do you seek Recognition?"

"Point of personal privilege, Madam Speaker." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Please proceed."

"Thank you. 'Peace cannot exist without justice, justice cannot exist without fairness, fairness cannot exist without development, development cannot exist without democracy, democracy cannot exist without respect for the identity and worth of cultures and people.' These are words by Rigoberta Menchú. She's a trailblazing icon of the women's rights movement, and I'm eager to highlight this woman during our Women's History Month celebration this year, a woman who embodies the theme put forth by the National Women's History Alliance, women who advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion. Rigoberta is a human rights activist, feminist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, but her most important work stems from her upbringing. Actually, I did not know this, but Rigoberta was actually born on Junary 9, I'm born on January 9 as well, but 1959, to a poor Indigenous peasant family in Guatemala. After witnessing her father's imprisonment, Rigoberta joined the Comité de Unidad Campesina, the Committee for the Peasant Union. Rigoberta advocated for better conditions for farmworkers along the Guatemalan Pacific Coast, where she was actively involved with large demonstrations in Guatemala's capital. Her strong presence made her a target, but that did not stop her from flee… from fleeing to Mexico, where she continued to break ground by becoming the organizer abroad of resistance to oppression in 10300075.docx 44  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 Guatemala and the struggle for Indian peasant people's rights. Her life story, I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala, written by Elisabeth Burgos, brought her worldwide attention and helped her to become a notable spokesperson for Indigenous people across the globe. In 1992, she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle to preserve social justice and ethnic cultural reconciliation, based on her respect for the rights of Indigenous people. She would go on to use the prize money to found the Rigoberta Menchú Tum Foundation, an Indigenous advocacy organization. Through her tireless work and dedication, Rigoberta has brought attention to the plight of marginalized communities, particularly Indigenous communities, and has been a powerful voice for equity, diversity, and inclusion. Rigoberta's work is a pivotal example of transformative powers of activism and the enduring impact of one woman's commitment to social change. Thank you." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Representative Stava-Murray is recognized."

"Point of personal privilege." Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Please proceed."

"I rise today to honor both tomorrow as International Women's Day as well as to honor the memory of one of the greatest 20th century American women, whose achievements built atop the foundation laid by the earliest pioneers of female equality. Ruth Bader Ginsburg served on the U.S. Supreme Court for over 27 years after being nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1993. That's actually a day I remember well, because for a solid year and a half afterwards, 10300075.docx 45  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 I told anyone who asked me what do you want to be when you grow up that I wanted to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court because of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her leadership on becoming… on being another woman in that time when there so few women there. So, getting to that point, obviously, required Ginsburg to overcome significant obstacles. Despite attending Cornell University, Harvard Law School, and Columbia Law School, where she was tied for first in her class, Ginsburg had trouble finding employment because of her gender. In 1954, while working for the Social Security Administration, Ginsburg was demoted for becoming pregnant. When she became 1 of only 9 women in a class of 500 at Harvard Law in 1956, the law school's dean invited the only… the female students to dinner at his home and asked them point blank, 'Why are you at Harvard Law School taking the place of a man?' In 1960, despite her sterling credentials and strong recommendations, Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter rejected Ginsburg for a clerkship, openly citing her gender as the reason. Later that year, Ginsburg ultimately earned a two-year clerkship with a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. But only after a former professor at Columbia Law threatened to never recommend another Columbia graduate to the judge if he did not set aside his misogyny to take Ginsburg on. In 1963, Ginsburg became a professor at Rutgers Law School but was paid less than her male colleagues because, as she was told, 'Your husband has a very good job.' In 1970, Ginsburg cofounded the Women's Rights Law Reporter, the first law journal in the United States to… to focus exclusively on women's rights. In 1972, Ginsburg left 10300075.docx 46  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 Rutgers, where she'd earned tenure in 1969 to cofound the Women's Rights Project at the ACLU, becoming the project's general counsel the next year. The project participated in more than 300 gender discrimination cases by 1974. And Ginsburg personally argued six gender discrimination cases before the U.S. Supreme Court between 1973 and 1976, winning five of them. Ginsburg's body of legal work in the 1970s is credited by legal scholars with discouraging legislatures from treating women differently under law by directly enhancing protections under the equal protection clause. She continued working with the ACLU until 1980. That year, president Jimmy Carter nominated Ginsburg to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. When she was confirmed by the Senate, she became only the second woman to serve there. The first having been nominated only the year prior. In 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Ginsburg as an Associate Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court. She served until her death in 2020, having an impact on issues such as gender discrimination, reproductive rights, property rights, international law, voting rights, economic equality, Native American rights, mental health care, and environmental justice. Justice Ginsburg's legacy is one to which women have been able to look for 70 years to find inspiration and a sterling example of tenacity, persistence, and resolve in the face of adversity. Today, I ask we all take a moment to reflect on her career and achievements and to take stock of what her courageous life meant to the cause of social justice and female equality. Thank you." 10300075.docx 47  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 75th Legislative Day 3/7/2024 Speaker Hernandez, B.: "Mr. Clerk, please read the Adjournment Resolution."