"The House shall 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 your laptops, turn off all cell phones, and rise for the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance."
"Let us pray. Lord, help to we remember that there is little I need to say and a lot I need to hear. Help me to remember that I have little to teach and lots to learn. Help me to remember that sometimes the most important thing I can give is simply my presence and sometimes nothing more is even wanted. Help me to remember that all my education, all my training, and all my experience must always be secondary to my presence. Help me to remember that I must accept, reaccept, and reaccept again the uniqueness of the individual before me. And help me to remember that I am not here for me, I am here for others. These things we pray, Amen."
"We will be led in the Pledge of Allegiance 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."
Speaker Evans: "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 Avelar, Burke, Guerrero-Cuellar, Lisa Hernandez, Jones, Manley, 10300118.docx 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024 Meyers-Martin, Moylan, and Slaughter are… and Mason are excused today."
"Leader Keicher is recognized to report any excused absences on the Republican side of the aisle."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please let the record reflect that Representative Tipsword is excused for today."
"Have all recorded themselves who wish? Have all recorded themselves who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. There being 106 Members answering the roll call, a quorum is present. Representative Mussman, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"A point of personal privilege, Speaker."
"Please speak your point."
"Thank you so much. So, I wanted to celebrate. This week is School Psychology Week. And I'd like to take this opportunity to commend the dedicated men and women who have chosen this profession. Children's mental health is directly linked to their learning and development and benefits when the learning environment… and the learning environment provides optimal context to promote good mental health through connectedness within the school and the community. School psychologists help children thrive by nurturing their individual strengths across both personal and academic endeavors. School psychologists play a vital role in the personal and academic development of our students. Thank you to all of our school psychologists for the critical services they provide every day in our classrooms."
"Representative Gill, for what reason do you seek recognition?" 10300118.docx 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"Please speak your point."
"I would like to take a moment to direct everyone's attention to the Speaker's Gallery, where I have two constituents, Mary and Joe Rossi, and many members of their advocacy group, Grandparents First, who came all the way to Springfield today to advocate for grandparent alienation awareness. Today, I'm speaking on House Resolution 808, declaring June 14, 2024 as Grandparent Alienation Awareness Day. Mr. and Mrs. Rossi are unfortunately dealing with this in their family and are spreading awareness about this issue that a lot of people might not know about. It's a tough issue to tackle, and these wonderful people in the Speaker's Gallery have been a strong voice for so many who have been alienated from their grandchildren who they love so much. Everyone's situation is different, and I'm not blind to that. And I can't imagine not having my own mom and dad in my kids' lives. It's hard enough having a strained relationship with your own child, but to have a relationship with your grandchild and then to have it stripped away is unimaginable. So, I ask everyone today to take a moment to educate themselves on this issue and think about how as… we as Legislators can alleviate the pain for these individuals. Thank you again to everybody who came to Springfield, all the way here. And let's give them a warm Springfield welcome."
"Representative Swanson, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Sir. Point of personal privilege."
"Please speak your point." 10300118.docx 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024
"Thank you. Today, with me is a… a young lady from Orion High School. She's in the ninth grade. Her freshman… her name is Evelyn Wilbur. Her parents are David and Pastor Wilbur, and Pastor Wilbur is here with her today. This young lady's extremely active in school. She plays golf, just wrapped up the season. She's in the band. She's in the choir. She's on the student council. She's on the culinary club. She's on the robotics club. She's on Fellowship of Christian Athletes group. She also is a Orion Gray Matters Collective, which is a mental health awareness group, and she's on the drama department. Her community activities include Orion Community Band, the Gray Matters Collective, the American Legion Auxiliary, and we need many more American Legion members. So, it's great to see her on the auxiliary as a junior member. She also works at the Orion Area Food Pantry and River Bend Food Pantry. She's a 4.0 high honor roll student. She's received leadership awards in the eighth grade. And I continue to work on her to be a college student at one of our great Illinois universities. So, please welcome Evelyn Wilbur here today with us. Thank you."
"Leader McCombie, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Good afternoon, everybody. If I could have your attention, please. I would love to introduce a new Member of the Republican and the Democrat Caucuses, right, Dane? This is Neil Joseph, and believe it or not, he was born with all of that hair, even. So, welcome to the House Republican side, but you're probably going to spend time on the other side too. So, welcome them, please." 10300118.docx 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024
"Representative Meier, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege."
"Please speak your point."
"Today, I'd like to welcome Colt Suedmeyer. He's here from my district. He is from Hoyleton. He goes to Christ Our Rock Lutheran School. He is a senior there. He's also going to go into political science, a double major into that and maybe some comms also. He's been up in our comms staff today meeting with them. He… he's on the swim team. And right now, he's organized a school fundraiser for the hurricane relief fund in… on the East Coast. So, he's… he's running that project right now, and in about a week in a half, hopefully, he will have raised a lot of funds for that. His father is up here to my right… or, grandfather, Gary Suedmeyer. And Gary was on our county board when I was on county board, and he's still on it for a few more days. He's retiring after 20 years on the Washington County Board on December 1. So, Gary, we want to thank you for what you've all done with that. And we want to welcome Colt here today, and hopefully we'll see him here in the future maybe as an intern. Thank you."
"Representative Yednock, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A point of personal privilege."
"Please speak your point."
"Thank you, Sir. Everyone, Ethan Farr here next to me is my Page for the day. He's a civically-minded and ambitious 17-year-old from Ottawa, Illinois. He served as an election judge in the 4th precinct, which is my home precinct, for 10300118.docx 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024 this election and got to firsthand our democracy in action. He's graduating early from Ottawa High School and is planning on going to community college for a semester before going on to Olivet Nazarene University. He will be studying business administration and has an interest in real estate. John Roetker is his grandfather. And actually, helped to plan my father-in-law's funeral, as he is a funeral director. And he is my constituent as well, and he is up in the gallery. I wish all of you to welcome both Ethan and his grandfather, John, to Springfield. Thank you."
"Representative Weaver, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank…"
"Again, Representative Weaver, what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege."
"Please speak your point."
"I'm so honored to welcome Will Nelson as my Page today. Will is a seventh-grader who attends St. Jude Catholic School in Peoria, Illinois. He's a golfer, big brother, a Lego enthusiast, and he's fluent in Willanese, which he just told me he made up a couple of minutes ago. Pretty impressive for a 13-year-old. I'm so inspired by his interest in learning more about his civic duty. It gives us all so much confidence that we're preparing future leaders like him to serve, and I'm so grateful for his grandma, Patty, for making it all possible. Thanks."
"Representative Crespo, what reason do you seek recognition?" 10300118.docx 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024
"Point of personal privilege, Speaker."
"Please speak your point."
"Folks, I'd like to introduce to the General Assembly one of my favorite people. She's a teacher and dance coach at Dundee-Crown, and she calls me dad. It's my daughter, Stephanie Mortenson-Crespo."
Speaker Evans: "Leader Lilly, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege."
"Please speak your point."
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have here in our galleries right above me some of the warriors, and advocates, and community health workers for sickle cell. They have been throughout the Springfield Capitol advocating for the cure for sickle cell in those who they love. Can we give them a warm welcome as they do the work to be the warriors, and I'm going to say the crushers, of sickle cell here in the State of Illinois? The Sickle Cell Disease Association of Illinois. Please give them a round. Thank you."
"Representative Nichols, what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege."
"Please speak your point."
"If I could have everybody's attention. This is a… a Resolution that I'm going to read today for Nemer Ziyad. House Resolution #901. WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Nemer Ziyad, who passed away on September 13, 2024, his 61st birthday; and 10300118.docx 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024 WHEREAS, Nemer Ziyad, was the eldest son of Ahmad Ziyad, founded the Ziyad Brothers Importing with his brothers, Ibrahim, and served as the chief executive officer and principal for the company; and WHEREAS, Ziyad Brothers Importing was founded as a small retail food importing business on the southwest side of Chicago in 1966 but grew into one of the nation's largest distributors of authentic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food products and ingredients; and WHEREAS, Ziyad Brothers Importing employs more than 80 people in a 150,000 sq. ft. warehouse in a office center located in Cicero, where it distributes more than 1,000 food and food- related products to more than 4,000 ethnic grocery stores and more than 18,000 mainstream retail stores and outlets in 48 states and six countries; and WHEREAS, Nemer Ziyad, working with his brothers, Nassem and Nazmy, and his cousin, Nezar, was instrumental in directing the national growth of the company, bringing Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food essentials into the homes of every family in America and negotiating the company's purchase by Peak Rock Capitol in 2022; and WHEREAS, Nemer Ziyad established his reputation not only as a food industry professional and expert but also as an Arab American of Palestinian heritage and serving the public in many capacities, including as a former founding member of the United States Trust Bank in Bridgeview and as a supporter of the Palestine Children's Relief Fund; and 10300118.docx 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024 WHEREAS, Ziyad served on the board of the Chicago International Sister Cities and was a member of the exclusive International Order of Chefs; WHEREAS, Ziyad was the recipient of numerous awards, including Man of the Year by the Arab American Democratic Club; and WHEREAS, Ziyad's achievements in business and in strengthening the pride in his Arab American community have been unprecedented; therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Mr. Ziyad and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to his wife, Kathryn, and his daughters, Marissa and Sahra, and expression of our deepest sympathy. Adopted by the House on November 12, 2024. It was very important that I… that I read this Resolution because we should always remember that the… the citizens in our great state that serve the great state and the great people in this state, especially in food. When we know there is food insecurities in our state. Where we know there's food insecurities in our colleges and universities. Where we know there's food insecurities in our neighborhoods. And when we have a gentleman such as this that dedicated his life to help feed the public, I think it was just only suitable to read that Resolution. I thank you guys for allowing me to read that Resolution here today. Thank you. God bless you." 10300118.docx 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024
"Representative Ladisch Douglass, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"Please speak your point."
"Thank you. I rise today to celebrate Diabetes Awareness Month this November. And I'm a day early, but tomorrow is World Diabetes Day 2024. A day dedicated to raising awareness, fostering understanding, and inspiring action around diabetes, a condition that affects more than 530 million people globally. And we… we all need to acknowledge and empower this community. We come together not just to reflect on the challenges, but to champion the resilience and progress that drive the diabetes community forward. Living with diabetes means navigating a path that requires daily commitment, courage, and strength. To everyone managing diabetes, you are seen, appreciated, and your perseverance is inspiring. This year's theme of breaking barriers and bridging gaps emphasizes equitable access to treatment and care. And every person, no matter where they live, should be able to receive the support, tools, and information needed to manage this condition. Whether it's access to medications, education, or innovative technology, everyone deserves the resources for a healthy future. And I want to say thank you to this Body for supporting my work on diabetes to help raise awareness, work on legislation to help people live better lives in Illinois. And I have celebrated 32 years with type 1 diabetes, and I thank you for working to help others as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker." 10300118.docx 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024
"Representative Niemerg, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Speaker, point of personal privilege, please."
"Please speak your point."
"I rise to publicly congratulate Donald Trump on his election as the 47th President of the United States. President Trump has endured efforts to keep him off the ballot, including here in Illinois. He has had to waste hours of his life away from the campaign trail to appear in court in sham, politically-motivated court cases brought against him. He even had two attempts on his life. President Trump not only won this election, but he won big. Trump's victory shows the American people want real change. They're tired of career politicians abusing their power for their own goals and agendas. They want government to work for the average working- class people. We can and we should learn a lot from this election. Here in Illinois, we are spending billions on illegal immigrants and ignoring the needs of people who can barely afford rent or groceries. Donald Trump became the first Republican in decades to only lose Illinois by single digits, and he did it without spending any money in the general election. In fact, Donald Trump received more votes than JB Pritzker in the last election. People in our state have the same concerns as our fellow Americans in other states. Kamala Harris and the Democrats lost nationally by ignoring these folks. It's time we put Illinois residents first. Congratulations, President Trump, on a well-deserved victory. Let's make America great again. Thank you." 10300118.docx 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024
"Leader Hoffman is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. If I could have your attention. This is a Death Resolution of a very dear friend, who we lost on June 24, 2024. David Dowling of Belleville was a champion of workers' rights, was a champion for representing working men and women as a leader of the United Steelworkers of America. He served over 50 years with… in the United Steelworkers of America. He began his career at Granite City Steel. He ultimately became a steward in 1979, also the president of his local, and then was appointed by the international in 1999. He was named the director of the United Steelworkers of America's Sub-District 2 shortly thereafter, and he served there until his retirement. I've known… I knew Dave for many, many years since I first began running. And I can tell you, as a testament to what he meant to the steelworkers and the men and women who were members of the steelworkers, I'd just ask you to look to the gallery, where we have other leaders who have joined us today commemorating the life of David Dowling. Joining us today are… is Jason Chism, Jeff Rains, Danny Simmons, Randy Virgin, Doug May, Dennis Barker, Terry Biggs, and Stanley Gorka, all in their own right leaders of the United Steelworkers of America and advocates, as Dave was, of working men and women's rights. So, today, I ask a… a moment of silence as we mourn the passing of a true labor legend. Dave was not only a great supporter, he was a legend in the labor movement, but he was a true and dear friend. I ask for a moment of silence." 10300118.docx 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024
"Please rise for a moment of silence. Thank you. Representative… Leader Hoffman moves for the adoption of House Resolution 884. All those in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Representative Nichols, what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege. Today, I would like to recognize two rising students from the University of Illinois who are visiting Springfield today. Behind me is Nieemah Logan, who is a sophomore econ major, and Devon Reynolds, as a junior information science major. These two smart and promising students have the privilege to participate in an amazing organization, Hope Chicago. Hope Chicago is a two- generation promise program that supports students in a one parent on the South Side or West Side of Chicago, to pursue post-secondary college education, completely debt-free. Thank you, to Hope Chicago for the work that you do. And welcome Nieemah and Devon to the General Assembly. Thank you."
"Representative Guzzardi, what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker."
"Please speak your point."
"If Representative Nichols previous comments got you in the mood for Middle Eastern food, just wanted to let the Body know that, courtesy of the House Progressive Caucus, there's some Middle Eastern food in the Room 300 conference room. Please go in there and have some while it's still fresh and tasty. Thank you."
"Leader McCombie is recognized." 10300118.docx 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024
"Thank you. A point of personal privilege."
"Please speak your point."
"Thank you. If I could just… everybody's attention real quick. On our side of the aisle, we… thank you, Speaker, we seem to be having a… a growing issue with our home-delivered meals. It seems like since we've brought it up, several other Members have come forward getting constituent calls from our counties stating that the funding is not coming through. The federal… we get funding from the federal government, and the state is a path through. And it seems like we can't figure out if it's the federal or the state, but they are kind of doing a blame game and we can't really get to the bottom of it. But if you… we feel that we're having a… a growing concern of funding for our home-delivered meals, whether you call them Meals on Wheels or Golden Meals. But Representative Nichols brought up food issues, and this is a huge food issue. There was supplemental dollars from the state, especially during COVID, so you get used to those fundings coming in. And then with the cost of inflation, cost of food, costs have risen. So, please if you have a growing concern in your district, sorry, Tiffany, to throw you under the bus, but if you could let Tiffany know so we can collectively try to be proactive and solve this problem together, I would appreciate it. Thank you."
"Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions."
"Agreed Resolutions. House Resolution 928, offered by Representative Fritts. House Resolution 929, offered by Representative Mayfield. House Resolution 930, offered by Representative Kelly. House Resolution 931, offered by 10300118.docx 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024 Representative Kelly. House Resolution 932, offered by Representative Gordon-Booth. And House Resolution 933, offered by Representative Chung."
"Leader Gabel moves for the adoption of Agreed Resolutions. All those in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Agreed Resolutions are adopted. Mr. Clerk, please read the Adjournment Resolution."
Clerk Hollman: "Senate Joint Resolution #68, offered by Representative Gabel. RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that when the Senate adjourns on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, it stands adjourned until Tuesday, November 19, 2024 or until the call of the President; and when the House of Representatives adjourns on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, it stands adjourned until Tuesday, November 19, 2024 or until the call of the Speaker."
"Leader Gabel moves for the adoption of the Adjournment Resolution. All those in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Adjournment Resolution is adopted. And now, allowing perfunctory time for the Clerk, Leader Gabel moves that the House stands adjourned until Tuesday, November 19. 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 10300118.docx 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 118th Legislative Day 11/13/2024 5910, offered by… offered by Representative Rosenthal, a Bill for an Act concerning government. House Bill 5911, offered by Leader McCombie, a Bill for an Act concerning appropriations. House Bill 5912, offered by Representative Nichols, a Bill for an Act concerning education. First Reading of these House Bills. There being no further business, the House Perfunctory Session will stand adjourned." 10300118.docx 16