Illinois House Floor Debate — November 21, 2024

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please let the record reflect that Representatives Cabello, Stephens, and Hauter are excused for today."

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege, please."

"We have a special guest on the floor with us this morning. Her name is Gail Dunkel. Gail, if you'll stand up, please. And I met her when I was elected in '16, sworn in, in '17 on the second floor. I found out real quick where the bathroom was and didn't know much else, but I figured out real quick that in the mailroom was a lady that could help me. And I found out that she knew a lot of stuff, knew a lot of people. And so, she helped me from that day forward to kind of figure out what in the world was going on here in Springfield. And I also found out she's a phenomenal cook, and she also has orange slices. She has a glass jar of orange slices, which one of my favorite things. That’s why I can't fit into my suits now is because of her orange slices. But we want to honor her today. As you know, this is the last day of Veto Session and this is going… shortly one of the last days she's going to be us here, as far as working for the State of Illinois in the mailroom. So, I want to present to her and read this certificate, and then we're going to have a little fun with her. So, it says: State of Illinois, 103rd General Assembly, House of Representatives acknowledges Gail Dunkel in recognition of over 28 years of service to the State of 10300121.docx 4  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 121st Legislative Day 11/21/2024 Illinois and joins in the commemoration of the effort, dedication, and hard work, most of the time, that led to success. I entered… I added that. And further expresses its best wishes for personal happiness and professional achievement. Offered by, Representative Dave Severin, signed by Representative Dave Severin; and also, Emanuel 'Chris' Welch, signed by him; and also by the infamous John Hollman, and signed by him also. So, again, we want to present this to you. And also, if… those of you that know me, got to have a little fun, got to have a T-shirt. So, you're going to be the first person that I've ever presented a T-shirt to on the House Floor, and this is what it says, 'I can't believe I worked for the State of Illinois for over 25 years and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.' Gail, thank you for your time and your service, and thank you for your kindness, and thank you for your awesome abilities in the cooking. So, we appreciate it very much, and thanks for letting me have a little bit of fun with you. Appreciate you very much. Have a great Thanksgiving, and enjoy your retirement. Thank you."

"Mr.… thank you, Mr. Speaker. A point of personal privilege, please."

"Thank you. Ladies and Gentlemen of the General Assembly, as we conclude the final week of Veto Session, there is a palpable sense of anticipation in the air, almost akin to excitement being felt by a child awaiting Christmas morning. However, instead of a festive cheer, what we are truly anticipating is the looming lame duck Session scheduled 10300121.docx 5  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 121st Legislative Day 11/21/2024 for the first week of January. For those less familiar with the term, lame duck Session occurs when retiring Legislators or those not reelected return to Springfield for one final period of legislative activity. During this time, Legislators are no longer accountable to their constituents, raising concerns about their accountability and an integrity to the decisions made. The lame duck Session has historically been one of the most risky and concerning periods for the residents of our great state. But why is that the case? Well, there's lots of evidence to that point. In January 2021, the SAFE-T Act was rushed through the Senate in the wee hours of the morning, on to the House, and then was signed by the Governor. This legislation has since become one of the most contentious and litigated Bills to emerge from our General Assembly. It required multiple subsequent Bills to address its flaws, resulting in more Amendments than the original texted itself, not to mention the numerous lawsuits challenging its constitutionality. Fast forward to January of 2023, we saw the introduction of Protect Illinois Communities Act. Similar to the SAFE-T Act, PICA was pushed through quickly, deemed unconstitutional by many, yet still signed into law, and just recently, was struck down by a federal judge. This pattern leaves law-abiding taxpayers to defend their civil rights in court against their own state, bearing the financial and emotional burdens of these legislative oversights. The lame duck Session is fertile ground for rushed and ill-considered legislation. The examples of SAFE-T Act and PICA demonstrate how critical policies can be compromised when accountability is diminished. Beyond rushed policies, there are significant 10300121.docx 6  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 121st Legislative Day 11/21/2024 concerns about the constitutionality of these laws passed during these Sessions. These laws not only face legal challenges, but also undermine the very principles that are meant to uphold. We have seen such legislation that attacks fundamental rights, such as free speech, during regular Sessions under the guise of protecting the most venerable among us, but lame duck is always worse. Governor Pritzker has repeatedly claimed to have balanced budgets and created a Rainy Day Fund. However, the reality tells a different story. Illinois, once again, is facing multi-billion-dollar deficits. The financial strain is largely due to continued pandemic-era spending. However, the difference now is there's no federal bailout money coming with it. The projected $23 billion increase in the state's budget by 2030 is unsustainable and places an undue burden on taxpayers without cuts. Furthermore, the out-migration of Illinois citizens is a clear indicator that these policies are driving residents away, rather than fostering a thriving community. Governor Pritzker, it's time to acknowledge the realities facing Illinois. Our state is losing more citizens than ever before, and your policies are a significant contributing factor. To this Body, let's not make any worse decisions during lame duck Session by ramming through more policies that will drive people out of Illinois. We must restore common sense to our state's governance. In closing, the upcoming lame duck Session presents another dangerous opportunity for misguided legislation that could further jeopardize our state's future. Let's not continue repeating the vicious cycle of radical, unconstitutional legislation passed during lame duck. Let's 10300121.docx 7  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 121st Legislative Day 11/21/2024 stand united in advocating for responsible governance, accountability, and the preservation of our constitutional rights. Together, we can return Illinois to a place of prosperity and opportunity for all citizens. Thank you."

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."

"Thank you. I'd like to take a moment to give a shoutout to the Henry County-Stark County Health Department. The counties came together and conducted screening and testing for Lyme disease and other vector-borne diseases. They did this most times of screenings for these two diseases, there's… for Lyme diseases and other vector-borne diseases. The testing's only done when there's systemic reasons for testing, but the health department took it upon themselves to say we want to help the residents of our counties. There were 21 individuals tested over a two-and-a-half-week period. During that two-and-a-half-week period, I was one of those members tested. The results of my test provided a… a great explanation as to what disease I brought home with me from Iraq. Having been treated by many medical doctors and many medical professionals, my condition was undiagnosed. I was basically given a sleeping pill to put me to sleep at night because of what I had. I now know that I have Bartonella, which is caused by the sand flea. And, gosh, there's a lot of sand fleas in Iraq. With my case, it also came back with a twist of Lyme disease. So, I'm going to begin a protocol of some medications to help… help with what I have. And I'm so grateful to the Henry County-Stark County Health Department 10300121.docx 8  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 121st Legislative Day 11/21/2024 for being bold and doing this testing and screening. I would encourage you to work with your county health departments to do something similar. When we look at over 40 percent of Lyme… of ticks tested in Illinois, they carry Lyme disease, and many carry other vector-borne diseases. So, I just wanted to give a shoutout, and I appreciate the opportunity to do that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you."

"Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker."

"Thank you. I… I don't mean my comments in any way to take away from the tragedy that my peer just shared with the… the dearly departed doctor from Vernon Hills. But just as President-elect Trump has indicated that there are 1.3 million deportation orders that have already been made for residents that are still here, I'd like to point out that there are also low-hanging fruit when it comes to revoked FOID cards. Just this year, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart indicated that there are 27 thousand revoked FOID cards in Cook County alone, where those households more than likely still possess firearms. And we have done nothing to address that. What we do instead is we go after law-abiding gun owners who are just minding their own business and doing nothing nefarious. And, again, I don't mean to take away from the tragedy, but let's do as President-elect Trump has suggested and pursue the low-hanging fruit of those that shouldn't have it already, and let's eradicate some of those burdens from possible domestic violence situations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker." 10300121.docx 9  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 121st Legislative Day 11/21/2024

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."

"Yes. I have a Resolution that's making its way through the system for Master Sergeant Jennifer Smit. And I just want to take this time to honor her. So, she is the recipient of the Rotary Club Vocational Service Person of the Year. So, this award is presented to a local individual who best exemplifies the ideals of Rotary and practices the high 10300121.docx 10  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 121st Legislative Day 11/21/2024 ethical standards in their chosen vocation. Jennifer has been involved in the law enforcement since 2014 when she accepted the call to serve the citizens of Danville as a police officer. Before this, she served as a seventh-grade science teacher for nearly three years at Danville's North Ridge Middle School with her master's degree being in education. Jennifer was an award-winning student-athlete and academic honors recipient while at Kankakee's Bishop McNamara High and DePaul University. She excelled in the police academy and sought after her assignment as a patrol officer. Jennifer served three years as an officer for Danville when she was then transferred to the State Police as a trooper. In less than five years, she was promoted to sergeant and then to master sergeant in 2024. She was heavily endorsed by her supervisor, Illinois State Police Master Sergeant Kenneth Massey, who saw her achievements as an officer and sergeant worthy of recognition. So, Jennifer also volunteers her free time. She assists the Danville Area Community College Foundation with scholarships and supports the Women's Survival Resource Center in the annual event Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. So, Jennifer continues to put a human face in law enforcement and shows compassion to everyone that she interacts with. I ask that we all acknowledge her positive impact on our community for whom she serves. So, Master Sergeant Jennifer Smit, it is my honor and privilege, as well as those of my fellow Members of the House of Representatives, to congratulate you on your well-earned Rotary Vocational Service Person of the Year. Thank you."

"Personal… point of personal privilege, please, Mr. Speaker."

"While we're all waiting here on the floor patiently, I thought I'd take an opportunity to wish my wife at home a happy… let's just say happy birthday, as she's taking care of the family and the farm here on this cold November day. So, join me in wishing my wife, Tasha, a happy birthday."

"Point of personal privilege."

"I would like to say a heartfelt thank you and wish my legislative aide, Karla Dirks, all the best in her retirement. Karla's been on staff for, I'll just leave it at decades, and she has been an incredible blessing to me in the time that she has been my legislative assistant. And I know that she'll still be around whenever she can. She has great friends in this complex. And I wish her all the best."

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Under House Rule 52, all legislative measures are debatable subject to a specific debate status. In addition, I request that the vote on the Resolution be a recorded vote. Under House Rule 49, any vote shall be by record vote whenever five Representatives shall so request or whenever the Presiding Officer shall so order. We are not adjourning this Body sine die, which I believe is the appropriate measure that should be taken today. Instead, we're leaving open the possibility of a lame duck Session. Lame duck Session should be limited to true emergencies. We have had an election. The newly elected 104th General Assembly should be taking up any new legislation that is not an emergency. I request a 'no' vote on this Resolution and instead we adjourn the 103rd General Assembly sine die."