"The House will be in order. Members will be in the chairs. We shall be led in prayer today by Representative Grasse. Members and guests are asked to refrain from starting their laptops, turn off all cell phones, and rise for the invocation and the… and the Pledge of Allegiance."
"As we gather together in this very spot, I would like to pause to first take note that on this very day in 1886, they first broke ground to build this building. We are all truly active participants in this grand history together for our state. So, together, let us remember we hold power not for ourselves, but as stewards of those who have little or who have none. The measure of a just society is not its wealth or strength but how we treat our most vulnerable, our sick, our children, our poor, our elderly, our stranger, our imprisoned. As we stand in a season of sacred reflection, whether some of us are observing Lent, Ramadan, preparing for Passover, or simply guided by our shared values of justice and humanity, we are reminded of the call to care for one another with mercy and with love. When our sick senior citizens cry out, will they find healing or be turned away? When our children hunger, will they be fed or forgotten? When our poor neighbors struggle, will we lift them up or leave them behind? When strangers seek refuge, will we welcome them or cast them aside? And when our imprisoned seek mercy, will we restore them or condemn them forever? The true test of our leadership is not in how we serve the wealthy and the powerful but in how we serve the least among us. And that includes using our tax dollars responsibly, not for the benefit of a 10400017.docx 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 few, but for the common good of all of us. What we do here for our most venerable, what we do for all of us, we do for the soul of this nation and the good of our state and our communities. So, let us choose fiscal responsibility combined with justice and combined with compassion, and let us lead with love for all our neighbors and for our common good. Let it be so."
"We will be led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Representative Ortíz." Ortíz - et al: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
"Roll Call for Attendance. Leader Gabel is recognized to report any excused absences on the Democratic side of the aisle."
"Speaker, let the record show that Representatives Moylan and Guerrero-Cuellar are excused today."
"Leader Keicher is recognized to report any excused absences on the Republican side of the aisle."
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Please let the record reflect that Leader Hammond is excused for today."
"Have all recorded who wish? Have all recorded who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. There being 117… 116 Members answering the call, a quorum is present. Representative Stuart, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege."
"Please proceed." 10400017.docx 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025
"Thank you. And, Madam Speaker, I really appreciate… this is a really big announcement. I would appreciate the attention of the entire body. So, for the information of the people in the chamber, down in Edwardsville, we're going to be going dancing. I'm not… I'm not talking about, you know, like Kendrick and Serena at the Super Bowl halftime. It's not your high school square dancing that you had to learn in class, not even talking about the 'Macarena' from the '90s, or whenever that was. I'm talking about the big dance. They are going… SIU Edwardsville is going to the NCAA tournament for the first time ever in history. As the underdogs, they beat SEMO on Saturday, and I want to share a little bit about this amazing team that we've had this year. For this season, they broke the school record for wins, with winning 22 games. It's their first conference tournament championship win ever. It's the first NCAA March Madness appearance ever. I have to give a big note of congratulations to Coach Brian Barone in his sixth year. He has had vision and determination, and every player has only the best things to say about the amazing Coach Barone. I also want to thank our close-to-home local, Ray'Sean Taylor, from Collinsville. Ray'Sean was a star at Collinsville High School. Had opportunities to go other places, but wanted to stay local. Played for SIUE, had opportunities to go through the portal, but he stayed. This is his last year of eligibility, and he is an amazing player and just about the most humble guy you could imagine. But he's our all-time leading scorer with 1,952 points. He was also named the OVC Player of the Year, the OVC tournament MVP. There's also representation from all over the state. 10400017.docx 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 There are six players from Illinois: Ray'Sean from Collinsville; Kyle Thomas from Bolingbrook; Jordan Pickett from Belleville; Arnas Sakenis from Tinley Park, I think he's the one that's over 7 feet tall; Declan Dillon from Peoria, Illinois; and Darrion Barker (sic-Baker) from Chicago, Illinois. I also want to thank the dedicated student section, the Red Storm, that were there at every game cheering these guys on and doing their best, everybody in the community that’s gotten behind the big Saturday games, filled up Eddieville and cheered on the Cougars. So, I want to say Roll Cougs, and let's… let's bust some brackets. Roll Cougs."
"Representative Slaughter, for what reason do you rise?"
"Point of personal privilege, Madam Speaker."
"Please proceed."
"Great to see you up there, Madam Speaker, and… and thank you. Just a point of personal privilege. I'd like to call to your attention a post by, and I guess we'll call him our… our president, President Donald Trump's biggest donor, top advisor, and effectively co-president, Elon Musk, in which he called for the pardon of Derek Chauvin. As you all recall, Chauvin pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from the 2020 murder of George Floyd. At this time, Republicans and Democrats alike condemned Chauvin's brutality. Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for over nine minutes, which Floyd was handcuffed and laying on the ground. Floyd's plea of 'I can't breathe' went unheeded. But today, but today, the most powerful men in the federal government wants to look the other way and pardon Chauvin. 10400017.docx 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 So, today, I want to be very clear: Expecting a killer to be held accountable for a man's death is not woke politics. It's a matter of right and wrong. And I feel that everyone in this body should be able to say that. Because here's the truth: Everyone here, whether you represent the South Side of Chicago or East St. Louis, whether you represent Danville or DuPage County, you represent people who saw what happened to George Floyd, and they saw for themselves. They saw their children, they saw their friends, and they will see what you do now. This is no time to be silent. This is no time to walk off the floor and refuse to face these tough times. We need to speak out. Thank you, Madam Speaker."
"Representative Rashid, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege."
"Please proceed."
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Ladies and gentlemen, I rise today to bring attention to some troubling developments that happened over… over the weekend that should concern any of us who care about free speech, who care about civil liberties, who care about justice. Mahmoud Khalil is a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University in New York. He was followed into his home by ICE agents and detained. They told him that his student visa was being revoked. He and his wife told them he actually has a green card. He's a legal permanent legal resident. They said, 'Well, that's being revoked too.' Let's talk about why they're targeting Mahmoud Khalil. Mahmoud dared to use his voice, to use his constitutionally protected right to free speech to speak up for Palestinian 10400017.docx 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 human rights, and he was targeted. And Donald Trump's administration is trying to weaponize his immigration status against him to silence him. That should be concerning to all of us. This is chilling because if they can do this to Mahmoud, they can do this to any of us. It's not only him. It's not only Palestinians. This is a slippery slope toward… already a path toward authoritarianism that Donald Trump is going down. And it's really important to talk about what Mahmoud was protesting. Mahmoud was speaking up against Israel's atrocities in Gaza, against the genocide in Gaza. He was speaking up against atrocities like the brutal, heartbreaking murder of Hind Rajab. Hind is a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was in a car with her cousins, her uncle, her aunt when an Israeli tank riddled their car with over 330 bullets. Three hundred and thirty bullets, killing every single one of them except for Hind. She was the sole survivor. She was on the phone with first responders begging them to save her. She… she told them, 'Please don't get off the phone with me. Stay on the phone with me until someone gets here.' She kept repeating that. Her last recorded words were, 'Come get me.' And two paramedics did arrive to rescue her, and the Israeli military killed them too. That's what Mahmoud was protesting. And if you are horrified, if you're angry that Donald Trump would try to silence him and use this kind of authoritarian tactics against him, then I invite you to also look inward. Because right here in Illinois, we have a politically repressive law on our books that also tries to silence advocacy for human rights. We have a law that was championed by former Governor Bruce Rauner and his 10400017.docx 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 administration that silences advocacy for Palestinian human rights. The deliberations of this chamber are going to be in the records for as long as records are kept. People in the future… future generations will be reading these transcripts and asking us where we stood in a moment like this. And so, I invite every single one of us, here and across the rail in the Senate, to join me, to join me in standing up for Mahmoud, to speaking up against Donald Trump's authoritarian tactics, and to join me in getting our own House in order in putting Illinois on the right side of history. Thank you."
"Representative Cassidy, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege."
"Please proceed."
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. For months, we have listened as a small fraction of our body has spent an enormous amount of time on an issue that clearly is top of mind to them. Rather than focusing time, energy, and attention on ensuring that we can still provide care for constituents losing access to services because Elon Musk and his crew of unelected tech bros lacking security clearances are decimating services, or helping farmers find a way to keep their farms while their fearless leader engages in a trade war that will destroy our agriculture sector, some of our colleagues have chosen to spend our time spewing false information about trans youth. Truth isn't even their goal. The examples they used just last week have been thoroughly debunked. The so-called career- ending injury that one of our colleagues referenced didn't stop that athlete from competing in the state championship, 10400017.docx 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 and the athlete she collided with was not trans. Similarly, the family cited in the speech in D.C. last week, who now claim their daughter's school allowed them… her to transition against their will, left an extensive email trail encouraging the school to allow their daughter to use her chosen name. I spent a fair bit of time this weekend thinking about all of this, including my reactions to their harmful diatribes. When this all first started, I was proud of how our entire chamber just seemed to tune out the sideshow, up to and including making goofy faces on camera behind each other. But then I started hearing from people who heard the hate being livestreamed from our chamber and realized that our constituents need to know that someone has their back. I got pretty passionate last week, I'll admit, and, quite frankly, I am always going to put myself between a bully and a kid. I'm just hardwired to be a momma bear. But then I watched a debate on the floor of the Montana House, Montana people, that happened at right about the same time as our exchange. Representative Zooey Zephyr, the only openly trans member of that body, stood and calmly shared her opposition to a bill that would ban drag performances in Montana. She talked about having to explain the things people say on their floor to her young son. To my utter delight, her Republican colleague, Sherry Essmann, got up to talk about how much time had already been wasted on these issues, that as a Republican… I hope y'all are listening over there, because as a Republican, she believed in staying out of people's personal lives and decisions and implored her colleagues… implored her colleagues to join her in voting down the bill and moving on 10400017.docx 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 to the issues that they really need to tackle. Ten Republicans joined Representative Zephyr in rejecting the politics of hate and hyperbole. Nationally, 733 anti-trans bills have been introduced across the country, including 20 here in Illinois. To the folks at home who see those bills introduced and worry what that means, that we're heading down a bad road, know that those bills will never become law in Illinois as long as I have breath in my body. But the very introduction of the bills and the streaming of lies and attacks on a community's very existence does real and measurable harm. I shared the statistics about the mental health impacts of transphobic laws and rhetoric last week, so I'm not going to bore you with those again. As I spent time this weekend thinking about the situation we found ourselves in, I'm not enjoying the pingpong match either. I just kept coming back to being puzzled by why this handful of colleagues can't stop thinking about trans kids. And, frankly, all I can come up with is that they have a creepy obsession with children's genitals. It's just plain creepy. Y'all need to get a better hobby. I invite my colleagues who think we've got better things to do, and I invite my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who think we've got better things to do, to join me in asking our colleagues to get serious about the work ahead of us. Stand now and join me in asking to focus on the needs of our actual communities and our actual constituents rather than continuing to demonize children who represent a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the population. According to the Illinois High School Sports Association, the three trans students who competed last year represent, work with me here, 10400017.docx 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 .000009375% of the athletes competing in our state. There may be fewer than a handful of trans kids playing sports in our state, but stand with me and demand that we work on behalf of the 3.9 million people on Medicaid wondering how they're going to live through this. Stand with me and demand that we focus on the 600,000 people who depend on the now gutted veterans administration for their care and wonder how what we are going to do to ensure that we keep our promise to our veterans. Stand with me to… to talk to the small businesses looking to us to help them navigate and survive the uncertainty ahead. Please, all of you, let's get to the work our constituents sent us here to do and leave the kids alone once and for all."
"Representative Severin, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Point of personal privilege, please."
"Please proceed."
"I have some visitors up in the gallery that I'd like for them stand at this time. They… they've driven three hours to come and be with us this afternoon. They're families from the Gateway Hemophilia Association, and they're in the Capitol today for their Illinois Advocacy Day to share their stories and raise awareness about their bleeding disorders during Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month. So, I'd like to give a shoutout to Quentin and Jackson, a couple young men that are from my district and they're here today. First time in the Capitol. And so, it's an important issue, and I appreciate them coming this… traveling three hours to be here today. So, again, I appreciate them being here. We'd like to 10400017.docx 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 give a warm welcome to these people here in the gallery. Thank you very much for being here."
"Welcome to Springfield. Representative Johnson, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege, Madam Speaker."
"Please proceed."
"I would like to wish a happy birthday to Samantha White, the director of government relations for ISBE. First had the pleasure of meeting Sam back in 2018 when she was working on the JB Pritzker campaign. Now that she's moved onto ISBE, I've had the honor of working with her on legislation that creates a pathway to put more school social workers into our schools for our kids. We were able to get that done on this side. Were not able to get done on the other side. I know she is still working diligently on the other side to get that done. So, happy birthday, Sam, and keep up the great work. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Speaker."
"Representative Halbrook, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. A point of personal privilege, please."
"Please proceed."
"Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, today I rise about a dangerous experiment that is being forced upon the people of Illinois, one that threatens our economy, our jobs, and even the reliability of our electrical grid. It's called the net zero industrial complex, and it's putting ideology ahead of reality. We've been told that eliminating fossil fuels and mandating wind and solar will lead us to 10400017.docx 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 cleaner, greener future. But what has actually happened, what has it actually given us? It's given us higher energy bills, job losses, and a grid teetering on the edge of collapse. Let's take a moment and look at the facts. Illinois has long benefited from affordable, reliable energy thanks to coal, natural gas, and nuclear power. But under radical green mandates, we're shutting down power plants that work before we have a plan to replace them. Our reliance on intermittent wind and solar is growing, but when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow, Illinois families and businesses are left paying the price. Just look at your electrical bill. Rates have doubled or tripled or more in some parts of the state, and it's only going to get worse. Meanwhile, billions of taxpayer-funded subsidies are flowing into the political connected green energy companies while workers in the coal and natural gas industries are being left behind. And let's not forget, while Illinois shuts down its power plants, other states and countries continue to burn coal and drill for oil. China is building hundreds of new coal plants while we destroy our own energy security. My question is, who benefits? Not the people of Illinois. It's the special interest and the global elites who push these mandates while profiting off… off of taxpayer handouts. We need a better path forward, one that enhances an all of the above energy strategy. Illinois should be leading with common sense, not following the radical agenda of those who never, ever will have to worry about whether they'll be able to afford their next utility bill. It's time to put families and businesses first, not the net zero industrial complex. I urge my colleagues to stand up for 10400017.docx 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 energy independence, stand up for affordability, and stand up for the hardworking people of Illinois. And with that, Madam Speaker, thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time to other commonsense speakers. Thank you."
"Representative Chung, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Good to see you up there. Point of personal privilege, please."
"Please proceed."
"Great. Thank you so much. I just wanted to introduce my pages for the day. I have three pages. Why don't you all stand up? They're juniors at Normal Community West High School. Go Wildcats. Go Wildcats. Here we have Hannah Kerman. Oh, actually, first, I met them all with… when I went to visit their school. They were all co-presidents of Asian American heritage club, and they gave me a really great welcome and tour of their school. And so, I decided to return the favor by inviting them here today. So, we have Hannah Kerman. She's on Model UN, speech team, a whole bunch of honor societies, and then she's looking to go into poli… political science and biomedical engineering. And then we also have Ayushi Patel, who's also on honor society. She's a board member of the student council, Model UN, Spanish club. She also plays tennis and is looking to go into business administration. And then we also have Shanich Stauch, also part of Model UN, French honor society, Black Student Union, does cross country and track, and also is looking to go into medicine. So, let's give them all a round… a big welcome here today. Thank you." 10400017.docx 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025
"Representative Yang Rohr, what… for what reason do you seek recognition?"
Yang Rohr: "Thank you, Madam Chair. A point of personal privilege."
"Please proceed."
"Thank you. Colleagues of the General Assembly, I just wanted to… to introduce to you all Eva Duvall. Eva's from Evanston, Illinois. She graduated early from North Park University this December with at BA in psychology and a minor in Swedish. She's here because she's interested in a career in public service and is so excited to learn from all the work that is happening here today in our building. She currently loves to teach and to perform circus arts in The Actors Gymnasium in Evanston. And she assists with the operations of Eighth Blackbird, a contemporary music ensemble based in Chicago. Everyone, please welcome my page for the day, Eva."
"Representative Reick, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege, ma'am."
"Please proceed."
"Thank you. With the body's indulgence, I would like to move the conversation away from things dealing with national issues and all those kinds of things and take it a little closer to what we're going to be dealing with for the next couple of months. It came to my attention this weekend, one of my staffers called me about a line item that is in this year's budget, the governor's proposed budget. It's not a big item, and, frankly speaking, it's probably change you would 10400017.docx 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 find in the couch compared to everything else that goes on in the budget. However, in his budget, he allocated $78 million to increase the state's contribution of the pension plan by $78 million to address the issue of the Social Security wage base here in Illinois and our possible… the fact that we're possibly going to be out of compliance with that, which is going to cost a… a bloody fortune. My staffer started looking around. Where did that number come from? And he called me and he said, 'You know where that number came from? The number came from a report that was issued by Segal for COGFA back in November on House Bill 5909, which was a pension bill that we considered last year until we realized that we couldn't afford it.' And he went leafing through and found that $78 million what was… what was allocated, or suggested, in the Segal report as the cost of compliance with the Social Security wage base in this current upcoming budget year, $78 million. So, the governor took that number, slapped it in his budget, and made that this year's amount that is going to increase the pension contribution in order to satisfy the Social Security wage base. However, here's the rest of the story. The rest of the story is the fact that the Segal report only covers three pension plans. It covers Teachers', State Employees, and State University Retirement System. It doesn't cover judges. It doesn't cover the General Assembly pension plan, nor does it cover the Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund, which also we are on the hook for making these types of contributions for. Also, there are 12 other pension plans throughout Illinois which are affected by this very same issue. So, somewhere along the line, the governor thinks that 10400017.docx 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 $78 million that he plucked out of a report, without reading what the report actually was about, is the amount that's going to fix the Social Security wage base problem. Unfortunately, the governor didn't read the next page of the analysis. And, again, this is only on the… for the purposes of the three plans that were part of… of the thing. Tier 2 salary cap to Social Security wage base state contributions through Fiscal Year 2045, 6.12 billion, with a 'B', dollars. Seventy-eight million is going to cover this year's Social Security wage base amounts for the three plans that are in the analysis. We're probably going to have to double that when we look at the other plans that we're on the hook for, and not to mention the fact that somebody's got to pay for the Social Security wage base adjustment out of those other 12 plans. And who's going to be responsible for that money? The taxpayers of Illinois. I say this in order to make a point. There are two working groups that have been… there's has been a working group that's been established by the Speaker on pensions. There's not one Republican in that working group. Not one. So, the other side of the aisle is going to take faulty information, figure out that what we're going to do about this, and then lay it on us, and we're going to ultimately find out that we can't afford that either. I think in the interest of let's fix this problem, which is the biggest problem that confronts the State of Illinois 'cause that money doesn't go to the kinds of things that everybody wants to do for the rest of the taxpayers of this state, I urge the Speaker to allow this working group to include Members of our side of the aisle who actually have honest-to-God pension 10400017.docx 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 reform proposals that we're willing to talk about that are never discussed on the other side. Not to mention the fact that we're in budget talks. There's a budget working group, the appropriation committees and stuff like that. I would urge the chairman or the chief budgeteer on the other side of the aisle to include Republicans in the discussion on this budget because there are things in this budget… if this is one of the examples of what we're doing with the budget, what else is out there that hasn't had enough attention paid to it so that we can actually understand how much this state is going to spend in the upcoming year? I think that it's time for us to be brought into the conversation because, believe it or not, folks, we've got some pretty damn good ideas. Thank you."
"Representative Deering, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Madam Chair. Point of personal privilege."
"Please proceed."
"So, I just felt like, you know, it was necessary to make a comment as a reaction to a… a colleague from the other side of aisle. I, in fact, as a sponsor of one of those 20 bills here in Illinois that is protecting women and girls in sports. This is a bipartisan issue. I have two daughters that are competing in sports, and I know that millions of girls across Illinois are looking for someone to have their back. Who is going to have the back of the 99.999% of girls who are looking for fairness and safety when they step on the field or go and compete? Just earlier this year in January, the New York Times, not exactly a conservative news outlet, conducted 10400017.docx 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 a poll and, in fact, 67% of Democrats support biological girls competing in girls' sports, biological boys competing in boys' sports. So, I, too, echo the passion of leaving our kids alone. And I want my constituents to know, and women and girls all over the State of Illinois, that I have their back. Thank you."
"Representative Ryan, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"A point of personal privilege. Thank you, Madam Speaker, fellow Members of the General Assembly. I just want to congratulate Coach Stamas and the Brother Rice Crusaders for their victory last night in the Pontiac Super-Sectional. Brother Rice basketball team, for the first time in its history, has now advanced to the state semifinals. And I'd like to congratulate them and also congratulate Representative Kelly's Saint Pat's Shamrocks, who will be our opponent in the semifinals. Good luck to your Shamrocks, Representative. Thank you."
"Representative Cabello, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege, Madam Speaker."
"Please proceed."
"Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, today I rise in honor of Women's History Month to recognize the extraordinary Illinois native, Jane Addams. Born in Cedarville, she was a pioneer for the community and a champion for the underserved. Her work at the Hull-House in Chicago transformed communities and laid the foundation for reform across the nation. It also earned her the distinction of being the first woman to receive 10400017.docx 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 the Nobel Peace Prize. Jane Addams left a legacy of compassion, service, and advocacy that continues to inspire us today. Please join me in remembering her contributions and strive to follow her example of leadership and dedication to others. Thank you."
"Representative Avelar, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege, Madam Speaker."
"Please proceed."
"Thank you. Today, I… I rise today to commemorate Women's History Month and honor the contributions of Dr. Ellen Ochoa, who, in 1993, became the first Latina woman to go to space on the Discovery mission. Born in LA, Ochoa earned a BA in physics from San Diego State University, a master's in science and a PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford University before joining the NASA Ames Research Center, where she completed groundbreaking research into space exploration in… in computational systems for aerospace missions. Soon this work led her to join the astronaut program, where she eventually logged close to a thousand hours in space over the course of four space flights. Despite many obstacles standing in front of her simply due to her status as a woman of color, Ochoa persevered to break barriers and advance the cause of space exploration for all of mankind. Thank you."
"The Chair recognizes Leader Windhorst for the purpose of an announcement."
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Republicans will caucus upon adjournment in Room 118." 10400017.docx 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025
"The Republicans will be caucusing in Room 118. The Democrats will not caucus. Representative Costa Howard, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Lovely to have you there in the Chair on women's… during Women's History Month especially. A point of personal privilege, please."
"Please… thank you, and please proceed."
"I would like to draw the body's attention to my roommate, Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz's birthday today. Let's give her a round of applause and a happy birthday."
"Mr. Clerk, committee announcements."
"The following committees will meet at 2 p.m. today: Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education in Room 118; Adoption & Child Welfare in Room 122; Agriculture & Conservation in Room 115; Ethics & Elections in Room D-1; Insurance in Room C-1; Public Utilities in Room 114; and Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges in Room 413. The following committees will meet at 4 p.m. today: Cities & Villages in Room C-1, Consumer Protection in Room 115, Energy & Environment in Room 114, Financial Institutions & Licensing in Room 122B, Judiciary – Criminal in Room D-1, Veterans' Affairs in Room 413, Revenue & Finance in Room 118. And one committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. today: Health Care Availability & Accessibility will meet in Room 122B."
"Representative Canty, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege."
"Please proceed." 10400017.docx 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. And I would just like to take a moment for us to recognize the gloriousness of Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth, our former budgeteer, one of the masters of this chamber. Thank you so much for what you do, and congratulations."
"Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions."
"Agreed Resolutions. House Resolution 179, offered by Representative Walsh. And House Resolution 180, offered by Representative Katz Muhl."
"Leader Gabel moves for the adoption of the Agreed Resolutions. All those in favor say 'aye'; all of those opposed say 'nay.' 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 the House stand adjourned until Wednesday, March 12, at the hour of noon. All those in favor say 'aye'; all of those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The House stands adjourned."
"House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Introduction and First Reading of House Bills. House Bill 4017, offered by Representative Tarver, a Bill for an Act concerning education. House Bill 4018, offered by Representative Weber, a Bill for an Act concerning elections. House Bill 4019, offered by Representative Didech, a Bill for an Act concerning government. First Reading of these House Bills. Introduction of Resolutions. House Resolution 173, offered by Representative La Ha; House Resolution 174, offered by Representative Grasse; House Resolution 175, offered by Representative Blair-Sherlock; House Resolution 10400017.docx 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 17th Legislative Day 3/11/2025 176, offered by Representative Norma Hernandez; House Resolution 177, offered by Representative Deering; House Resolution 178, offered by Representative Haas; and House Resolution 181, offered by Representative Harper, are referred to the Rules Committee. There being no further business, the House Perfunctory Session will stand adjourned." 10400017.docx 22