"House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Introduction of Resolutions. House Resolution 543, offered by Representative Moeller, is referred to the Rules Committee."
"The House will be in order. Members will be in their chairs. We shall be led in prayer today by Pastor Leon Miller. Pastor Miller is… is with Mount Ebenezer Baptist Church and the… and in Chicago, Illinois. Pastor Miller is the guest speaker… guest of Speaker Welch. Members and guests are asked to refrain from starting their laptops, turn off all cell phones, and rise for the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. Pastor Miller."
"Our Lord and our God, we come at this moment just so we thank you. We praise you for allowing us to assemble here again. And, Father, in the name of Jesus, as the mens and womens are working on the behalf of their parishioner, we ask that unity work and prevail today and we pray to God that thing will be well at the end of the day, that when they leave here that their parishioners will be happy. We ask you, Father, to look at the Speaker of the House and continue to let him lead and guide this session, and we ask you to continue to lead and guide us and give a good day today. And then everyone will go down from this place rejoicing in unison working together. Look at this whole Capitol Building. Many things are going on. But we ask you, Father, to look at the thing that needed and necessary that we can come out victorious at the end of the day. In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, we do now pray. Amen."
"We will be led in pledge… the Pledge of Allegiance today by Representative Bunting." 10400061.docx 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"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 West: "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 Mason and Moylan are excused today."
"Leader Keicher is recognized to report any excused absences on the Republican side of the aisle."
"Thank you, Speaker. If you could please excuse Representative Stephens and Meiers (sic-Meier)."
"Have all recorded themselves who wish? Clerk, please take the record. There being 114 Members answering the roll call, a quorum is present. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report."
"Rules Report. Representative Gabel, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports following committee action taken on October 30, 2025: recommends be adopted, referred to the floor is Floor Amendment(s) 3 to Senate Bill 90; recommends be adopted, referred to the Order of Resolutions is House Resolution 543; and recommends be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 1836 and Senate Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 3492."
"Representative Deering, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"State your point." 10400061.docx 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Today I'd like to welcome, from my hometown of Decatur, up in the gallery, participants in this year's class of the Decatur Leadership Institute. It is hosted by the Greater Regional Chamber of Commerce in Decatur. And as a proud graduate myself, I want to recognize the participants in many early mornings for several weeks, where they are visiting industry in Decatur and meeting with key stakeholders to learn about how they can best impact the success of our great hometown. So, let's give them a warm Springfield welcome here to their Capitol."
"Welcome to your House. Representative Bunting, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege, please."
"State your point."
"Ladies and gentlemen of the House, I would like to introduce to you my rock star of a page for the day, Ameliah Sancken, daughter of Jeremy and Charisse Sancken of Dwight. Ameliah is a fourth grade student at St. Paul School in Odell. She loves to sing, perform, and read. Her grandmother even told me she is taking singing lessons. So, I'm hoping when we get back to the office, my wife, Tasha, and I can get a private concert. Her mom says she enjoys coffee, Nutrela, and her Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Lucy. Fourth grade Ameliah wants to be a psychologist when she grows up, hopefully in the state of Illinois. Tomorrow, on Halloween, she is going to dress up as a grape, but it is also going to be her 10th birthday. So, please give a warm House of Representative welcome to Ameliah Sancken. Thank you." 10400061.docx 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Welcome to your House, Ameliah. Representative Wilhour, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege, please."
"State your point."
"Thank you, I appreciate it. Today I am honored to welcome recently retired Litchfield Police Chief Kenny Ryker and his family to our Capitol. After an extraordinary career of over 23 dedicated years of service to Litchfield and the citizens of Illinois, Kenny retired earlier this month and has moved on now to a new position with Memorial Health hospital system. Chief Ryker began his journey in law enforcement as a Saluki patrolman while attending Southern Illinois University. After graduating from the Police Training Institute in Champaign in 2001, he served as a patrolman for the Litchfield Police Department before serving as an investigator with the South Central Illinois Drug Task Force. As a member of the task force, Chief Ryker and his team conducted many dangerous operations, resulting in the arrest of countless drug dealers and the seizures of unmeasurable amounts of drugs off of our streets. Chief Ryker later returned to patrol, where he spent years as the patrol sergeant protecting his community through the night hours. Later, his leadership and professionalism earned him a promotion to lieutenant, where he continued to excel before ultimately becoming entrusted with the role as chief of police. Kenny Ryker is a second generation and a third… is the second generation in a third-generation law enforcement family, and he's the son of retired Clay County sheriff and 10400061.docx 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 former Training and Standard Boards investigator Lee Ryker, who is also with us today here. And in today's world, leading a police department means… means a lot. Oftentimes, a lot of the public policy that passes out of this building, unfortunately, adds more danger to those who protect us. Chief Ryker, on behalf of the state of Illinois, I want to say thank you for your years of dedicated service to the city of Litchfield, to Montgomery County, and the people of Illinois, and we wish you and your family the best. And he's with us here… here today. So, thank you so much."
"Thank you, sir. Representative Chung, for what reason do you rise?"
"A point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker."
"State your point."
"Great. I just wanted… I know all of us really are so thankful for our chiefs of staff back at home in our districts, and I am more than thankful for mine. So… but today is her birthday, so I just want to wish my chief of staff, Jessie Hinshaw, a happy birthday. Thank you."
"Happy birthday. Representative Swanson, for what reason do you rise?"
"Mr. Speaker, a point of personal privilege."
"State your point, sir."
"'Honor to the Soldier, and Sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause. Honor also to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as best he can, the same cause.' Those were words written by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It reminds us as citizens to honor and pay tribute to those who have sacrificed for their country 10400061.docx 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 while serving in the military. Veterans Day is just a few weeks away. Take time to recognize your veterans in your community with a 'thank you for your service' or 'welcome home.' Thank you."
"Thank you. Leader McCombie on House Resolution 527."
"Thank you, Speaker. On HR527, speaking of chiefs of staffs, I want to recognize the service of Andrew Freiheit, who, if you haven't noticed, is not standing here to my left anymore. He has, unfortunately, retired and left us to a brighter future. But I just want to give a little bit of a tidbit about Andrew that some of you may or may not know. He actually started here in Springfield as an ILSIP intern in 1993. He joined the… after that, he joined the House Revenue Committee in '95 under Lee Daniels. And after a short hiatus with the Cook County Board of Review, he rejoined the House Republican staff in 2008 under Leader Tom Cross and… as his ethics officer and general counsel. And in 2015, he was the chief of staff for Leader Jim Durkin. And he was so gracious to continue to be the chief of staff when I became the leader, thank goodness, because this job is overwhelming without somebody with expertise. So, I just wanted to take a moment to… to say he was so much more than just my chief of staff. He was so much more than the chief of staff to the House Republican Caucus, and actually, to many of you over there as well, he has been a cornerstone and a… a guide and somebody that we could trust to give us really good advice. And I just want to say thank you to you, Andrew, for your tireless work, not only for me in the existing House Republican caucus but 10400061.docx 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 the entire General Assembly since 1993. Thank you very much, Andrew."
"Thank you, Andrew. And this resolution was adopted on a previous day. Under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Resolution 161, offered by Leader Lisa Hernandez." Hernandez, L.: "Thank you, Speaker. Members, as you may recall, hundreds of tradeswomen were in Springfield back in March advocating for Illinois' continued commitment to increasing opportunities for women in the trades. They were here to push House Resolution 161. The resolution affirms the state's commitment to equal employment opportunity and economic equity for women and all Illinoisans. The resolution calls for employers looking to contract with the state to adopt policies to protect workers from harassment and discrimination while creating equal access to job opportunities and by using all available tools, including data reporting, bid incentives, and public oversight to ensure they are doing so. Please join me in thanking these tradeswomen for their steadfast commitment to our state. These women work tirelessly building our roads and bridges and… and maintaining our critical infrastructure, ensuring that we can move throughout the state safely and easily. They often do this while managing precarious child care situations and other family care needs that are less likely to fall on their male counterparts. Let's ensure that Illinois reaffirms our commitment to them too. I ask for your 'aye' vote."
"Representative Manley on the resolution. If no further discussion, Representative… Leader Hernandez moves for the adoption of House Resolution 161. All those in favor 10400061.docx 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Leader Manley, for what reason do you rise?"
"Point of personal privilege, please."
"State your point."
"Thank you, Speaker. In the gallery, I've just been notified that we… I have some constituents from home, Angie and Todd Randich. Todd is a retired firefighter but also serves on the Lockport Township Fire Protection Board. So, can we… stand up, you guys. This is Angie's first time here. Welcome to Springfield."
"Welcome to Springfield. On page 3 of the calendar, under the Order of Concurrence, we have House Bill 250, offered by Representative Walsh. Representative Walsh is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House. I move to concur with House Bill… or Senate Amendment 2 to House Bill 250. Back in the spring, we passed this. This is the Will County quick-take for the 143rd Street expansion. And what the Senate Amendment did was par… or pair this project down from 3 and a half miles down to about 1.6 miles. Everything was in order. The county board recently reevaluated their transportation plan and approved this expansion by a 12-7 bipartisan vote. And we need to get… first off, we need to get this done before January 1 so they can let it, and this would guarantee that we get the federal grant dollars that were part of this project. And then I'd ask for an… a favorable vote."
"For discussion, Leader Windhorst is recognized." 10400061.docx 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Thank you. Representative, thank you for the description of the bill. This is similar to the bill we voted on previously. There was just a reduction in the… the…"
"That is correct."
"…number of miles covered in the quick-take."
"Yep."
"Is that correct?"
"That is correct."
"And we show that the village of Homer Glen is opposed. Is that correct?"
"That is correct. They're still opposed."
"So, this is an initiative of Will County. The county board supports…"
"This is… this is a county project on a county road."
"The county supports it. The… the village is in opposition. Just in summary."
"Correct."
"All right. And to Members on our side, I would ask that you refer to your vote previously on this bill. Thank you."
"Representative Walsh to close."
"Ask for an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall House… shall the House concur in House Bill 250, Senate Amendment #2?' This is final action. All those in… the question is, 'Shall House concur to Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 250?' This is final action. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay.' 10400061.docx 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 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 76 voting in 'favor,' 37 voting 'opposed,' and 0 voting 'present.' The House does concur to Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 250. And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Joint Resolution #46, offered by Representative Lisa Davis. Representative Davis, you're recognized." Davis, L.: "Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Joint Resolution 46 designates Harlem Avenue on the Southwest Side in the cities of Bridgeview and Palos from 79th Street to 111th Street as 'Little Palestine Way' in honor of the countless contributions of the Palestinian American community. This resolution commends both past and present generations of Palestinian American leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, cultural organizers, women's organizations, faith leaders, and families for ensuring that Harlem Avenue remains a thriving hub of Palestinian American life, identity, and contribution to Illinois. I'd urge an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Lisa Davis moves for the adoption of House Joint Resolution 46. 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 76 voting… 76 'ayes,' 33 'nays,' and 0 voting 'present.' And this resolution, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby adopted. Under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Resolution 413, offered by Representative Mayfield." 10400061.docx 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you so much. This resolution commends Michael Rosenbaum. He was an intern for me in 2011, and he spent his entire summer meeting with state's attorneys, law enforcement, ATF agents. We actually did a community gun town hall just to understand what some of the concerns are with the… the gun violence that was happening at that particular time in our different communities and what are some of the things that can be done. He actually drafted the lost and stolen firearm legislation that I ran for the last 10 years and we finally passed. So, I just wanted to thank him for taking the time. As I stated, he was a student intern for free the entire summer. He gave up his entire summer to meet with all these different law enforcement agencies to try to give something back. So, I just want to commend him and asking for an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Mayfield moves for the adoption of House Resolution 413. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' And in the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Resolution 423, offered by Representative Weaver."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 423 designates Antique Tractor Day next August. Especially here in the heartland of Illinois, the breadbasket of America, tractors have been a major contributors to our agricultural environment over the last century. This resolution just seeks to recognize the progress that we've made in that industry, and I'd appreciate a favorable roll call. Thank you." 10400061.docx 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Representative Weaver moves for the adoption of House Resolution 423. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' And in… in the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Resolution 432, offered by Speaker Welch, but presented by Representative Ammons."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This resolution seeks to honor and recognize the great city of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, which was one of the cities, the third to be exact, to be established by formerly enslaved persons freed after the Civil War. This city is known to be one of the most successful cities run after the Civil War for African American people seeking the right to self-determination. And we stand in recognition of this city because many great leaders of the state of Illinois are directly connected to Mound Bayou, Mississippi, including former mayor of the city of Chicago, Harold Washington. And we move for its passage this morning, and thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"Thank you. Representative Ammons moves for the adoption of House Resolution 432. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' And in the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Also under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Resolution 475, offered by Representative Barbara Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. HR475, it just claims that September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month."
"All right. Representative Barbara… I'm sorry, under… for this resolution, we have Leader Windhorst." 10400061.docx 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the resolution. I believe we've seen this resolution and other resolutions that have been put forward that… our side has offered what I think would be fairly described as nonpartisan resolutions to honor Hispanic Heritage Month or to condemn political violence or to discuss Equal Pay Day. Unfortunately, those nonpartisan resolutions are not called for a vote. However, the majority calls their resolutions, which contain language that is, again, fairly described as overly partisan, which puts Members on our side in a difficult situation, where we may want to support something like this resolution, but we cannot support the underlying language in the resolution. For that reason, I'm asking… or requesting a record vote. Thank you."
"Representative Barbara Hernandez moves for the adoption of House Resolution 475. All those 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 76 'ayes,' 27 'nays,' and 0 voting 'present.' And this resolution, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby adopted. Under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Resolution 479, offered by Representative Mason, presented by Representative Harper."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to present House Resolution 479, which asks the General Assembly to support the creation of the U.S. Great Lakes Waterfront Trail and urges Illinois state agencies to continue to coordinate with our neighboring states to create this trail. House Resolution 479 gives us yet another opportunity to enjoy our environment, 10400061.docx 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 all while supporting our economy and creating jobs. Thank you to Rep. Mason for letting me present this bill. I urge your support."
"Representative Harper moves for the adoption of House Resolution 479. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Resolution 491, offered by Representative DeLuca."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and ladies and gentlemen. House Resolution 491 honors Michael Jordan and designates Michael Jordan Day. You may have heard of him: 15 seasons in the NBA, six-time NBA champion, six-time NBA Finals MVP, five-time NBA Most Valuable Player, 14-time NBA All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year. He has contributed so much to the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois, and also an avid golfer. So, I think it would be appropriate to challenge Mr. Michael Jordan to a round of golf at Augusta National Golf Club. His only responsibility is to get us on the course. I ask for your support. Thank you."
"Representative DeLuca moves for the adoption of House Resolution 491. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Resolution 493, offered by Representative Mason, presented by Representative Blair- Sherlock." 10400061.docx 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 493 declares October 8, 2025 and October 8, 2026 as One Hope United Day in Illinois and to congratulate it on its 130th anniversary since its founding in 1895. One Hope United is a social service nonprofit which operates with the vision of 'For Every Child and Family, Life Without Limits.' OHU provides behavioral health and community-based family services, such as foster care and adoption and early learning for childhood development. Since its founding in 1895, they've served over 10,000 children and families each year with its evidence-based and trauma-informed practices, behavioral health resources, and residential programs. I would ask for your support. Thank you."
Speaker West: "Representative Blair-Sherlock moves for the adoption of House Resolution 493. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Also under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Resolution 521, offered by Representative Kifowit."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members of the House. If you recall, in the spring we passed a resolution such as this. But there was a drafting error, so we're passing it again. House Resolution 521 declares November 10, 2025 as Marine Corps Day and the month of November 2025 as Marine Corps Month. Ask for your support."
"Representative Kifowit moves for the adoption of House Resolution 521. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Under the Order of 10400061.docx 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Resolutions, we have House Resolution 498, offered by Leader McCombie."
"Thank you, Speaker. To the resolution. I spoke about this the other day. I just want to again say congratulations to Major Cameron Jones on his journey to space, representing the great state of Illinois. Thank you."
"Leader McCombie moves for the adoption of House Resolution 498. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Also under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Resolution 525, offered by Representative Blair-Sherlock."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If you were in the 103rd, you would recall that I've done a similar resolution. This… House Resolution 525 is to honor and recognize Race Amity Day. In… in May of 1921, in Washington, D.C., they hosted a national convention for amity between the races. It was a multiracial, interfaith gathering where, for three days, thousands of people assembled in the first-ever convention of amity between the Black and white races. And they continue with celebrations of this day across the country. And this just honors and acknowledges that May… excuse me, May… let me give you the exact date, May 2026 as Race Amity Day. I can't find the exact date. I'd ask for your support."
Speaker West: "Representative Blair-Sherlock moves for the adoption of House Resolution 525. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. 10400061.docx 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Also under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Resolution 530, offered by Representative Hoan Huynh."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 530 recognizes the life of Jojo Baby, who was a constituent of mine who passed away recently from cancer. Jojo Baby was a foundational, influential figure in the Chicago LGBTQ+ arts and nightlife scene for over three decades, establishing a lasting legacy as a visual artist, drag performer, doll maker, and hairdresser. Born and raised in Chicago, Jojo Baby began their career in the late 1980s and quickly rose to prominence due to their singular, transformative artistic vision that blended fashion, theater, and elaborate makeup artistry, setting the high standard for creativity in drag. At the height of Jojo Baby's career, their story, their talent and creative gifts drew the attention of filmmaker Clive Barker, who is most famous for the films 'Hellraiser' and 'Candyman' series. In 2019, he created 'Jojo Baby,' a documentary about the legendary performer. In addition, throughout their career, Jojo Baby utilized their platform not only for entertainment but also as the powerful force for community building, serving as a dedicated mentor to countless aspiring artists and contributing to various philanthropic efforts, including HIV/AIDS awareness and LGBTQ+ advocacy. Sadly, at just 51 years old, Jojo Baby recently passed away from cancer. They are survived by their significant other, Corey Ecay, and two siblings. Jojo Baby's contributions to the cultural landscape of Chicago, particularly within the North Halsted, Boystown, Uptown, and greater queer community, are invaluable, reflecting the diversity, the strength, and the 10400061.docx 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 pioneering spirit of the great city of Chicago. They will never be forgotten. Thank you."
"Representative Hoan Huynh moves for the adoption… I'm sorry. Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We request a record vote on this resolution. Thank you."
"Thank you. Representative Hoan Huynh moves for the adoption of House Resolution 530. 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 76 'ayes,' 32 'nays,' and 0 voting 'present.' And this resolution, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby adopted. On page 3 of the calendar, under the Order of Concurrence, we have House Bill 1863, offered by Leader Buckner. Leader Buckner is recognized."
"Mr. Speaker, I would like to adopt House Amendments… Senate Amendments 1, 2, and 3. They're gut and replace and becomes the bill."
"Leader Buckner, go ahead and explain the… the bill. The changes to the bill."
"Yeah. So… so, amendment 2 is the gut and replace that the… the text of the bill that actually becomes the bill. Amendments 1 and 3 are just small technical changes, and I'm happy to discuss them."
"Thank you. Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will." 10400061.docx 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you. Leader, we are having some changes to our specialty license plates in this bill. Do I have that correct?"
"Not exactly. What this… what this is, is a government modernization bill. It's the sunsetting or the dissolution of a number of boards and commissions. But I'll walk us through the entirety of the bill."
"I'm sorry, what did you just say? I…"
"I said I'll walk us through the entirety of the bill once the bill gets on Third Reading."
"I believe we're on concurrence."
"Are we… are we…"
"Yes, sir. We're on concurrence."
"Yes."
"Got it. So…"
"There… there is some elimination of, if I have this correct, just to… there is some elimination of specialty license plates in this bill."
"Yeah. So, let me… let me start from the beginning, leader…"
"OK, thank you."
"…and thank you for that, all right. So, Illinois has nearly 400 boards and commissions. Some haven't met in years, some no longer have members, and others duplicate each other's work. So, this bill is a state government modernization and efficiency package. It creates the Boards and Commissions Review Act. It repeals outdated advisory bodies. It strengthens accountabilities for agencies that have proliferated over decades without clear purpose or outcome. 10400061.docx 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 So, these are some of the key provisions. It establishes a systematic review every two years, starting in 2027, for all boards and commissions and task forces. It also… excuse me, it amends the state agency website to ban invasive tracking, unless user data adds demonstrable public value and is transparently disclosed, and it consolidates and cleans up across departments, right? So, it restructures the Advisory Board of Livestock Commissioners, updating its composition and quorum rules, reducing from 17 to 16 appointed members, and improving participation standards. It also creates the modernization of the digital divide and workforce planning acts, which updates the Eliminate the Digital Divide Law by focusing on commuter… community technological center grants and removing outdated language. As I said, there is no direct appropriation or, excuse me, structural fiscal impact here. This is taking defuncts… defunct funds and defunct boards and commissions and sunsetting them here in the state. Happy to answer your questions."
"I believe our Senate colleagues had some concerns that they expressed, and I would like you to address those for us, regarding the movement of funds for certain specialty plates to the special license plate fund of the secretary of state. So, when we eliminate those license plates, as you mentioned, the funds that are existing are going to the special license plate fund of the secretary of state. Is that correct?"
"That is correct."
"And I believe that fund has been swept in the past for budget purposes. Do you know if that's true?" 10400061.docx 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"I think possibly, formerly, not… but not in the… in the recent time, to my knowledge."
"And another concern raised is that there will be a Professional Review Panel assessment of the impact with the property tax relief pool grant program."
"That is correct."
"And what is the purpose of that assessment?"
"So, the… the purpose of that assessment, leader, is that when we were going through the equalized assessed valuation in the last year's budget, we factored into the evidence-based funding formula for schools, and it corrected… this will correct the data so that low-income homeowners, senior exemptions, and TIF districts don't actually artificially inflate a district's property base. It doesn't change anyone's tax bill. It just ensures that the formula actually reflects the real, not the rhetorical, wealth in that space. And so, we put together a… a panel to study that… that piece."
"This is not designed in any way to eliminate that property tax relief fund, is it?"
"It is not."
"All right. That was the concern that was expressed to me, that… that this assessment is going to be used as a way to say we no longer need these grants."
"No, no. We… we understand the… the usefulness of the PTRG system and process. This is not based on trying to eliminate that."
"And the bill also repeals the Senate Operations Commission." 10400061.docx 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"The Senate Operations Commission?"
"Yes."
"I don't know about that one in particular. Hold on one second, leader."
"I believe that's found on page 291."
"I don't… OK, I'm having a hard time pulling it up here, leader, but every single commission that's in here, right, all of the 58 inactive boards, as I said, are ones that have… have been defunct or not used in a number of years, some of… some of them as much as… as many as 30 years, just to clean up in that space."
"And I… as it was explained to me…"
"Leader, I was just… it was informed that the Senate actually requested that."
"And I believe maybe the minority party had some issues with that 'cause that commission, I believe, was designed to give some authority away from the Senate President. And I believe now the Senate President will be exercising those duties that were existing in the commission. Is that accurate?"
"I believe so."
"All right. Thank you. And the vote in the… the… talking about the Senate, the vote in the Senate on the bill was 39 to 18, I believe. Does that sound correct?"
"That sounds correct to me."
"Thank you."
"Representative Swanson is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will." 10400061.docx 22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you. Thank you, Representative Buckner, for getting back to me on the other question. I… I just had something brought to my attention. Does this bill remove the statute… statute of colleges and universities of having a veterans and military student… student… personnel student services?"
"Can… can you repeat that?"
"Yes. Does this bill remove the requirements that universities and community colleges have a coordinator of veterans and military personnel student services? As you know now, the… the colleges and community colleges and universities are required to have that military services personnel to help the students with networking and that through the… the military benefits process."
"Yeah. So, it… it repeals the Higher Education Veterans Service Act that requires all public colleges and universities to conduct that detailed survey listing the services and programs for veterans. I think there's other ways that we handle that nowadays, and per the Governor's Office, that system and that process is actually defunct."
"OK. Thank you…"
"Thank you."
"…for that clarification."
"Leader Buckner to close."
"I urge an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall House… shall the House concur in Senate Amendments 1, 2 and 3 to House Bill 1863?' This is final action. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who 10400061.docx 23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, take the record. On this question, there are 76 voting 'aye,' 35 voting 'nay,' and 0 voting 'present.' The House does concur in Senate Amendments 1, 2, and 3 to House Bill 1863. And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Going back to the Orders of Resolution, we have House Resolution 421, offered by Representative Olickal."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I rise to speak to House Resolution 421, which was adopted on a previous day but honors the late Sister Rosemary Connelly for her lifelong dedication and service to children and families with developmental disabilities. Sister Rosemary Connelly passed away in June of this year. Coming from a devout family that valued faith, Sister Rosemary Connelly joined the Sisters of Mercy at just 18 years old. As her career of service in Chicago's South Side progressed, she realized that there was no services available for children with disabilities and set out to create a holistic and life-changing program for them and their families of all backgrounds and abilities. A lifelong learner and achiever, Sister Connelly obtained various degrees and won multiple awards, including the most prestigious honor for American Catholic, awarded by the University of Notre Dame in 2023, the Laetare Medal. Her profession ring motto was, 'Love Serves Joyfully.' Sister Connelly served for 56 years as the administrator of Misericordia Heart of Mercy. She served with compassion, grace, and heart before her passing, and we are grateful for all she gave and achieved. I have the privilege of representing Misericordia. It is, honestly, one of my 10400061.docx 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 favorite places to visit in the district because it serves as a true model of what a community can be when we fully commit to maximizing the potential of every person. It is a place where individuals with developmental and physical disabilities are not only supported but celebrated, where joy, dignity, and purpose fill every corner. Misericordia reminds us of what's possible when compassion is matched with vision and dedication. Through the extraordinary leadership of Sister Rosemary, this community has shown that when we invest in people, provide the right resources, and nurture a sense of belonging, we create spaces that uplift everyone. We should strive to ensure that every person has access to the kind of care, opportunity, and community that Misericordia represents. And I know after Leader Morgan speak… want… speaks to the resolution, I, and… and others who wish to speak, would ask this body for a moment of silence."
"On the resolution, Leader Morgan."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank Representative Olickal for bringing this resolution. I think almost everybody, if not everyone in this room, has heard about Sister Rosemary, has heard about Misericordia. I thought it would be important to lift up a couple of things. One is that when Sister Rosemary began her efforts to support the community, the individuals with disabilities were not treated as equals. When she started this decades ago, when she developed Misericordia, when she helped give hope to those who had been turned away and locked away into institutions, she started at a time where people were not treated as humans. It's really a remarkable life achievement that all of us could 10400061.docx 25 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 hope for, to transform the ways in which we think of and treat and incorporate and support and lift up those who are different than us. She changed and transformed hundreds of lives, thousands of family members. My sister-in-law lives at Misericordia, and she is given and provided an opportunity to live her fullest life because Sister Rosemary had a vision about what she could provide as this… this really small- statured woman, who nobody could say no to, 'cause she fought every day to make sure there was a better future for those that needed it. So, I just wanted to lift that up. For those of you who have not been to Misericordia, I know Representative Olickal and I and a number of others would be happy to coordinate a visit. It is truly an amazing, heartwarming place, and thank you again, Representative, for bringing this resolution."
"On the resolution, Representative McLaughlin."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the resolution. I wanted to thank both of the Representatives on the other side of the aisle. I've been fortunate enough since the late '70s to work with Misericordia Home in a professional capacity and later in life was blessed in… with a nephew, named Marty McLaughlin, who is a member of the extra chromosome community and the Michael Jordan of Down syndrome children everywhere. He's one of the special blessings in my family's life. I want to especially recognize Sister Rosemary. Couldn't agree with Representative Morgan more. Diminutive in stature but made you feel so good that once you put your wallet on the table, you were supporting this organization because of Sister Rosemary's passion and desire to honor the life of every 10400061.docx 26 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 person. I want to specifically give my condolences to Kevin Connelly, her nephew, who runs this great organization. And I want to remind everyone in this room, if you're going to be giving Christmas gifts this year, please remember Misericordia's bakery is a fantastic place to support Misericordia and support your friends, your family, and your professional organizations. And if you want to know what excellent bakery is and cooking is all about, visit Misericordia, fantastic organization. And I want to thank Father Jack and everyone in this room that supports this organization. And remember that those that may be blessed to know those that have mental disability, it is a joyous, wonderful organization, and God bless Sister Rosemary. Thank you."
"On the resolution, Representative Reick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the resolution. Thank you, Representative Olickal, for bringing this. I can't help but echo what Representative Morgan and McLaughlin just said. Sister Rosemary, the first time I met her was my first term in the General Assembly. And when I was introduced to her, the first thing she said is, 'Are you going to help me?' That's the kind of woman she was. For 50-some years, my mother-in-law volunteered with Misericordia, and I've got her… my wife has a couple of cousins who still live there. It's amazing what one person can do to uplift the understanding of so many people about those among us. The developmentally disabled have become mainstream largely because of Sister Rosemary's efforts and her tireless work. I have a cup here on my desk from Misericordia. It's a 10400061.docx 27 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 constant reminder of me that you never cross a nun. Every time I look at it, I think of Sister Rosemary. Rest in peace. I know you're with the angels now. Congratulations on a wonderful career and a great life, and may you rest in peace. Thank you."
"The body shall take a moment of silence. Thank you. This resolution was adopted on a previous day. Representative Slaughter, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"State your point."
"Good. On the dawn of us hearing this clean slate bill again from our fabulous leader, Leader Gordon-Booth, I wanted to just recognize the Clean Slate Coalition that is in the Capitol. They've been here all week advocating for this bill. It's been four years of tireless work and, you know, wanted to just acknowledge all of the time and energy and effort that Live Free and the entire Clean Slate Coalition has put into this bill. And we're going to be ready to rock and roll in a minute here with Leader Gordon-Booth as we make history. Thank you. Please give them a round of applause. You guys stand up and be recognized."
"On page 3 of the calendar, under the Order of Concurrence, we have House Bill 1836, offered by Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the body. House Bill 1836 is actually a measure that we all voted upon on May 29, 2025. This was a bipartisan piece of legislation that came out of this chamber. And just to kind of provide just a little bit of background information. House 10400061.docx 28 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Bill 1836 is a measure that represents a years-long… years- long's effort to bring true employment reform to Illinois. This is a jobs bill that has been negotiated over the past three years with countless meetings with an incredibly diverse set of interested parties, which has resulted in a very unique and broad coalition of proponents, ranging from the state's leading business organizations to law enforcement officials to criminal justice reform advocates. The work represented in the measure gives me great pride and is among some of the most significant piece of legislation that has been brought forward during my time here during the Illinois General Assembly. We have pulled together organizations like Live Free Illinois, End Permanent Punishment. We've also brought together organizations like the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, the Illinois Manufacturers' Association, the Illinois State Police, as well as the Illinois State's Attorneys Association, all as proponents. The only change between this particular piece of legislation and the piece of legislation that we did pass successfully in… in May is, actually, this bill is a bit of a cleanup. It tightens up a few things, and… and as stated, this bill actually, which is different from the bill that we passed in May, which is Senate Bill 1784, is it does three separate things: It pushes out the implementation date six months for the Illinois State Police; it pushes out the implementation date for the clerks by one year; and it also removes human trafficking from the Illinois clean slate legislation, as we have passed before. So, again, I think it's incredibly important that we notate that this is a pro-jobs bill designed 10400061.docx 29 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 to address worker shortages in important sectors of Illinois' economy while… while modernizing our antiquated governmental processes. Again, law enforcement supports this, the grassroots organizations in this state support this, and the business community support this. I ask that you stand with me and we give more Illinoisans the opportunity to work, build wages, and hopefully find greater wealth for themselves and for their families. I'm open for any questions, Mr. Speaker."
"For discussion, Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. Leader, I appreciate the description. Just to highlight a few things that you had said. This is very similar, almost the same bill as Senate Bill 1784, which we voted on earlier this year. Is that correct?"
"It is, leader."
"And this bill is called the Clean Slate Act now with this amendment that we're voting on, on concurrence, which allows for automatic sealing of certain criminal offenses or convictions, correct?"
"Yes, it does."
"And cases that resulted in dismissal or a nonprosecution. Is that correct?"
"It does."
"What is the difference, just generally, between a file that is sealed versus one that is expunged?"
"So, an expungement is a complete eradication of one's… of one's offense. That is not what this is. This is a sealing. And in a sealing, law enforcement will still have 10400061.docx 30 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 access to these records. So, again, the difference is, an expungement, the record, it… it would be as if it never happened. With a sealing, law enforcement will still always have access to these records."
"And there had, I believe, been some reservations expressed, maybe not by the state police, but we do make some allowances for the state police by giving them six more months to implement with this amendment, correct?"
"Yes. They… they didn't have concerns. They just, you know, again, looking at just implementation, et cetera, they felt like they would be much more comfortable with a little more of a… of a leeway to be able to successfully implement this."
"I… I believe there were concerns expressed by the circuit clerks on how… on the cost to them for implementation. Are there any elements of this bill that address their concerns with implementation?"
"So, the… the concern that we're looking to address in this legislation, they have asked for an additional year in regards to effective implementation, and we're giving them that."
"And there is a subject to appropriation language for both the state police and the circuit clerk implementation. Is that correct?"
"Yes, it is."
"All right. And that language existed in the prior bill and is still in this bill."
"Yes, it did." 10400061.docx 31 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Do we yet have a dollar figure on what that appropriation will need to be?"
"Not at the moment, leader."
"There have been, I believe, those of us who don't necessarily oppose the concept but have concerns about a couple of the changes that exist, and I'd like you to address those. And this was true, I believe, in the underlying bill as well. So, I don't think there's anything new with this. It… this bill would remove the provision preventing subsequent felony conviction records from being sealed under specified circumstances. Why are those subsequent records… we are removing that provision on the subsequent records?"
"It got a little loud in the back. Can you repeat that again?"
"Yes. Removing the provision preventing subsequent felony conviction records from being sealed under specified circumstances. What I understand is that this bill is to allow those who have been rehabilitated to… to get work by having their convictions automatically sealed. It seems somewhat counterintuitive that we would say those subsequent felonies would not be subject… or, I'm sorry, would still be subject to sealing even though the prior law did not allow them to be subject to sealing."
"So, when we had this… when we were, you know, negotiating this legislation, one of the things that we talked about was the importance of allowing the natural process to be able to catch for instances where we believe someone was rehabilitated and, you know, is… is moving… is moving their life forward. And then there may be… there may be an instance 10400061.docx 32 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 there where, you know, we see something different and we want to be able… we wanted to craft the legislation in such a way so that, you know, in those aberrations, that the policy would allow for the opportunity to… to allow law enforcement to do what they needed to do in regards to these aberrations and… and instances where they see someone who is moving outside of the norm."
"We are also removing… this bill would remove the provision requiring a petitioner to attach a negative drug test to a petition for sealing."
"Mm-hmm."
"Why is that being…"
"Well…"
"…that provision being removed?"
"That was a part of the negotiation, and it was a part of the original underlining bill that we passed in May. We do believe that there are individuals that have substance abuse issues. And, you know, when an individual has a substance abuse issue, you know, we've worked very hard in the… in the Legislature to try to ensure that people have access to drug treatment, et cetera. But we also know that all the while people are experiencing being trapped in the unfortunate throes of drug addiction. These individuals still need to be allowed the opportunity to work and take care of themselves and take care of their children. We think it's important that people be able to stand on their own two feet and have something, particularly when those folks are really at the margins and on the edge, we really believe that they need something that… that they can be hopeful to and be 10400061.docx 33 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 hopeful for, that, you know, helps to give them the security and the strength, quite frankly, to be able to continue to pursue a life free from drugs."
"Thank you. To Members on our side, just again, you may want to review your vote on Senate Bill 1784. That was essentially the same or very similar bill to what we voted on this past spring. That was Senate Bill 1784. Thank you."
"Leader Gordon-Booth to close."
"Mr. Speaker, this work was born out of a very real personal experience. And I don't know about you, but I know that I've made a mistake in my life. I don't know how many of you in this room have gone mistakeless all of your lives. I believe so deeply and so desperately that there are so many people in our lives, in our families, and in our communities that they simply want to have an opportunity. They want to have a track to run on. They want to be able to care for themselves and care for their families. But oftentimes, a conviction will calcify them in poverty. Calcify you in poverty, where every opportunity that you would be willing to allow your own ingenuity to put you in a position to achieve, that thick, hard wall just keeps hitting you in the face over and over. The men and women that I have met on this journey of being a State Representative in the Illinois General Assembly, ladies and gentlemen, I don't know if you experience this, but men and women will come up to me, and they have come up to me for over a decade whispering. And when people whisper to me, I already know what the issue is. They have a conviction or their son or their daughter has a conviction, and the shame that they carry, it's ugly. It's so ugly. And 10400061.docx 34 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 these are moms, these are dads that are at our children's school that we see every day. And many of them cannot work in health care. They can't work at the city. They can't work at the county. They can't work at the school district. And I don't know about you, but a lot of our communities, those are the employers. Those are the economic engines that allow for people to take care of themselves and their families and our communities, and they have been shut off from those opportunities, oftentimes for mistakes that were made 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago. I will never forget the 75-year-old man that told me, 'If I would have met you 50 years ago, I would have had a different life.' I met this man at an expungement summit. And what I learned in doing those expungement summits is it wasn't enough, taking a couple hundred people at a time when there are millions that deserve the opportunity that all of us have. And so, I would be so grateful if you would find it in your heart to be willing to give 'cause all of us have people in our communities that have made a mistake, and they just need a second opportunity. I implore you to dig in your heart today and allow these people an opportunity at work, wages, and, hopefully, wealth someday. I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 1836?' This is final action. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those 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 80 voting 'aye,' 26 voting 'nay,' and 0 voting 'present.' The House does concur in Senate 10400061.docx 35 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Amendment #1 to House Bill 1836. And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 3 of the calendar, under the Order of Concurrences, we have House Bill 3492, offered by Representative Slaughter. Representative Slaughter is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House. House Bill 3492 represents the same juvenile justice omnibus bill that our chamber passed on the last day of spring session. This initiative passed with 74 votes. This bill is back before us today with a few minor modifications. If you recall, this bill has three components. The majority of this bill pertains to juvenile detention, where it raises the age of juvenile detention from 10 to 13 years old. Over the years, working collaboratively with the Illinois Probation and Court Services Association, we are confident that key stakeholders, our social service infrastructure, and CCBYS network is ready and poised for our state to embark upon this important transitional process. And just to remind the body, detention will stop for 10- and 11-year-olds on July 1, 2026, and detention will stop for 12-year-olds on July 1, 2027. With that said, this section mostly remains the same in this bill. It does reflect technical clarifying language regarding this transition, and this was a request of the State's Attorneys Association, who are now officially neutral on this bill. The second component to this bill created the youth nonviolent crime resource program for the Department of Juvenile Justice. This bill pushes back the effective date of this program to January 1, 2028. And lastly, ladies and gentlemen, 10400061.docx 36 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 this effort calls for the Child First Task Force. This bill pushes back the formation of the task force to June 1, 2026 and pushes back the date of its report by two years to 2029. Happy to take any questions, Mr. Speaker."
"Thank you, sir. For discussion, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Thank you. Representative, as you, I believe, mentioned in your remarks, we've seen this language not only earlier this year but, I believe, in prior General Assemblies, where we've talked about raising the detention age and the juvenile justice age. Is that correct?"
"That… that's correct. This is a effort that is actually 14 years in the making. Many of you all may recall that myself and Leader Gabel have kind of tag-teamed this issue over the last about five, six, seven years. We're finally able to land the plane here, working with the Illinois Probation and Court Services Association, the main entity that will be responsible for implementing the… the change."
"And I… I believe the concerns that have been raised in the past have been that primary… primarily from law enforcement, that raising the age, as this bill would do, creates a group of individuals, minors, who law enforcement will have to deal with in their daily jobs, who may be violating the law or engage in other activity that is against the law. And those law enforcement officers have no place to take these minors. There's no social service programs available. There's nowhere to house them. The family won't allow them back in the home. DCFS can't find placement for 10400061.docx 37 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 them. So, those situations, which have been raised, how would this bill deal with that issue?"
"Well, there is… thank you for the question. And first of all, when you talk to law enforcement, they will, too, express the sentiment that they don't believe that very young children, right, should be detained. And so, as our state prepares for this… again, we're talking about effective dates here. I believe that first effective date is July 1, 2026. DHS, DCFS, Illinois Probation and Court Services, as well as with our CCBYS network, all of our social service partners throughout the state will be identifying those gaps as we prepare to go live here. And so, we just believe in the collaboration and the partnership that is formulated and evolved over these last 14 years to feel confident that we can embark upon this needed critical change."
"In addition to the detention age, there's also raising of the age for juvenile justice from 13 to 14. Is that correct?"
"Leader, are you referring to entrance into the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice?"
"Yes. I believe we raised that from 13 to 14, and only if a minor is found guilty of a felony offense or first… or first-degree murder."
"Leader, I don't believe that that is in this bill. We're kind of double-checking on that. One thing, as we do that and I do want the body to know, we're looking at a situation where we don't have too many incidences, right? We're talking about 77 minors under 13 that were incarcerated in 2024. Also, it's worth to note this doesn't prevent 10400061.docx 38 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 accountability of minors who violate the law but instead offers alternatives to incarcerate… incarceration that focuses on the rehabilitation of our minors. You still can be held accountable, and this bill actually excludes those more serious offenses. The… and the answer is no. We did confirm, leader, that that is not in this bill."
"So, I appreciate the… the description of the bill. I appreciate the… the thought behind raising the age. I… I'm going to be a 'no' primarily because of the concerns raised by law enforcement that there are just situations where they, law enforcement officers, have to deal with individuals, minors, and they need something to be able to do with these minors, even if it is placing them in a juvenile facility for a period of time, even overnight, to deal with those difficult situations. Thank you for your description of the bill."
"Representative Slaughter to close."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House. We know that the data is showing us detaining very young children can and does have a severe adverse impact on how a child's lives can develop. And so, let's do something here that does make us a national model as it relates to rehabilitation, restorative justice, and reentry. Let's pass this for our children. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 3492?' This is final action. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those 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 66 voting 'aye,' 39 voting 'nay,' 10400061.docx 39 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 and 0 voting 'present.' The House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 3492. And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Proceeding to the Order of Senate Bills on Second Reading, we have Senate Bill 2683, offered by Representative Bunting. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"Senate Bill 2683, a Bill for an Act concerning finance. Second Reading of this Senate Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Joint Resolution… sorry, Senate Joint Resolution 36, offered by Representative Kifowit."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members of the House. I am presenting Senate Joint Resolution 36, which declares September 2025 as Scarring Alopecia Awareness Month in Illinois, as you know that this refers to the group of rare disorders that destroys the follicles, replacing them with scar tissue, and causes permanent hair loss. Despite the profound effects of the scarring in those affected areas, public awareness and understanding of this condition remains low. I wish for an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Kifowit moves for the adoption of Senate Joint Resolution 36. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Moving on to the Order of Resolutions, we have Senate Joint Resolution 16, offered by Representative Vella. Representative Vella. Representative Vella. Out of the record. Under the Order of 10400061.docx 40 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Resolutions, we have House… Senate Joint Resolution 31, offered by Representative Vella. Representative Vella."
"(Unintelligible)… one second. Actually, you know what, pass this right now. We'll come back to it, please."
"Out of the record. Under the order of occurrence… Order of Resolutions, we have Senate Joint Resolution 16, offered by Representative Vella."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Senate Joint Resolution 16 is a resolution that we encourage more people to get into the jobs in small and midsize manufacturing. I urge an 'aye' vote."
Speaker West: "On this resolution, Representative Ford is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Sponsor, what's your name?"
"I need some time to think about that, and I'll get right back to you."
"You don't want to say it. Thank you."
"Representative Vella moves for the adoption of Senate Joint Resolution 16. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Also under the Order of Resolutions, we have Senate Joint Resolution #31, offered by Representative Vella."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Senate Joint Resolution 31 reaffirms the dedication to supporting the efforts of small and midsize manufacturers across Illinois. Urges these small and midsize manufacturers and other relevant stakeholders to form a task force to develop meaningful recommendations for 10400061.docx 41 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 addressing the needs of small and midsize manufacturers in Illinois. And it reaffirms the commitment to championing initiatives that ensure the success of small and midsize manufacturers in Illinois. Thank you."
"Representative Vella moves for the adoption of Senate Joint Resolution 31. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Representative Jones is recognized."
"Point of personal privilege."
"State your point."
"I'd like my colleagues to give a warm Springfield welcome to my son, Thaddeus Jones Jr. He's down here."
"Welcome to Springfield, Mr. Jones. The Chair recognizes Leader Mah for the purpose of an announcement."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Democrats would request a caucus meeting starting at 1:30 in Room 114."
"Chair recognizes Leader Keicher for the purpose of an announcement."
"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Republicans would request an immediate caucus in Room 118."
"The Democrats will caucus in Room 114 at 1:30 p.m. The Republicans will caucus in Room 118 immediately. Members, we will be returning to the floor after our caucuses. The House stands in… committees will not meet at 12:30. The House will… stands in recess to the call of the Chair. Leader Keicher, for what reason do you rise?" 10400061.docx 42 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you, Speaker. If you could please excuse Representatives Rosenthal, Weaver, and McLaughlin for the remainder of the day."
"Thank you. Under the Order of Resolutions, we have House Resolution 526, offered by Leader Hoffman."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House. House Resolution 526 simply recognizes the… the post state… United States Postal Service on 250 wonderful years of service and indicates that we would rather not see it privatized."
"Leader Hoffman moves for the adoption of House Resolution 526. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the resolution is adopted. Mr. Clerk, committee announcements."
"The following committees will be meeting: Labor & Commerce will meet in Room 114, and Revenue & Finance will meet in Room D-1."
"Members, if you can go to your committees in Labor and Revenue. We will conduct business in the committees and come back to the floor as soon as the committees adjourn. The House stands in recess to the call of the Chair. Mr. Clerk, Committee Reports."
Clerk Hollman: "Committee Reports. Representative Tarver, Chairperson from the Committee on Revenue & Finance reports the following committee action taken on October 30, 2025: recommends be adopted is Floor Amendment(s) 1 to Senate Bill 642, Floor Amendment(s) 3 and 4 to Senate Bill 1911. Representative Evans, Chairperson from the Committee on Labor 10400061.docx 43 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 & Commerce reports the following committee action taken on October 23… correction, October 30, 2025: recommends be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1, 3, 4 to House Bill 3005. Representative Gabel, Chairperson from… from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action taken on October 30, 2025: recommends be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1 and 3 to House Bill 1085 and Senate Amendment(s) 2 and 3 to House Bill 3799."
"On page 3 of the calendar, under the Order of Concurrence, we have House Bill 3005, offered by Leader Evans. Leader Evans is recognized."
"I'd like to concur with all of the amendments: #1, 3, and 4."
"For discussion, Leader Ugaste is recognized."
"Are we on concurrence or is this amendments at this point? I'm sorry."
"We're on concurrence."
"OK. Leader Evans, excuse me one minute. We had a bit of discussion in committee about this, and I just want to make certain it's out on the floor so folks know what we're talking about. The… well, what exactly does the bill do?"
"Yeah, so, this… this concurrence motion, it's three amendments. The first creates… just… I'll give a quick overview of the three. We can go into detail. The first creates a labor mediation service pilot program in the Department of Labor. We're going to have to fund… the whole point is we want to try to mediate some of these labor-private sector disputes that save us all money and time. So, the 10400061.docx 44 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Department of Labor will have this pilot program. Amendment #3 is just a drafting error, so that's the small one. Amendment #4 clarifies some things in the Prevailing Wage Act. Currently, the current statute explicitly states that laborers, workers, and mechanics engaged in transportation of materials and equipment to and from the site as being employed on public works. We hope that this amendment will clarify that those individuals, field mechanics, technicians, and similar positions, are paid prevailing wage when they're transporting materials. The clarification in existing law requires that contractors pay the prevailing wage. So, we want to make sure folks are getting paid what they're supposed to be paid. You know, it potentially could be court cases, and we want to make sure that… we want to make sure that the Prevailing Wage Act is clear. So, this is really a clarification amendment. Just to be clear, it does not interfere with the supplier exemption in the Prevailing Wage Act. So, we're just making sure that nobody cannot do what the law intended. So, it's really clarification on those. So, those are the three amendments in this concurrence."
"OK. And in the first amendment, which is amendment #1, what we have is a mediation service set up within the Department of Labor. Is that correct?"
"Yes. Yes, we do. And as committed to in committee, we have legislative intent language, hopefully, that can satisfy some of the concerns."
"And as far as that's concerned, as of right now, that will not be funded. Is that right?" 10400061.docx 45 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Not unless we decide. So, I hope next year that we do decide it because, hopefully, this is a cost-saving measure. Mediation is great in all aspects but particularly with… you have labor and private sector disputes."
"I thought it was the intention to only… well, let me ask. Is it the intention to only have this used in the event that the federal service is no longer available?"
"Oh, no question. That's what I was saying. So, hope… so, who knows what's going to happen next year."
"OK. Thank you. You said the second one's merely cleanup, and then the third one deals with mechanics as they're going to work on various pieces of equipment. Is that correct?"
"For sure. We just want to make sure folks are being paid appropriately. I have some legislative intent to try to clear up any… because we're not trying to create some overreaching prevailing act or requirements. We're trying to clarify to make sure that the law's followed."
"Because it mentions contractors and subcontractors would need to be paid prevailing wage if they're doing certain types of work. Is that right?"
"For sure, yeah. And, again, we're not adding to the supplier exemption in the Prevailing Wage Act. We are merely clarifying the law. And I'm hoping that the… I got some… some words from the… from CMS for legislative intent that I'm going to read in at the appropriate time."
"OK. Thank you. And then the… the language, though, that was included, there's some disagreement, at least there was discussion of disagreement, in committee as to exactly what it means. And that is the reason for your clarifying intent." 10400061.docx 46 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Sure. And I hope this legislative intent works, and we will see. I got it from the department, and, hopefully, it's something that will bring us all together. Correct."
"OK. Thank you. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"I understand the need or the desire to have mediators within the state of Illinois. I don't think anyone's opposed to that. As we look at the bill, though, with the way it's drafted, mediation usually occurs when two parties agree it's a good idea. With the bill as it's currently drafted, it's pretty clear to at least a number of us that with one party requesting it, both parties will have to be subject to it. The other issue I have is once again this is falling under the Department of Labor. And even though this bill indicates that it's supposed to be… these mediations are supposed to be completely independent of the Department of Labor, with the way the bill's drafted, it's very clear that the Department of Labor will still have influence over this process. And that's not what mediation is about. The second amendment's merely cleanup language, which we agreed to and, I believe, passed on a vote just a week or so ago. And then the final portion, though, deals with prevailing wage. And while I agree we should be doing what the law says and paying people what is written in our law and according to contract, the language as it is written is clear to me that it… and many others that it's an expansion of what is currently in the act and not just a clarification. And while… and I… I'm not denying the intent of those who drafted it. But what the language says is one thing, the intent is going to be another. And we can read 10400061.docx 47 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 legislative intent into the record until we're blue in the face, but what the courts look at is what the language says. And what the language says is contractors and subcontractors who are traveling to a site to do a mechanical repair are going to have to be paid. And I… pretty clear to me that's going to include a tow truck driver or someone of that nature. And it doesn't have to be that they're doing the repair. They could be assisting in it or bringing materials. So, because of the fact that the language, I don't think is where it needs to be, despite getting legislative intent, I don't believe we should be passing this piece of legislation at the time. So, I would urge a 'no' vote."
"Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First, please excuse Representative Sosnowski for the remainder of the day. Second, the… we request a verification on this vote. Thank you."
"Leader Guzzardi is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Leader Evans, this is a reaction to concern about what may happen at the federal level regarding mediation. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Can you talk about how the… how the process currently works at the federal level and why this is important and what might happen if the federal process falls apart?"
"Yeah. Well, there… the need for the state mediation services could be a result of our new federal administration 10400061.docx 48 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 gutting the agency as part of the DOGE purge. A hundred and forty employees were laid off for our federal mediation services. So, it may be necessary, and we expect that the state have to step up to… to handle this situation."
"And mediation is in the best interest of all parties in these kinds of cases. Isn't that correct, Representative… leader?"
"Without question, saves time and money and let folks work out the issues, the very serious issues, between workers and businesses. So, we want those things to be worked out."
"Would you say it's safe to say that historically the mediation process has been supported by both business and labor as a successful avenue to try to resolve these kinds of disputes?"
"Without question, yes."
"And what your bill would propose to do today is simply to provide a safety net here in Illinois if there's inadequate mediation resources available at the federal level as a result of these sort of mass, indiscriminate layoffs that we saw through Elon Musk's rampaging through Washington. That if there aren't enough mediators available to provide this vital service at the federal level, then the state of Illinois can step in and… into the breach. Isn't that correct?"
"Yes. And we trust our great employees at the Department of Labor to… to fairly and… and honestly provide these services."
"This seems to me like a… a sensible measure that the state is taking to protect workers and businesses and to provide certainty that the vital services of mediation will 10400061.docx 49 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 be available to all parties going forward. Do… maybe you can answer this question. If we do nothing here, what is… what's the risk? If we… if we vote down this… this concurrence this evening…"
"Yeah."
"…what are we putting at risk, leader?"
"I think the risks are great. You know, I think the risks are a waste of time, a waste of money, much more importantly, you know, more unnecessary lawsuits and litigation. I think a list can go… go on and on. I mean it could be in the… in the millions of… of dollars and time wasted if we do nothing."
"Well, thank you, Leader Evans, and to the motion. I would simply say that we have an opportunity to get ahead of a prospective problem coming down the pipe for our state. I think too often in this body we're reactive and responsive when challenges come to the state. We try to solve those problems after they've arisen, and that's important to do, of course. But here we have an opportunity to get ahead of a problem, to ensure that, should these vital mediation services disappear, the state will be prepared to… to, as I said earlier, step into the breach and protect Illinois workers and businesses and make sure that this important process can continue to move forward. I believe this is a commonsense measure that will protect the state of Illinois, and I would urge an 'aye' vote."
"Leader Keicher is recognized."
"Thank you, Speaker. If you could please excuse Representatives Grant and Friess."
"Thank you. Leader Evans to close." 10400061.docx 50 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you. Appreciate all the input. In our committee, we try to make a good bill great. I ask you to bear with me for the amendment #1 and 4. I want to read into the record the legislative intent. For amendment 1, it is intent of the General Assembly that the state labor mediation services program legislation is not operable and will not accept requests for mediation unless and until the General Assembly specifically appropriates funding to establish and fully fund the Illinois Department of Labor staffing plan for the mediation service program as a new, distinct, and independent program in the department and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services program is unable to provide mediation services. That is amendment 1. Legislative intent for amendment 4: The amendment is intended to clarify that the field mechanics, technicians, and similar workers are entitled to the prevailing wage for travel time spent transporting parts, material, equipment to and from the jobsite on public works projects. This language reaffirmed that such transit and service activities are part of the work of construction, maintenance, and repair already covered under Section 3, closing a loophole some contractors have used to avoid paying prevailing wages for those hours. This is codifying years and years of existing practice. The existing provision in the statute that transportation by the sellers and suppliers or the manufacture or processing of materials or equipment still remains intact in the law. Further, Senate Amendment 4 is being proposed for the purpose of clarifying a particular question in the construction industry. Nothing about this amendment should be construed to 10400061.docx 51 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 impact mechanics, including traveling mechanics, employed by the state of Illinois or directly contracted with the state of Illinois to perform work other than on fixed public works. I thank you all. Request your support."
Speaker West: "Members, Leader Windhorst has requested a verification. All Members will be in their chairs and vote their own switches. The question is, 'Shall House… shall the House concur to Senate Amendment numbers 1, 3, and 4 to House Bill 3005?' This is final action. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those 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 81 voting in 'favor,' 25 voting 'against,' 1 voting 'present.' Mr. Clerk, please read the names of those voting in the affirmative. Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Withdraw the verification."
"On this question, there are 81 voting 'aye,' 25 voting 'nay,' and 1 voting 'present.' The House does concur in Senate Amendments #1, 3, and 4 to House Bill 305. And the bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Ammons, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm sorry, I was in the ladies' room at the moment, but I intended to vote 'yes' on House Bill 3005."
"Thank you. The record shall reflect. Proceeding to the Order of Senate Bills on Second Reading, we have Senate Bill 1911, Leader Tarver. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill." 10400061.docx 52 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Senate Bill 1911, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendments 1, 3, and 4 have been approved for consideration. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Tarver."
"Third Reading. I'm sorry, Leader Tarver on Floor Amendment #1."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Floor Amendment #1 is a… a gut and replace. Happy to debate the bill on Third Reading."
"Leader Tarver moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any other amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"Floor Amendment #3 is offered by Representative Hoffman and has been approved for consideration."
"Leader Tarver on… on Floor Amendment #3. Mr. Clerk, can you move this bill back to Second Reading, please? Mr. Clerk, please clarify that we are yet on Second Reading."
"Senate Bill 1911 is still on Second Reading. It has not been moved to Third Reading."
"Leader Hoffman on Floor Amendment #3."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is the amendment, the main amendment containing STAR bonds language. I would ask that we debate it on Third Reading."
"Leader Hoffman moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #3. All those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?" 10400061.docx 53 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Floor Amendment #4 is offered by Representative Hoffman and has been approved for consideration."
"Leader Hoffman on Floor Amendment #4."
"Yes, Mr. Speaker. This is a technical amendment regarding project labor agreements. I ask it be adopted."
"Leader Hoffman moves adoption to Floor Amendment #4. All those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"Senate Bill 1911, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. Third Reading of this Senate Bill."
"Leader Tarver is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Senate Bill 1911 does several things. It is loosely a decoupling bill. We can talk about that. It also includes a film tax credit and a BIMP fix for the auditor general."
"For discussion, Leader Elik is recognized."
"Thank you, Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Thank you so much. Rep. Tarver, you gave some very brief points, but I think we've talked about several other things in committee. Would you… maybe we could talk about the decoupling measures…"
"Sure."
"…within the bill. Would you describe some of the things in there that are kind of labeled as decoupling?" 10400061.docx 54 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Sure. We'll start with the SALT cap and the Illinois workaround. So, the SALT cap at the federal level is $40,000. I believe it was capped at $10,000 for the state, and that was through… sorry. It… it's been raised to $40,000 at the federal level through calendar year 2029. And the state will be capping it at, in this bill, at $10,000 instead of $40,000."
"Thank you. So, if my understanding is correct related to that provision, it was supposed to sunset at the end of 2025. So, this bill will keep that in place going forward. Is that correct?"
"That is correct."
"Thank you. I think that's something that we were all looking for and maybe a little surprise a couple of weeks ago when we realized that was about to… to sunset. I think the decoupling part that I was thinking of most relates to the bonus depreciation."
"Sure."
"And can you maybe describe how… what this bill does on that issue?"
"Sure. You… you… I'm sorry, will you ask the question one more time? I apologize."
"Sure. I think what I… what I was thinking about when we discussed decoupling, I was thinking about the bonus depreciation measure that's within the bill to decouple from the federal tax provisions that the One Big Beautiful Bill put into place at the federal level."
"Sure. My understanding is that at the… at the federal level, you can deduct all the cost in year one. And what the 10400061.docx 55 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 state is allowing you to do is not to lose the ability to deduct but spread it out over time so that it's not as large of a hit to the state budget in year one. So, you don't lose the total amount that you can deduct is my understanding, but you do… you… you're allowed to spread it out as opposed to all in year one."
"Thank you for that."
"You're welcome."
"I'll… I'll discuss that more in a moment. What about the part that discusses the… removing the sunset that limits the ability of noncorporate taxpayers to deduct excess business losses?"
"I apologize. It's a little difficult to hear you. If we could get a little order in the… on the floor. Thank you."
"Thank you. Shall I repeat?"
"Yes, please."
"OK, thank you. There's… part of our notes talk about removing the sunset of the ability of noncorporate taxpayers to deduct the excess business losses. Are you familiar with that provision?"
"Yes. Give me just one moment. OK, as my learned partner over here just told me quite a few things. One, I believe it applies to S corps and partnerships. Is that accurate on your analysis?"
"I believe so."
"So far, so good. OK. And then it allows… sorry. The… the major change, that we allow trust and estates to continue to deduct this excess business loss from the taxable income, 10400061.docx 56 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 which they currently can do. I believe this is extending that ability to do so."
"Do you have any idea of the fiscal impact of both the decoupling on the bonus depreciation? I know that it could be said that that's a timing issue. But, like, what's the effect, maybe in year… you know, the first year of that? With that one and with the excess business losses, is there any way to calculate basically the increase to state revenue and increase on taxes to businesses that are going to happen from those measures?"
"Give me just one moment. So, from the EBL changes, it's projected to save businesses, I believe, $500 million. And these are things that already are allowed in Illinois. So, it's not a significant change. It's more of an extension."
"OK, thank you. Since Leader Hoffman did the amendment on the STAR bonds, are you OK answering questions on that, or is that something that he gets to jump in and answer?"
"I would absolutely love to punt to Jay C. Hoffman about his sweet, sweet STAR bonds."
"Leader Hoffman, would you maybe just give us a quick summary of what the STAR bond language does for Illinois?"
"Leader Hoffman is recognized."
"Yes. This would follow what several other states have done and what we… we have done in Marion, Illinois, creating… allowing for the creation of STAR bonds districts in Illinois. What it would do is it would indicate that if you are a region, a DCEO region, and you have population of less than 600,000, you would be granted one potential STAR bond project. If you are a region that has between 600 and basically a 10400061.docx 57 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 million residents, you would be granted three possible STAR bond projects. And if you are a DCEO region with a population of 1 million or more, you could be granted four STAR bond projects. And what this does is… is it utilizes the state sales tax, the incremental state sales tax, as a result of these projects and allows that to be used to pay… to pay bonds that can be issued, up to 50% of the total development cost and state… and state sales tax or up to $75 million or 800 million if the STAR bond is located in what is called a NOVA district, which is a much, much larger development."
"Thank you so much. And I think we… we covered it, I think, pretty well in committee, but I wanted to make sure we get a couple of things on the record on the floor too. Ultimately, who is responsible for repaying the bonds? Or is there any responsibility of the state or any municipality for repaying those bonds?"
"The developer."
"The developer is. Thank you. And then one other question we discussed. Well, are there any pro sports teams that can take advantage of STAR bonds here?"
"No. This specifically says that sports… pro sports teams cannot utilize this bill."
"And then my last question on this would be, we talk often about mega projects and limiting future property tax payments to municipalities and freezing assessed valuations and things like that. Is there anything like that in this bill that freezes assessments and takes away the ability of different municipalities or taxing bodies to receive future revenue from these projects?" 10400061.docx 58 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"No, there's nothing that does that."
"OK, thank you. To the bill, please."
"To the bill."
"I think this is one of those revenue omnibus bills that people on both sides of the aisle support some of the things in here but some of us do not support all of the things in there. I certainly support the STAR bonds and the extension of the SALT tax workaround, but I… I cannot let this go without commenting on those decoupling provisions that are in the bill. We hear advice from people within other committees and in… in press and things like that, advice on how to keep businesses coming to Illinois and to bring new businesses here, and the advice usually includes the words, 'Don't decouple from these federal tax provisions.' Every time we choose to decouple from federal tax policy, we are forced to explain our tax structure to potential businesses that may want to come here, but the problem is we don't often get that chance. They make those decisions without even giving us a chance. They hear about the poor business climate in Illinois, and we are then the outlier, so we don't get that opportunity to explain. And we shouldn't have to explain. We should have certainty in our tax policy, and when the federal government tries to, you know, add rocket fuel to manufacturing and other industries, we shouldn't have to be the outlier. We should be taking advantage of those opportunities and helping businesses decide to locate here in Illinois. So, for that reason, I'm going to be a 'no' on this bill today, but I'd certainly support some of the other provisions. Thank you."
"Leader Ugaste is recognized." 10400061.docx 59 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"Just quickly, so that everyone understands, we're putting our businesses at a competitive disadvantage again by decoupling. While every other state that is still coupled to the federal tax law is going to see a savings for their business because the federal taxes have been lowered, with us raising them again, which is essentially a tax increase, to the level we were previously at when the federal governments lowered them for everyone else competing with us in every other state, we have now, again, put our businesses or any business that wants to be here at a competitive disadvantage because the manufacturers, the businesses in the other state will be able to do it cheaper. Thank you."
"Leader Buckner is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is it OK if I address my questions to Leader Hoffman on amendment 3, please? Leader Hoffman, I think I heard you say this earlier, but I just want to make sure because it is the holiday season coming up, with tomorrow being Halloween, and then we've got Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. I just want to make sure. I think I heard Leader Elik ask this, and I heard your answer, that there are no Christmas gifts in here for any professional sports teams in the state of Illinois."
"Only coal in their stocking. There's the…"
"That works for me. Thank you, leader."
"Leader Tarver to close."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do want to clarify one thing. I'm not sure if Leader Hoffman mentioned it, but this… this 10400061.docx 60 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 STAR bonds does not affect in any way the STAR bonds for Marion, Illinois. I think he might have mentioned that, but in case he did not, I want to have that on the record. Otherwise, I urge an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall Senate Bill 1911 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 76 voting in 'favor,' 33 voting 'against,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Morgan, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege, please."
"State your point."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Take a moment of everyone's time to recognize somebody that I think many of us have worked with, somebody named Gail Plunkett. So, if you know Gail, you've seen her on the second floor. You've worked with her over the years. This week, on October 28, we celebrated the 21st anniversary of Gail's service to the state of Illinois. Gail is a wife, mother of four, grandmother of four, an ordained evangelist whose heart for people has been evident throughout her years of dedicated service. Again, if you've ever met Gail or worked with her, she's always brought a smile to your face, and she's always out there helping all of us. Over the course of her career, she supported many Members, including Calvin Giles; Careen Gordon; Al Riley; Eddie Jackson; Jerry Costello; Justin Slaughter, in the House; 10400061.docx 61 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Elgie Sims; Anne Stava-Murray; and Nick Smith. For the majority of her tenure, Gail served as legislative assistant on the clerk's staff, always with professionalism, grace, and a steadfast commitment to excellence. In 2022, during major office-wide structural transition, Gail chose… chose to switch lanes and step into the role of receptionist, where she has continued to serve dutifully right outside my office door, greeting everyone with warmth and reliability. As Gail prepares to retire at the end of this year, and she's not going to go far, we're still going to see her, we celebrate her legacy of service, faith, and heart. So, please join me with a… a thunderous round of applause for our friend, Gail, and her remarkable 21 years of dedication in the Illinois House of Representatives, and wishing her blessing in the next version of her career."
"Leader Evans is recognized."
"Yeah, just a point of personal privilege."
"State your point."
"Yeah, Representative Ford filed a resolution honoring a great man in our South Side community, Joseph Caldwell, who owned Tailorite Cleaners. But Mr. Joseph Caldwell was a great businessman, philanthropist, educator. He owned businesses in our community, and he ensured that those businesses were successful: cleaners on 63rd and Cottage, cleaners right near my home on Cottage Grove. And I would go into the cleaners, I've known him since I was a teenager, and Joseph Caldwell not only cleaned your clothes, but he provided wisdom. He led our community and civil rights period, of course, supported Harold Washington. I mean, the list goes on. So, Google Joseph 10400061.docx 62 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Caldwell. Join me in honoring the life of Joseph Caldwell and his children, who continue his legacy of business. So many times we talk about Black jobs, but he was about Black business, creating Black jobs and opportunities. So, Joseph Caldwell is a man to think about, someone I want to be like. And his children, I pray for them because this man was such a pillar. And about a week before he passed, he was in the cleaners working. I mean, in his 90s, this man was grabbing your clothes, helping people take it to the car. I mean, he worked all the way to the end. He inspired all the way to the end. So, just join me in just thinking about Joseph Caldwell and the many great men and business people across the state of Illinois who go beyond the call of duty. I mean, this was a great public servant. So, thank you, Representative Ford, for filing the resolution. I'll be cosponsoring it and filing my own as well. And to his children, Joe, who I see all the time, I'm praying for you, brother. And, of course, V, his daughter, who again are just spitting images of their father in every aspect. So, thank you to the Caldwell family for your contributions to the South Side of Chicago and all over Chicago. What a great businessman. And, thank you, La Shawn Ford, for filing the resolution. And, please, anyone who wants to… to Google him and cosponsor it. What a great man. So, thank you."
"Thank you. Proceeding to the Order of Senate bills on Second Reading, we have Senate Bill 90, offered by Representative DeLuca. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"Senate Bill 90, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. This bill was read a second time previously. No 10400061.docx 63 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #3, offered by Representative DeLuca has been approved for consideration."
"Representative DeLuca on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to adopt House Floor Amendment #3 to Senate Bill 90."
Speaker West: "Representative DeLuca moves… I'm sorry. Representative DeLuca moves to adopt Floor Amendment #3. All those in favor vote (sic-say) 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Mr. Clerk, any further amendments?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"Senate Bill 90, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this Senate Bill."
"Representative DeLuca."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen. Senate Bill 90 was House Bill 2588. You may recall in May, I was presenting this bill. We had it on Third Reading. I was having a debate with Representative Jones. Ultimately made the decision to pull it out of the record with the agreement that we would work on it over the summer, and we did. We worked on it over the summer, Representative Jones, myself. This is the bill about the intercept with the Comptroller's Office. It was inspired by an issue taking place between the city of Chicago Heights, which I represent, and the village of Ford Heights that Representative Jones represents. We worked it out over the summer. All parties are in agreement. I'd be happy to answer any questions."
"Thank you. Representative Jones is recognized." 10400061.docx 64 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to commend Representative DeLuca. Many of you heard our debate on the floor about the previous House Bill. Many of you heard the debate about how I was born and raised in Ford Heights. This bill and this compromise not only saves the village of Ford Heights from water being cut off, but it shows how good government works with not only myself but also Representative DeLuca. We had Brad Cole, who we said was the only white man that could come to Ford Heights. But Brad Cole stood up from the IML, came to Ford Heights, traveled from Springfield to make sure that this… this resolution that was passed that's a part of this global agreement. But, I also want to thank Congresswoman Kelly, Speaker Welch, Mayor Dave Gonzalez, Mayor Fred Wilson. We have an opportunity to show the village of Ford Heights that people are fighting for them. And I appreciate Representative DeLuca not only helping in that fight for Ford Heights and Chicago Heights but making sure that two communities got together and did this the right way and not allowing the General Assembly to step in between a contract but allowing the General Assembly to step in to resolve… resolve it the right way. And this bill represents the hard work that we told the General Assembly Members that we would undertake. But it wouldn't be possible without Speaker Welch giving us the avenue and, of course, chief of staff Clayton Harris for working with us to find a vehicle to bring this solution to the General Assembly. So, I urge a 'aye' vote on this bill."
"Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?" 10400061.docx 65 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"He indicates he will."
"Thank you. Representative, thank you for the explanation. Just for clarity's sake on our side, because this amendment did not go through committee, make sure our side has a full understanding before we vote. This bill relates to who may request or what entities may request debt offsets through the comptroller. Is that correct?"
"That's correct. And there must be either a court order or a written agreement between the two parties."
"And the… under current law, not with this bill, but under current law, the entities that can request those offsets are local governments, school districts, and other public bodies. Is that accurate?"
"Yes, that's correct, under current law."
"And this bill would add those agencies or associations formed under intergovernmental agreements, subject to the language that you had mentioned previously."
"Yes, that's correct. That's in the bill."
"And there… the law would maintain the 25% limit on deductions from wages, salaries, pensions, and maintains those existing exemptions for senior citizens and persons with disabilities."
"There are no changes with this legislation."
"And our… our analysis shows the Comptroller's Office is opposed. Have they expressed their opposition to you?"
"They have not in recent days. I don't know if that's from when it was in May, but I have not talked to them in the couple of weeks during veto session. I have not heard that they are opposed." 10400061.docx 66 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Our understanding is, and these may have been concerns raised in the spring, as they've expressed issues surrounding this expanded offset authority, that it would create significant administrative burdens and complicate payment processing. Did they express that to you in the spring?"
"They may have. I know we worked through it. I… I could tell you that because of the way we have this drafted, that the… the comptroller is not getting involved unless there's an agreement or a court order. So, they're just implementing whatever it would be."
"And part of the information we had is that it was noted that this measure could impose unintended strain on municipalities already facing financial distress, as the offsets would further limit their available revenue and hinder their ability to meet local obligations. I would just like you to address that, if you wouldn't mind."
"Well, I… I wouldn't see that happening in the event that there was a written agreement. And if there's a court order, that's a different story. You know, it's been litigated."
"Thank you."
"Representative Will Davis is recognized." Davis, W.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will." Davis, W.: "Representative, the fact that you have an agreement with one of your colleagues that represent two different towns, I'm… I'm probably more interested in, I guess, the impact of the offset side of this and how it works. Did I hear you correctly when you're answering the previous question, or question from the previous speaker, about that 10400061.docx 67 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 the current state law with offsets only apply to certain entities? Sounds like… sounds like I heard you say something or… or maybe he asked that it… in the current law, that you're not changing current law, but who can request the offset? Maybe that's a better way of stating it."
"No. We are adding public agency/association organized under an intergovernmental agreement." Davis, W.: "So, you're just adding…"
"That was the part we were referring to." Davis, W.: "That's the part you're referring to. Because as you know, I've got a municipality that is in an offset situation that was… that stemmed from a lawsuit. So, when you say 'under court order,' are you suggesting that if someone sues another entity and that court agrees with the suit that that offset is… when you say 'by court order,' are you talking about after a… a judge has decided on a lawsuit?"
"Yeah, like what is occurring in the municipality you're referring to, which was a court order. It was litigated. That could still be the case, yes." Davis, W.: "That could still be the case? OK. And does the… does the, if I heard correctly, just for clarification, are you limiting… are you limiting the amount or the percentage that can be offset or is that part of the agreement?"
"Well, I… I… no, the bill is not limiting it, but I suppose in a written agreement between two parties that could be negotiated." Davis, W.: "'Cause what I… what I think I understand about the comptroller's ability is that under certain circumstances, the comptroller can offset by a hundred percent. So, does 10400061.docx 68 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 your bill deal with that in any way that limits the amount that can be offset by way… say by way of a court order?"
"Well, the court order… order is a… is a judgment. So, whatever that would be in a… a written agreement. Remember, that is a… that's an agreement." Davis, W.: "OK. So, you're not changing kind of any of the way it's done now, per se. This just…"
"No. The answer is no." Davis, W.: "…speaks to the way those two communities can address their situation?"
"Correct." Davis, W.: "OK. Thank you very much."
"Representative DeLuca to close."
"Thank you. Appreciate the questions. This is an important measure because Ford Heights has already received notice from the city of Chicago Heights that the scheduled water agreement coming up November 6 is not going to be renewed. And this piece is an important piece of the overall agreement that's taking place, that the city of Chicago Heights agrees to extend the agreement for one year and the water would not be shut off if we continue to move with this agreement, giving them a mechanism to recoup some of the money that is owed, which is up to $1.7 million. So, this is a really important component of the overall agreement. I'd appreciate your support. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall Senate Bill 90 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 10400061.docx 69 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 question, there are 88 voting in 'favor,' 19 voting 'against,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Stuart, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Speaker. Just a quick point of personal privilege."
"State your point."
"Thank you. If I could have the attention of the body, I just want to take a second to recognize some greatness from back home in my district. Mr. Mark Heiderscheid, who's been a dedicated teacher in the business department at Edwardsville High School, has also celebrated a pretty meaningful milestone. He's been the soccer coach for Edwardsville High School for the last 26 years. Earlier this month, he scored… he recorded his 400th win as the coach of the Tigers, making us all very proud of him. And that's a wonderful way to end the very last year of his career. He recently coached his very last game. Unfortunately, it didn't end up in a win, but he should be proud of everything that he's done. That 26-year career included 14 Southwestern Conference championships, 15 regional championships, 11 sectional championships, nine trips to the state tournament, which resulted in eight trophies, two of them championships in the years 2000 and 2013. I'll have a formal resolution filed on his behalf shortly, but I just wanted to take a second. He's probably in bed because he's got to get up early in the morning and teach high schoolers, but I wanted to make sure that we gave him some proper recognition. So, if 10400061.docx 70 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 everybody could just please give a short round of applause for the awesome coach, Mark Heiderscheid. Thank you."
"Thank you for everything, coach. Leader Ann Williams, for what… what reason do you rise?" Williams, A.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A point of personal privilege."
"State your point." Williams, A.: "I just wanted to take a moment to recognize Margaret Frisbie for her 25 years of leadership and river renaissance with the Friends of the Chicago River. We don't have enough time tonight for me to go over all Margaret's amazing accomplishments, but she has done amazing work for the Chicago River system. She's had multiple awards and honors. I think something like 45 awards for the Friends in 25 years. She has really led in terms of policy and planning for the river and its future. She has pioneered the wildlife habitat and done so much good work for our future. She's developed powerful outreach programs, such as the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum, which attracts more than 30,000 visitors a year. And she's done so many other groundbreaking things and continues to do great work there. Just wanted to celebrate her incredible achievement. What a milestone, 25 years. Thank you so much, Margaret."
"On Supplemental Calendar #1, under the Order of Concurrence, we have House Bill 1085, offered by Representative LaPointe. Representative LaPointe is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur with Senate Amendments 1 and 3. Oh, and specifically, the amendments are 10400061.docx 71 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 a new way to calculate reimbursement rates that bring substantial agreement to the bill."
"Leader Haas is recognized."
"Does the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she will."
"Thank you. So, we heard the bulk of this bill in spring session, correct?"
"We certainly did. It's passed the House floor twice.
"Passed twice. OK. So, what you're bringing back on concurrence, did you want to talk a little about… bit about that before I ask questions or…"
"Yeah. I would like to do that, Leader Haas."
"OK."
"Thank you. So… so let me back up here. So, this bill is about affordable and accessible behavioral health support, and the bill gets right to the heart of the very pervasive problem of inadequate commercial insurance networks. So, we're talking about Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, commercial, aka private insurance. And so, what that really means is people who have insurance, like many of us do, we pay our monthly premiums, but when we go to use our commercial insurance for therapy or for psychiatry for ourselves and our kids, we just cannot find a provider that will take insurance. In fact, 20 to 25% of behavioral health providers just don't take insurance. And so, when that happens, people either forgo care altogether, not a good thing, they look for another provider, or they literally pay out of pocket 150 bucks, 200 bucks for an hour of therapy, even though they've already paid their monthly premium. So, it turns into a cost-of- 10400061.docx 72 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 living issue. The vital component of this bill directs commercial insurers to pay, at a bare minimum, in the ballpark of 141% of Medicare, which is a benchmark that health care actuaries agree is the benchmark we need to bring commercial insurance rates for behavioral health more in line with physical health care. And so, specifically, what this amendment does is lays out a formula in the statute that's based on a national study by the Research Triangle Institute, and then the Department of Insurance would take that formula and publish rates so our commercial insurers would know exactly how adequately they have to pay our therapists, psychiatrists, and other professionals."
"So, that's the biggest change we're seeing in this amendment is that that formula would be put into the statute basically, and then the Department of Insurance would have authority over that."
"That is the only change from the prior versions of this bill we passed out of this chamber twice."
"OK. Just wanted to make sure that we clarified that. And, again, the… it… House Bill 1085, I would suggest that our Members look back and… and vote… see how they voted on… on that. But that really is specifically the only change with… is that the Department of Insurance will have that authority, correct?"
"That's right, Leader Haas."
"And I… I think that we had a little conversation about would the department be responsible for any rulemaking associated with this?" 10400061.docx 73 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"The answer to that is in the bill. They do have the capabilities to do rulemaking just in case, but they've indicated they don't think they will need to use it."
"OK. The only thing that I would ask is if they do have any rulemaking that goes along with this that it be done in a timely manner and… and not be put into emergency rulemaking."
"I… I concur with that. I'd like that too."
"Thank you."
"Leader Keicher is recognized."
"Thank you, Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she will."
"Excellent. I… I want to give public acclamation to the work that you've put into this for multiple years, multiple conversations, and… and really made a tough situation a little bit better. So, from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it. And… and as we talked about, philosophically I'm opposed because now it… it has a artificial floor that's… though it's doing some very good, it's kind of breaking with tradition, and I feel that that's going to open the door to other practices and niches to start asking for more and more, and it's going to continue to drive already unaffordable health premiums significantly up. But in recognition of all the work that you put in this, I am going to vote 'present' today instead of a 'no' vote because I… I know how hard you've worked on this, and I appreciate your efforts. Thank you."
"Rep. LaPointe to close."
"Thank you, everyone, for your indulgence over the three-year period that we've worked on this bill. And to my friend from DeKalb County, we are breaking some tradition in 10400061.docx 74 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 this bill. We're going to be the fourth state to break tradition in this bill, and I assert that we have long been in a mental health crisis. Our family members, our first responders, our youth cannot get access to care when we need it. And we talk a lot about mental health access, and we have a lot of consensus, and we wear our green ribbons for Mental Health Awareness Day. But we have failed to really force our commercial insurers to pay our therapists at adequate rates, so we're truly treating mental health care and behavioral health care just on the same level as physical health care. That is what this bill is about. I've got to give a few thank- yous before I close for real and ask for an 'aye' vote. This has been a three-year process. I want to give kudos and gratitude, first of all, to the insurance industry, who have come to the table as an honest broker, as we've come to 90% agreement on this bill. I want to give major kudos to President Harmon, who helped get this across the finish line a few hours ago. Senator Villa has been an integral part of this bill for almost three years; her legislative staffer, Sebastian Wong, who is now moved on to a new role 'cause it's been such a long time. The People's Lobby has done incredible community organizing and engaging therapists on this bill. And then finally, Matt O'Shea, and, in particular, Heather O'Donnell, who worked at Thresholds and is now with the DuPage County Health Department, has done incredible work to get this passed. So, thank you to everyone for paying attention along the way, and I urge an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments #1 and 3 to House Bill 1085?' This is final action. 10400061.docx 75 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those 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 86 voting 'aye,' 19 voting 'nay,' and 1 voting 'present.' The House does concur in Senate Amendments #1 and 3 to House Bill 1085. And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Halbrook, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A point of personal privilege, please."
"State your point."
"Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, I know that in this chamber we like to recognize important people and dates in our state history and in our nation's history. And I just wanted to bring attention to a resolution that I filed a little bit after the date of September 12. But September 12 of 1782 is a historic date in the history of the United States, when the Continental Congress, during the American Revolutionary War, officially approved the publication of the first complete English-language Bible printed in America, and it's known as the Aitken Bible, or the 'Bible of the Revolution.' So, I just wanted to highlight how important that this scripture has been to many of our leaders: presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln; Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King; and many, many others. The principles found in this Bible are reflected in many aspects of our life as an American and here in Illinois. These are reflected upon our laws, in our charitable institutions, the 10400061.docx 76 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 values that are taught in our homes and schools, and the work of many faith-based organizations throughout the state. So, ladies and gentlemen of the House, I appreciate your indulgence as we just recognize September 12 and this important moment in our history that started in 1782, resolution HR474. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Appreciate the time."
"On Supplemental Calendar #1, under the Order of Concurrence, we have House Bill 3799, offered by Leader Gabel. Leader Gabel is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to concur with amendments 2 and 3. This… this is a homeowner… homeowners insurance bill. It is a bill that will allow Illinois to no longer be the only state that cannot object to unjustifiable homeowners rates. As many of you have experienced, your homeowners rates have increased tremendously over the past few years. Consumers will receive notices if their insurance goes up 10% or greater to their premiums, and they will be notified at least 60 days in advance so they have time to shop for other coverage. The Department of Insurance will be able to object to rates if they are excessive, inadequate, unfairly discriminatory, or if a company is shifting losses from non-Illinois catastrophic disasters to Illinois consumers. This creates a timely and transparent objection process for the Illinois Department of Insurance and insurance companies. This bill will benefit 4.5 million households in Illinois, and I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Leader Keicher for discussion."
"Thank you, Speaker. To the bill." 10400061.docx 77 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"To the bill."
"I know just about everybody in this chamber's had a discussion on this bill over the past 24 hours. I just want to lay out a couple points. I've been in the insurance industry for 30 years. I've sat in folks' yards as the fire department extinguishes the last embers of a house fire with the ashes left in the basement. The history of what we're seeking to change right now is rooted in the Illinois Constitution as it was rewritten in the early 1970s. At that time, it was proposed that we do not regulate insurance rates because that would interfere with the free market and damage the rates that the consumers pay and make them artificially high because of the regulation. And that is exactly what we've seen. Folks, we have had 50 years of General Assemblies before us who've looked at this, analyzed it, and realized the damage to the consumer that this holds. I want to give kudos first to Senator Hastings. He put in a lot of work on this bill early on, and his original version of this bill, amendment 1, it does a lot of what needs to happen in the insurance industry to hold carriers accountable. What breaks this bill is amendment 2 and 3. You're going to have a lot of discussion here about how this holds insurers accountable, this puts them on the fence. No, what it does is it forces insurers to price into their product the uncertainty that's there. And the genesis of this bill is a grudge against a single carrier because they refuse to hand over personal identifying information to the Department of Insurance, offering for it to be anonymous and sorted by ZIP code. The department refused. And I don't know if the department is either 10400061.docx 78 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 uninformed, unaware, or intentionally misleading, but when we look at the comments regarding how we got to today, the picture doesn't fit the frame. Again, I don't want to understate, the original amendment 1 for this bill that Hastings put into place is a good product, a product that came from multiple discussions with consumer advocates, the insurance industry, and the Department of Insurance. Specifically, to refute what the department has… has given the leader as far as information, there are eight other states that have the Illinois example of use and file. The challenge in the definition is there is no offered definition of what a complete filing is. Yes, there's a 60-day window. But the 60-day window doesn't toll until the department is satisfied that it is a complete filing. Now, whether you trust this department or not, put yourself in the position of an adversarial relationship from a company protecting the privacy of their customers nationwide vis-à-vis a department director who demands access to data they are not entitled to. I would want that company to hold strong, and I think Illinoisans would as well. There's no relief valve for a company. There are dozens, and this is the other piece that… that you should be aware of. There are dozens of examples of rate regulation in this country, of how this is done effectively, how this is done in a way that companies can adjust and protect the consumer. What we have in front of us today creates uncertainty and is a radical overhaul on an entire premise and certainty of an industry that requires certainty to make sure there's enough money in the rainy day fund to pay catastrophe. Illinois, of all 50 states, because 10400061.docx 79 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 of our open marketplace, Illinois is the 13th best-priced market for consumers. And, yes, rates have gone up over the last couple of years. And why is that? We've all seen the people driving on the roads and how fast and crazy they've been driving, but this deals with homeowners. And what many people don't know is that the number of storm claims that have struck Illinois in 2023 and 2024 are unprecedented. The companies forced into raising their rates were forced because they priced on the historic norm. I know we've all seen them in our communities. We've seen hailstorms. We've seen windstorms. We've seen neighborhoods devastated by tornadoes. There's not one piece of this bill, this language that does anything to address the costs that cause all the anger from the consumers we serve. There's no public adjuster reform. There's no litigation reform. Anything that causes insurance rates to be higher are not addressed in this bill. We can regulate, but not like this. And I would put an offer out there on the record. I would be a chief cosponsor on a rate regulation bill that does it the right way. Folks, this bill will turn the industry on its head, cause uncertainty in a framework that's never been tried before, and every single one of your constituents who has a homeowners policy will pay extra because of the uncertainty that it creates. It's the uncertainty of the rate environment that we are worried about here. And I'll just close with this. I think many of you know my temperament. I want to apologize for those that were in Executive. I got a little hot under the collar because the department failed to be open with their disclosures and what they were seeking to do along this path, and that's an 10400061.docx 80 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 affront. That's a misdeed to every one of us that sits on relevant committees that deal with technical issues that should not be papered over quickly nor lightly. I ask for you to withhold your vote because it's not going to solve the problem you seek to solve in making a more affordable marketplace. Please withhold your vote or vote 'no' on the measure before us. I call for a verification, please."
"Representative Jones is recognized."
"Before I ask the sponsor to yield, the credibility of the Department of Insurance is on the line tonight, and not only their credibility but their ability to come back to the Insurance Committee. We worked… this is a good bill. So, let me ask questions of the sponsors. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she will."
"Leader, you and I talked about this bill. I agree that this is a great consumer bill. If this is such a great consumer bill, why haven't we taken one ounce of testimony from resident, one ounce of testimony from industry? And if this is a good consumer bill now, it'll be a good consumer bill in January. Can you answer that?"
"So, we did hear from the industry in committee."
"From residents. From… have you heard from residents? This… this consumer bill is supposed to look at residents and get their testimony. Have we taken one ounce of testimony from a resident?"
"I think we've all heard from our consumers about this… this issue."
"That's not my question, leader. Have we taken one ounce of testimony? One ounce?" 10400061.docx 81 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Not that I know of."
"Even… even an email from a resident that said they support this bill?"
"Officially not that I know of."
"If you look at the analysis, there's no Democratic analysis on this bill."
"It should be up there now."
"It's up there now at 9:37. So, we know that there's discrimination, huge discrimination, in the auto industry. So, why isn't… why aren't we attacking the auto industry and putting them into this bill as well? Would you support doing something like that?"
"I think we're going to be looking at auto insurance next year."
"But why not do it now?"
"Hopefully, you could carry that bill."
"This… this bill is coming up in… in three days. If we… if we're concerned about the consumers, why not put the auto industry, which I can tell you, when we talked about flex rate, Representative Morgan not only worked on this for two years, we worked on this in the Insurance Committee for… for years. So, why not put the auto industry in the same light that we're doing the home… the homeowners policies?"
"Yeah. My understanding is that we would like to get this homeowners insurance done now. We want to be able to protect homeowners in this next period of time. As you know, if we wait till next year, we won't get this bill out till June."
"My next question deals with amendment #1. That's not on this board now. That was agreed-upon bill, agreed-upon 10400061.docx 82 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 amendment. So, why… why aren't we taking up amendment 1, 2, and 3… or amendment 1? What happened between amendment 1 that gets us to amendment 2 and 3 that's on the board now."
"Yeah. Amendment 1 did not include any refunds for consumers if… if the… if the rate was found unjustified. So, a consumer could be paying for a period of time and would get no refund to the amount that they were paying if it was unjustified. And also, the amendment 1 had a much longer process, so they could be paying for a longer time, a higher amount, and not be able to get a refund. This bill… this… the… the amendment 2 was a better consumer bill."
"So, leader, why are we allowing the Senate to dictate the terms of this bill? Because Senator Hastings just talked to me about this bill probably less than two or three days ago. But yet, he was the lead sponsor in the Senate. This bill didn't come through the Insurance Committee. Why are we allowing the… the Senate to dictate the terms of this bill and this process?"
"We had a subject matter hearing on this bill, and I think we just felt some urgency."
"And what… what is that urgency?"
"The urgency was that people recently have gotten pretty high homeowners insurance bills. We want to be able to deal with it now."
"So, again… you know what? To the bill."
"To the bill."
"I respect… I respect the leader. I know what we're trying to do with consumers. There should be a process that has auto rates. Our auto rates is number one when it comes to consumer 10400061.docx 83 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 complaints and consumer discrimination. We've had bill after bill to talk about auto rates. It should be included in this bill. So, we're not going to do the consumer just if we're just tackling one issue. You heard the leader say that we're going to do that in the spring. Why not do it now? I would urge a 'no' vote on this bill, and I would urge that we pull this bill out of the record to do it right. If we really want to protect consumers, we'll make sure that we do it right. To hell with what the… the industry says. We want to protect the consumers. Let's do it the right way and include auto rates in this bill as well. Thank you."
"Leader Gabel to close."
"Thank you all for your attention on this today. I believe that we as stewards of our government in Illinois have a duty to look out for those that cannot win big battles on their own. There are few feelings more helpless than sitting at the kitchen table, opening an envelope, and seeing a bill that could put you out of your house and home. A thousand dollar, $2,000 increases, where is that going to come from? A home that you have lived in for years, a home where you have raised your children, and now you see a bill that is 50% more than you paid just three years ago, all because someone wants to build a mansion on an oceanfront in Florida, all because we are doing nothing to stop wildfires in California, all because we have no way, no way at this time to hold these companies in check, until today. Homeowners are doing the right thing. It's time we make sure the insurance companies are doing right by them. This is our job to fight them. It is our job to stand up and say no to the big, nontransparent insurance companies 10400061.docx 84 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 and say yes to this bill to protect our people. I request an 'aye' vote."
Speaker West: "Members, Leader Keicher has requested a verification. All Members will be in their chairs and vote their own switch. The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments #2 and 3 to House Bill 3799?' This is final action. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk. Mr. Clerk, go ahead and take the record. On this question, there are 56 voting in 'favor,' 37 voting 'against,' 6 voting 'present.' This… this motion fails. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report."
Clerk Hollman: "Committee Reports. Representative Gabel, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports… reports the following committee action taken on October 30, 2025: recommends be adopted, referred to the floor was Floor Amendment(s) 2 to Senate Bill 642 and Floor Amendment(s) 3 to Senate Bill 2111."
"Proceeding to the Order of Senate Bills on Second Reading, we have Senate Bill 2111, offered by Leader Delgado. Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Republicans request an immediate caucus in Room 118."
"How long do you think, leader?"
"We anticipate 30 minutes to an hour."
"Republicans will be caucusing in Room 118 for 30 minutes to an hour. Democrats will hang tight. We will recess to the call of the Chair. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report." 10400061.docx 85 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Rules Report. Representative Gabel, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action taken on October 30, 2025: recommends be adopted is the Motion to Concur with Senate Amendment(s) 1, 2, and 5 to House Bill 1312, Senate Amendment(s) 1 and 4 to House Bill 1437, Senate Amendment(s) 1 and 2 to House Bill 3065; recommends be adopted, referred to the floor is Floor Amendment(s) #4 to Senate Bill 2111."
"The clerk is in receipt of a Motion in Writing to suspend Rule 15(d). Leader Ann Williams on the motion." Williams, A.: "Speaker, pursuant to Rule 15(e), I move to suspend Rule 15(d) so that the joint action motion to concur on House Bill 1312 may be considered immediately."
"Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are here at the end of the veto session. We have seen pieces of legislation come time and time again, many of them requiring a suspension of the rules in order for them to either be heard in committee or now heard on the floor. The one-hour requirement is the least requirement that we have for our side to review bills and prepare for debate. We should at least be given that one-hour period of time to be able to be ready for the debate so that way not only we can make arguments either for or against a bill, but the people in our communities who may be paying attention at this hour can weigh in on bills, know what their government is doing before large pieces of legislation are pushed through this General Assembly with no respect for the rules that have been adopted. I would request a 'no' vote." 10400061.docx 86 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Leader Ann Williams has moved to suspend Rule 15(d) pursuant to Rule 15(e) so that the joint action motion to concur on House Bill 1312 may be considered immediately. This rule may be suspended only by the affirmative vote of 71 Members. The question… the question is, 'Shall the House suspend Rule 15(d)?' 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. There being 73 voting in 'favor,' 33 voting 'against,' 0 voting 'present.' And this motion, having received a constitutional majority, the rule is suspended. Moving to Supplemental Calendar #2, under the Order of Concurrence, we have House Bill 1312, offered by Speaker Welch. Speaker Welch is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members of the body. I'm here tonight, I rise on a Motion to Concur with House Bill 1312. House Bill 1312 is our response to an unprecedented assault on our communities, our state, and our constitutional rights. We've all seen it: Lifelong Americans, new citizens and immigrants alike, profiled, abused, and detained; people terrified to go to work, to go to school, to engage in our community and our local economies; pregnant women shackled and chained by masked, unidentified agents, resulting in miscarriages; families undergoing chemotherapy just ripped apart, ripped apart; children in Cicero abandoned on the side of the road after their parents are detained; toddlers screaming for help as they are zip tied, torn from their parents, and traumatized, trauma that is going to live long after this nightmare is over. Traumatized. We've all seen 10400061.docx 87 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 that. The question before us all is, what are we going to do about it? I talked to us all back in January when we were all sworn in and took that oath of office, and I got up and spoke as this body's Speaker and I said, 'We're only given a moment sometimes, and what are we going to do with that moment when we have it?' We're living that moment, and House Bill 1312 is going to give us a chance to stand together in an important moment for our communities and our state and our country. For those of us who stand together tonight to pass House Bill 1312, we have an answer that's appropriate in this moment. We are expanding protections in places where everyone should feel safe. Everyone should feel safe, not some people. All people should feel safe at our hospitals, which will be required to adopt safeguards concerning law enforcement's presence at health care facilities, at courthouses, where those ordered to appear in court for jury duty, a traffic ticket, or other businesses will be protected from extrajudicial abuse and detention, and on our college campuses and day care centers, which will now adopt policies to protect students and children in their care, including protection against disclosing a family's real or perceived immigration status. In this bill, we're also creating a private right of action to enforce these protections. We're adding teeth to this bill with that private right of action. Everyone here has certainly read about the darkest moments of our history and wondered what we would do. Would we stand up to Jim Crow if that was going on today? Would we? Would we speak out against internment camps? 'Cause I got to tell you, I got an internment camp in Broadview in my district right 10400061.docx 88 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 now. Would we speak out against internment camps? Would we stand between our neighbors and the SS? We're in a moment, ladies and gentlemen. Would we put our votes up on the 13th Amendment if slavery was still the law? Would we put our votes up for the 14th Amendment to protect foreign citizens? Would we put our votes up for the 19th Amendment so people wouldn't be denied or discriminated against based on their sex or gender? We rightly celebrate the men and women who had the courage and moral clarity to stand up to oppression. This is our moment to do it again. This is our moment. Our moment is before us today, and history will judge our actions in this moment, just as it did our predecessors. History will remember those who are silent in moments like these. Members of the House, I'm going to ask you to support House Bill 1312 tonight so that people will judge this chamber by the values we believe in, and those values say we treat people with dignity and respect, dignity and respect, and that we believe in due process for all. Mr. Speaker, I'm happy to take questions on this bill."
"Thank you, sir. Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the motion. We have heard described today a very specific problem, and we have before us a bill that is broad in scope. And my concern is that by adopting this bill that is broad in scope, there are going to be many unintended consequences that will have detrimental effects beyond what is intended by the sponsor or anyone supporting this legislation. First, we have what is styled the Illinois Bivens Act. For those who don't know, Bivens suits are brought in under federal law. A Bivens suit was 10400061.docx 89 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 created by the courts. It doesn't exist in statute under federal law. It was created by the federal courts because they, the courts read in a cause of action for violations of the Constitution. Bivens suits are narrow. They only apply to three constitutional amendments, and then not the totality of those amendments, and they only apply to federal officers. Our Bivens actions is not a court-created action. It's going to be created by statute. Our Bivens action isn't limited to just three constitutional amendments. It is any violation of the Illinois Constitution or the United States Constitution. Our Bivens action is not limited to federal officers. It is limited to… there is no limitation. It applies to any person. So, we look at what Bivens does under federal law, and apparently, we think that's a good idea, to bring it to state law, but we don't put in the same protections that exist with Bivens suits. What will be the consequences by not following that practice? The answer is we don't know. What individuals are going to be subject to civil liability that today we're not even thinking they would be subject to that liability? What violations of constitutional law that we may not even be thinking about today will individuals be subjected to liability for violating? This is too broad, and it goes too far. This bill also touches on the courts, hospitals, child care facilities, and higher education institutions. Almost every aspect of our society, creating private rights of action even within those separate from the Bivens action. What is going to be the results when certain particular parts of those laws aren't followed that have nothing to do with what we're seeing today in the news? We don't know. And I think, most 10400061.docx 90 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 importantly, we are attempting through this bill to place restrictions on federal law enforcement officers. We have also placed our state and local law enforcement officers in jeopardy of civil liability. Under our United States Constitution, the federal government is supreme. The ability for us as a state to impose civil liability on federal officers is highly dubious. So, when a federal court decides that that portion of these… this act is unconstitutional, the only people we'll have been exposing to civil liability will be our local and state law enforcement officers, completely defeating what was described as a purpose of this bill. This bill goes too far. It is too broad, and there will be grave consequences to our state if it is adopted. And I would encourage a 'no' vote."
"Leader Avelar is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have a couple of questions to clarify. There's specific provisions in the bill with regards to hospitals. So, to confirm, if hospital staff request assistance from law enforcement in response to a safety or security concern within the facility, this legislation would not interfere with or restrict those requests. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Thank you. And does the bill prevent law enforcement from going to a hospital to interview, let's say, a domestic violence survivor or to arrest someone for a DV-related crime?"
"No. This bill does not address law enforcement that is coming to a hospital for a reason other than civil 10400061.docx 91 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 immigration activities. So, it would not come into play when law enforcement is coming to interview a witness or arrest a suspect for any criminal reason, including DV."
"Thank you. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"This week, actually on Tuesday, I learned that a young man in Streamwood, a grocery store worker who was just pushing carts, contributing to his community, was approached and questioned by ICE. He was… he fainted. He collapsed, struck his head, and he now lies in a hospital in a coma. His family has been preparing themselves for the unthinkable, for the possibility of saying goodbye. But then, suddenly, there was a glimmer of hope that he may actually make it, the possibility, however fragile, that he may pull through. And yet, even in that moment of hope, the question his family carries is not only, 'Will he survive?' It is, 'Will they come for him again, even here?' Even in a hospital, while he's fighting for his life. That is the terror our communities are living with. That is the chilling effect that keeps parents awake at night. That is the fear that keeps sick children at home instead of the emergency rooms. That is the impossible choice so many families are making as we speak, between seeking care or risking being profiled, questioned, detained, or taken away. We have seen it happen. These are not hypotheticals. We have seen masked, unidentified individuals inside hospitals, including hospitals that serve my district and in others as well. Places once considered sacred and safe are now being infiltrated, eroding trust in the very spaces meant to heal and protect. And that is why 10400061.docx 92 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 the health care sanctity and privacy component of this bill is so essential. It requires hospitals to adopt clear, consistent procedures when interacting with law enforcement: verifying credentials, ensuring agents have lawful authority, limiting access to private patient areas unless there is a valid judicial warrant or a real safety emergency. It empowers patients to understand their privacy rights and request protections of sensitive information. It protects hospital staff by giving them clarity, procedures, and liability protections when they follow the law while still allowing appropriate responses to legitimate safety threats. Colleagues, this bill is rooted in dignity, in humanity, in constitutional promise. Let me be clear: This is not about shielding wrongdoing. This is about due process. This is about the rule of law. In Illinois, we do not weaponize health care, we do not turn our hospital beds into battlegrounds, and we do not allow fear to walk in our hospital hallways. When we legislate with humanity, when dignity leads our decisions, we strengthen our state, our democracy, and our moral foundation. So, let us honor those values, let us protect those sensitive locations, and let's send a clear and unwavering message that care is sacred and that in Illinois, we stand on the side of decency, due process, and justice. I ask for an 'aye' vote in support."
"Representative Guerrero-Cuellar is recognized."
"Thank you, Speaker. Does the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Just to clarify, does qualified immunity apply to the Bivens action?" 10400061.docx 93 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
Speaker Welch: "Representative, absolutely. Yes, we added specific language that protects our Illinois peace officers and specifically states qualified immunity applies here."
"Thank you. I strongly encourage an 'aye' vote."
"Leader Cabello is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Speaker yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Mr. Speaker, so, amendment #5 does add the language for qualified immunity, as we just heard. Thank you very much for that. That was a huge concern for many of our officers throughout the state. You're a man of your word, and I appreciate that immensely. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"Ladies and gentlemen, whether we agree with or not what is going on throughout the communities in Illinois when it comes to federal agents, there is, unfortunately, nothing that we can do here to solve that problem. Federal agents will do what federal agents need to do, and the state of Illinois cannot tell them what they can and cannot do. So, whether this bill is symbolic, I don't know. It sends a message, though, to the police officers that do live in this state. The message is you could be next with language like this. With bills that have been passed, we saw a flood of officers retire. We saw a flood of officers leave the profession. So, then we had to pass bills for recruiting and retention, and we still do not see the replenishment of officers that we need here in this state. We have some major problems throughout this state when it comes to crime. We have very good law enforcement throughout this state. We 10400061.docx 94 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 cannot stand to put things on our law enforcement that makes their jobs even more difficult. And whether it's right or not, the perception from law enforcement right now is that is what's happening. When this bill came out without amendment #5, my phone and several other phones around here were blowing up because officers were saying, 'I'm out. I'm done,' because now they could be sued civilly. And what does that do? That does not put us in any more of a safe situation. That makes our communities less safe. So, I hope, as we move forward, we look at this in a different light. We can't control what the feds do. If we don't like the laws that are on the books on the federal side, we need to have the federal Representatives and Senators change it. We can't do that. So, why would we try and even think of telling the federal agents what they can and cannot do? So, the perception in law enforcement is that it's coming back to us again. We have good people in law enforcement that dedicate their lives to the service of others. They're your mothers, your fathers, your brothers, your sisters, your aunts, your uncles, and your friends. They are white, Black, Hispanic, and every other race. They took an oath. The oath is to support the Constitution of the United States of America first, the state of Illinois second. And when it comes to it, it's the first part of that oath that takes over. We cannot continue to demonize law enforcement, all of law enforcement for their sins of a few. I would urge a 'no' vote."
"Representative Norma Hernandez is recognized." Hernandez, N.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill." 10400061.docx 95 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Hernandez, N.: "In regards to the court access, safety, and protection, Illinois law has long recognized common law privilege that applies traveling… I'm sorry, Illinois has long recognized common law privilege against civil arrests in and around courthouses, recognizing that Illinois court system only works when everyone, litigants, witnesses, victims, and others seeking justice through our legal system, participate. Illinois courts recognize the common law privilege that applies traveling to and from and while remaining in the courthouse as early as the 1800s, and it dates back centuries. But even with the common law privilege, more and more people are being detained or arrested in and around courthouses because of the unrelated civil matters, specifically immigration matters, and it's impacting our court system. We've heard from attorneys, advocates, and our neighbors that these civil arrests are keeping people from going to court or seeking help. These civil arrests have resulted in witnesses not participating, orders of protections… order of protection petitions not being filed, and resources being wasted. When witnesses or parties don't come to court, it doesn't just affect them but everyone involved in the court case. This bill writes the common law principle into statute, making clear that a person is protected from civil arrest when they are attending an Illinois state court proceeding or when they are going to and from that proceeding. This bill makes sure that if any kind of civil arrest must happen, whether over an ordinance violation, an immigration issue, or any other noncriminal issue, it interferes with another ongoing civil or criminal 10400061.docx 96 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 court case. This bill does not apply to arrests for a violation of criminal law, an arrest ordered by a judge, or a violation of parole, probation, or prerelease. But we have a responsibility to ensure our state's court system can do its work regardless of the challenges our state may face. Ultimately, this bill is about making sure our courts work for the people of Illinois by limiting civil arrests that can keep people from participating in… in court, and I urge an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Kifowit is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"Thank you, sir. I'm here to address my colleagues with regard to this very important subject. My grandfather immigrated to this country from Poland when he was 17. The Statue of Liberty greeted him with the inscription, 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.' This reminds me of when I served in the United States Marine Corps. I served with an individual that I adored and had the honor of serving with, Lance Corporal Hector Vallecillos. He was undocumented and serving his country in the United States Marines, willing to give his life for our freedom and, again, was undocumented. He talked about all the time on how much he yearned to breathe free, to be a citizen of our United States, so he served his country. Is he less than honorable because he didn't have the papers? But the country that he lived in allows him to serve, allows him to die for our freedoms. And all he wanted was to be a citizen and to go through the process, and it was still difficult for 10400061.docx 97 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 him as a veteran. I served for almost 10 years as the alderman for the 3rd Ward in Aurora. The 3rd Ward at that time was a minority majority district. Sixty-five percent of my ward was Hispanic. My children attended East Aurora School District 131, a majority-Hispanic school district. And you know what? My daughter never asked her friends if they were documented or not. They were all her friends. They were children, children with parents that loved them. Some of them were undocumented, some of them weren't. There is a woman at East Aurora School District named Mrs. B who was the school secretary, and everybody loved her. And she found the love of her life. And guess what? He was undocumented. Imagine that, an undocumented person can actually love another person. They went through the process. The process took years after they were married. They even had to have an extended separation period to just be together in our country, just for him to be able to be with the love of his life. It was expensive, but they did it. They struggled, and I heard about it all the time. And it took a lot of paperwork, to the fact that many people in this chamber do not know how difficult the actual process to obtain citizenship is. Unfortunately, today many of my friends, some that still live on the East Side of Aurora, they have relatives. In fact, one of my friend is… is an Army veteran. He has relatives. He has immediate family that sit in their basement in fear not because they're undocumented but because they are afraid of being picked up by how they look. It's shameful. Today we are gathered in a moment of profound constitutional consequences, it was mentioned of the Constitution. The actions we are witnessing, 10400061.docx 98 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 the deployment of out-of-state forces, the operation of masked, unidentified individuals in our communities, they present a clear and present danger, running through Naperville with guns blaring and children around. This is a constitutional crisis for the rights of the people of Illinois. I served as United States Marine Corps veteran, and I, too, took an oath to the Constitution. I feel the duty to speak up is so profound. It's… this is not a partisan issue. It's a foundational one. The framework of our rights are being tested, and it is our sworn duty as Members of this august body to meet that test and just to remind people about our constitutional rights. The Constitution, in effect, is the foundation of legal document of our United States that establishes the government structure, while the Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution specifically guaranteeing individual rights and civil liberties. Think of the Constitution as the blueprint for the government and the Bill of Rights as a section of the blueprint that protects individual freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and due process from government overreach. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, Bill of Rights' sixth article. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, their houses, papers, effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, probable cause. The Bill of Rights. Individuals shall not be deprived of life, liberty, or prosperity without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. So, House Bill 1312 is our 10400061.docx 99 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 necessary and measured response. It is the product of a grave necessity I never thought I'd see in my lifetime and reaffirm the rule of law in the face of escalating and unconstitutional practices. So, I am supporting House Bill 1312. It is… it is the right thing to do. It is the line in the sand that we must draw. This bill names the crimes. It calls out the constitutional crisis, the vandalism for what it is. Let us be precise about what the legislation does. It applies the specific enumerated protections of our Bill of Rights in the specific abuses that we are seeing every day. So, I understand that this could be viewed as a political decision to spend time on a bill. It's also a political decision to be spending over $3 million of taxpayer dollars a day on these unconstitutional actions. But these actions are not making our nation stronger. They are undermining the fabric of our communities and our democracy, and the choice before us is clear. We can allow our state to be used as a stage for violations funneled by, you know, bottomless pit of political farce. Or we can pass House Bill 1312 and declare that in Illinois, the Constitution is supreme, not the federal government. Our constitutional rights are supreme. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. And I urge my colleagues to look past all the rhetoric, to look at the oaths, look at the law, and look at the people as people. As my colleague from the other side just said, you cannot continue to demonize all for the sins of a few. We cannot do that. We should stop doing that. Those on the other side should stop doing that, and we need to pass the bill, uphold the Constitution, and send a firm message that in Illinois, 10400061.docx 100 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 the rule of law, the Constitution will always prevail over the rule of force. Thank you very much."
"Representative Hauter is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I have a few questions. I'm going to confine… confine them to the area of health care. Just a few questions. So, in this bill, hospitals are required to adopt state-mandated procedures on how to interact with ICE. Is that accurate?"
"Yes."
"OK. So, will… will there be training, and who is to be trained? All hospital workers, only doctors, only nurses? Who is going to be receiving this training?"
"Hospitals are free to set their policies."
"So, there is no mandate from the state on who should receive training on how to interact with ICE."
"The requirement is that they are specifically trained on the hospital's policies that are prepared by the hospital, adopted by the hospital, and there is an expectation they will train those folks on their policies."
"And you say 'those folks.' Who… who are those folks?"
"They're employees."
"So, all employees?"
"Yes."
"So, all employees are to be trained in hospital policies on new procedures on… mandated by the state on how to interact with ICE. And how will this training be paid for? Is this an unfunded mandate?" 10400061.docx 101 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"It is not."
"So, where is the funding coming from?"
"A hospital can determine its own policies and its training."
"So, the hospital is… is mandated by the state to… to train all their employees on hospital policies, on new procedures, on how they should respond to ICE interactions, and they should do it on their own time, and they should do it on their own dime."
"Doc, it's no different than an HR director here, you coming into a room and being trained on specific sexual harassment policies and ethics training. If you actually take ethics seriously, doesn't cost you anything to come into a room and take a training. Adopt policies to be in accordance with the law, and it… it doesn't cost anything."
"Well, all due respect, the… the employee is… is going to be paid for his time, right? Are you… are you expecting the employees to do it after-hours?"
Speaker Welch: "I'm expecting them to follow whatever the hospital's set forth."
"It's unclear to me, but physicians are licensed by the state, all right, but also by the federal government. We are licensed… our controlled substance license, which is extremely important to practice, is licensed by the DEA administration. Will you guarantee our DEA license is protected if we follow this bill's procedures and obstruct federal agents?"
"I'm not here today to provide personal guarantees. I'm here to present a bill, ask you to support a law, and 10400061.docx 102 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 stand up and speak for folks that are being unjustly detained when they go to hospitals to seek medical attention."
"So, are we expected to put our license at risk if we obstruct federal agents, and we would put our DEA license at risk? It's a federal-mandated license. This is federal- administrated license."
"I'm expecting hospitals to follow a state law, to adopt a policy, and folks to follow state laws. This has absolutely nothing to do with DEA or your license regarding DEA."
"So, our… our license will not be at risk if we obstruct federal agents? Our federal license will not be at risk?"
"There is absolutely nothing in this bill asking anyone to obstruct anything or anybody. This is about adopting policies to be in accordance with state law."
"To the bill. In my opinion, this is an unfunded mandate to hospitals for additional training in addition to all the CME that we take, all the CME and state-required education, employee-required education, specialty-required education. This is in addition to that. This will be extremely risky. It's highly likely that we will put our DEA license at risk in any interaction with federal agents. I would vote 'no.'"
"Representative Barbara Hernandez is recognized." Hernandez, B.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill." Hernandez, B.: "Yesterday immigration agents targeted the families in my hometown in of… of Aurora, people who have lived, worked, and built lives there for years. I still don't know how many were taken. What I do know is that in that 10400061.docx 103 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 moment, all I wanted to do was to be with my community, to stand with them, to protect them, and to remind them they're not alone. Today, I stand here carrying that pain but also carrying hope. Hope… hope through this piece of legislation, we can begin to bring safety, dignity, and justice for families who have been living in fear for way too long. I look forward to supporting this bill because it's not just about policy, it's about the people. It's about mothers, fathers, children, and our abuelitos, who deserve to feel safe in schools, hospitals, courthouses, and child care centers and many other places. And I know our community's watching today. I want them to see their voices are heard, that their struggle moved us to take action today, and that, together, we will keep fighting for the future, for a future where our… every family can live without fear."
"Representative Ortíz is recognized." Ortíz: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill." Ortíz: "House Bill 1312 addresses the urgent need for public schools of higher education to develop procedures for reviewing and authorizing requests from law enforcement agencies to enter a school. In my community, college students don't just check the bus schedule in the morning. They check group chats to see if there were raids near campus. They don't worry as much about what classes to take next semester. They worry about who might not make it home after class. This is the reality for immigrant students in Illinois right now. I represent students who wake up scared, not because they did anything wrong but because they're Brown and live in a country 10400061.docx 104 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 where federal agents think they can turn schools into hunting grounds. We just saw it. A student at Elgin Community College pulled off campus, detained for the crime of showing up to class. Let's be very clear: When students are afraid to learn, when parents hesitate before stepping on school property, we have already failed them. School is supposed to be the one place where a student's dreams are bigger than their fear. House Bill 1312 draws a line. In Illinois, classrooms are for students, not immigration drag nets. This bill would require universities to more visibly publish know-your-rights information for students to see so they aren't robbed of their constitutional rights they are entitled to; protect student information and records so a parent's trust in a school isn't used to target their child's family; and require schools to immediately alert students and families if immigration enforcement shows up so people aren't ambushed and silenced. In Illinois, we will protect our students' rights to learn, to grow, and to belong. I strongly urge a 'yes' vote."
"Leader Davidsmeyer is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A couple… couple things. First, can you excuse Representative Wilhour for the rest of the day?"
"The record shall reflect."
"And second, a… questions of the sponsor."
"He indicates he'll yield."
"OK, thank you. Mr. Speaker, do you agree with Governor Pritzker that you want federal law enforcement to work with local law enforcement to get rid of criminal illegal aliens?" 10400061.docx 105 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Let me begin by answering that question with telling you I don't believe anyone is an illegal alien. That's a terrible term to use about anyone."
"It's a legal… it's a legal term."
"It's not a legal term. They used to call Black people slaves, legally, and it was wrong."
"I agree with that."
"Let's stop dehumanizing people. Let's start treating people right. Language matters. Let's treat people with respect and humanity. And I agree with Governor Pritzker that we should fight like hell to protect people's constitutional rights and their due process rights. Next question."
"OK. Next question. Do you believe or do you agree with Governor Pritzker that local law enforcement should work with federal law enforcement on immigration issues?"
"I believe, as the original sponsor of the TRUST Act in 2017, which was passed by this august body and signed by a Republican governor, that law enforcement should follow the TRUST Act."
"Let me remind you, of course, that this body did pass the TRUST Act. And if this body had tweaked that law or would change that, the federal government would not be in Illinois to enforce it because our local law enforcement would be able to enforce the laws that are on the books in the way directed by this body. Instead, we have chosen not to enforce the federal laws. To the bill."
"To the bill." 10400061.docx 106 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"We are a nation of laws, and I want to remind you how we got where we are. We passed a TRUST Act, not allowing our local law enforcement to work with federal law enforcement to remove dangerous criminals from our country who have come here against federal law. Our last president left the borders wide open, ignoring federal law, allowing people to cross our borders against federal law. If we wouldn't have had those two actions, we would not be in the situation we are in today. There is a legal process to become a citizen of the greatest nation on earth, the freest nation on earth. I have multiple friends who have gone through that process. I went and sat at the Old State Capitol and watched the joy in so many people's faces after they went through the legal process and became American citizens, something I think many of us take for granted. I think there is a way for us to come together to enforce laws humanely by aiding the federal government in enforcing not only our laws but the laws that are passed by the federal government. I encourage everyone to think, think about this. Encouraging people to ignore our laws is not the way to go about this because we are hindering those very same individuals' ability to eventually become citizens. And, yes, I agree, they could be the greatest citizens that this nation has ever seen, but they might never have the opportunity because they have ignored our laws in the process of coming here. Other nations have chosen to send some of the worst of the worst. I am not saying that everyone who has come here illegally is a bad person. I don't believe that. But we have laws and we have process, and if anybody should believe in following the laws that are passed by a governmental body, it 10400061.docx 107 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 should be the very people that are right here. I encourage you to think about this. I encourage you to work with the federal government to remove dangerous people who have come here against our nation's laws. Please vote 'no.'"
"Representative Canty is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the motion."
"To the bill."
"My great-grandparents on my mother's side came here from Germany. My great-grandparents and their parents before them and their parents before them were taken from their country of origin and brought here. We have a long and storied history in this country of believing in certain things and certain justice and certain types of due process. And we have seen time and again when we fail to provide that to everyone, and this is a moment in time. Here in this chamber, we have fought for years, for years to try and restore faith and trust in our criminal justice system and our police departments, and we are watching it erode right before our eyes in our very communities. We have people that are taken on their work breaks. We have people that are trying to follow the process that are being disappeared from courthouses. This is our moment to stand together and to say that we are better than this, that we believe in due process for everyone, that we believe in the rule of law, and that we believe our communities deserve trust in those who serve and protect them and in each other. And it is our duty to do that here in this chamber for each and every one of us and each and every one of the people who live in Illinois that we all represent. I encourage an 'aye' vote." 10400061.docx 108 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Leader González is recognized." González: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill." González: "It's late, and I'm tired. But what I'm more tired of is the belief that we can't do anything to protect Americans from the blatant violation of the Constitution by armed mercenaries. This bill protects our people, my people. If the other side of the aisle really cared about protecting local law enforcement, you should be mad that Chicago police officers have been getting tear gassed as ICE has rampaged across our great state. I got tear gassed, and it ain't fun, but if it means exposing these violators, these predators and defending the Constitution, an oath everyone in this chamber has taken, I'll gladly get tear gassed again. Because what we're talking about here is protecting people: protecting students, protecting patients, protecting defendants, protecting American citizens. A duly-elected official, a good friend of mine, and another aldermanic staffer were kidnapped by ICE. Teenagers were detained right in front of me, just a block away from my house, where I was shoved and tear gassed by Bovino and his agents. It really pissed me off. But if we had protections like this, what we're discussing today, we're giving our people one more safeguard, one step closer to republic and democracy, and one step further away from American tyranny. Because if you think, like the other side of the aisle, that we should stand by and do nothing as the federal government attacks its own people, then you are muddying the legacy of our founders, who believed in the promise of the American people, we the people, that any power 10400061.docx 109 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 not vested in the federal government be vested in the states. And, right now, Lady Liberty and Lady Justice both cry in the face of ICE agents. But the American people still believe in our Constitution and our promise, the promise of an America where life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are self- evident. Allowing ICE agents to continue their rampage is asking the American people to turn the other cheek. But even the apostle Simon Peter couldn't stand by when Jesus was being arrested. So, vote for HB1312. Let's protect my people. Let's protect our people."
Speaker West: "Representative Johnson is recognized. Representative Johnson is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"When I left here a couple of weeks ago, I… I think I felt in a way I don't… I don't think I've ever felt in my life. I guess I felt a little bit insulated. I'm 160 miles away from Springfield, 160 miles away from Chicago. And as I heard the stories and the things that were going on in a lot of my colleagues' districts, and they're sharing some of them tonight, my wife asked me if I… I was OK, and I said, I… I really don't know. And then it brought me back to a story that I was told many, many years ago about a little 7-year- old girl from Mexico. Imagine being 7 years old in a country at war with itself and your parents tell you and your siblings that in order to find a better life, you have to leave everything behind, make a long journey across the Rio Grande and cross over to a land that is full of opportunity. Most 7- year-olds would truly have no idea what that would mean, but 10400061.docx 110 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 having no choice, you trust your parents. That little girl, while they crossed the Rio Grande, she took a bullet to her left shoulder, scarred forever, but she got out of Mexico. She came to America. She worked incredibly hard while building our nation's railroad, even lost her first husband to a workplace accident in which he was decapitated. Yet, she continued to never lose faith in the promise of America instilled in her by her parents. One day, after many years of service, she was gifted a boxcar from the rail line in which she continued to build her family. For decades, her and her children eventually founded and operated one of the most successful restaurants in Silvis, Illinois, the Ice Cream Palace. Her son, Red, was a decorated Korean War vet. The family built that life in Silvis off that little boxcar just a few blocks away from Hero Street. Hero Street is a small one-and-a-half-block street that is the most patriotic street in America. Fifty-seven men served, and eight of them died, never returned home in… in World War II and Korea. It's a… it's a street of proud Mexican American immigrants. The reality is that her story, their story would most likely not be possible today. There were no doubt many dark, dark days, but they never gave up on that promise. Today Donald Trump and his administration, they want to steal that promise of America. I would like to think that every single time that she rubbed that scar on her shoulder, she accepted it as something that was well worth the harrowing journey, a reminder that while there are sometimes marks left from those dark days, that if you work harder, the brighter days are just ahead. In Donald Trump's America, it's apparently OK for 10400061.docx 111 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 7-year-old children to have to try to wash tear gas from their eyes during a Halloween celebration, which was reaffirmed today by Kristi Noem, in which his agents apparently enjoy gassing entire neighborhoods. It's reprehensible. It's also disgusting that a couple of weeks ago, I had to convene a meeting of local advocates in my area to tell them about a policy that is being considered to round up children 14 to 17 and offer them money to revoke their rights to be here or give their parents up. I guess it wasn't enough to terrorize families by arresting parents after they dropped their children off at school. There are no limits to their cruelty. This administration does not believe in due process. 'Better 100 guilty men go free to prevent one innocent man from suffering' has been replaced by 'arrest or detain 100 legal citizens to find one undocumented.' And yet, I hear nothing from the other side. It's wrong, plain and simple. And anyone that doesn't see it can hide behind snide remarks, like referring to president autopen or violating the decorum of this floor by putting out those red hats. It's nothing more than a diversion, and we all deserve better, and we're going to get better. I promised my father long ago to always give voice to those unable to speak for themselves and to those that are being minimized in our society and marginalized. But I also made that promise to that 7-year-old girl's great- great-granddaughter, my wife, Celia. I made that promise to her to always continue to fight. And that fight continues by supporting this bill and every day moving forward. Please vote 'yes' on House Bill 1312."
"Representative Huynh is recognized." 10400061.docx 112 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"I rise in support of House Bill 1312. The right to live free from fear of compulsion by the unlawful use of force is enshrined in the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The right to a speedy and public trial is protected by the Sixth Amendment. These are just two of the constitutional rights that ICE tramples on every single day in communities across Illinois, and these are the rights that we as legislators must have a duty to protect. If you know anything about me, you know that I was born in a… in an authoritarian regime in Vietnam, a country with no such constitutional protections. My family and I were on the kill list in Vietnam. Every single day neighbors disappeared, protesters executed, and anyone who refused to regurgitate the party's ideology was sent to a concentration camp. I value freedom so deeply because I know what it's like to live without freedom. And every single day it's painfully obvious that we are inching towards… and closer towards a grim reality under this Trump administration. In my district, on the North Side lakefront of Chicago, we've have had families teared… ripped apart. We had a father who was detained unlawfully while his daughter is dying of cancer in Lakeview. We've have had tear gas at Halloween parades across the North Side. And just last week, while I was out protecting my neighbors by documenting ICE activity legally, an ICE officer pointed a gun at my face point-blank, threatening me, my staff, and bystanders alike. These reckless actions are all too common, and we must rein them in. We cannot continue to allow gun- 10400061.docx 113 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 toting, masked mercenaries, often without agency badges, roam our communities and abduct our neighbors. Enough is enough. ICE conduct, CP… CBP's conduct, DHS's conduct is unacceptable and un-American. Un-American. And if you love the Constitution of the United States, if you love America as much as you say you do, and if you love its freedoms, and if you love and believe in due process, then I urge you to vote 'yes' on this bill. Thank you."
"Representative Jiménez is recognized." Jiménez: "Speaker, will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will." Jiménez: "To the bill."
"To the bill." Jiménez: "I stood here a few months ago presenting the safe schools bill to ensure that no child would be denied access to school. We passed that bill because we believe it is good policy for children to be in school. Today I rise to ensure that those same antidiscrimination protections are extended to our early childhood centers. This legislation requires day care centers to adopt policies to ensure families are not excluded or discouraged from participating in day care programs based on their actual or perceived immigration status. We want to establish a… we want day care centers to establish a written plan of action, establish procedures for seeking consent from parents before releasing a child's information, and making sure to formalize late pickup protocols, ensuring children are safely released to designated adults. This bill will not put any additional financial burden on any of these child care providers. This 10400061.docx 114 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 legislation, what it does is give centers clear procedures and protection for children in emergencies. Now, why do we need this? A few weeks ago, in my community, masked agents released tear gas in the middle of a busy street in our community in the Northwest Side. On that same block, there was an elementary school. On the same block, there's a children's play space where I often take my son. That day, there happened to be someone walking by with a 2-year-old when tear gas was let go in that community on that street indiscriminately. That same day, my Senator, Senator Omar Aquino, where his two children go to school, their day care center was put on lockdown. Now, I ask you to imagine getting that call that your children's school, day care center is on lockdown. Well, that happened to me this morning. This morning I woke up to phone calls, to text messages from my son's school that the same thing was happening at 7:30 in the morning, when parents are getting ready to go to school. A street was blocked off where children and parents usually walk and take their kids to school. This is what our community has been going through. When a 23-year-old Latina U.S. citizen was dragged out of her car and arrested in Waukegan, what she said, she's heard on camera saying, 'Please call my dad.' I want to mention that someone like myself, a fourth-generation U.S. citizen… yes, that may surprise some of you all. Fourth- generation U.S. citizen. Puerto Ricans have been citizens since 1899, but today that doesn't matter. Racial profiling is being allowed. We are allowing racial profiling in our communities. People like me, a U.S. citizen by birth, this young woman, a U.S. citizen by birth. It's not just about 10400061.docx 115 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 immigration. We have seen time and time again hundreds of U.S. citizens have been confirmed, picked up. My alderperson, a Puerto Rican woman, was detained. Many of you have asked me what you can do in this moment. I want to thank each and every one of you for reaching out and expressing concern. Today we all have an opportunity to do something about these injustices we see around us. Today we have an opportunity to vote for this bill, and I request an 'aye' vote."
"Speaker Welch to close."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I go to my closing comments, I do want to note for the record that the Illinois Hospital Association, IHA, agreed with this bill, House Bill 1312. And they specifically noted that many Illinois hospitals already do trainings in their normal course of business. They also agreed that in adopted policies of hospitals that the training can be limited to their receptionists that take people in, but it's up to the hospitals in their policies to determine if all of their employees can take part in their training. And I want to make that clear for the record. There is an unprecedented assault going on in our communities. Unprecedented. Many of us can't believe what we're seeing with our own eyes and living through. You heard many of those testimonies here today. And so, the question I ask is, where do you stand in this moment? Where do you stand? Famous pastor once wrote, 'First they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist Then they came for the trade unionists 10400061.docx 116 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew Then they came for me And there was no one left to speak for me.' I've read that a number of times on this floor before and never thought we'd be living in a moment like this moment. Where do you stand in this moment? Will you speak for those that are being kidnapped? Will you speak for those that are being tear gassed? Will you speak for those faith leaders that are being pepper sprayed? Will you speak for those that are being detained because of how they look? Will you speak for them? If you will speak for them, vote 'yes' on House Bill 12… 1312 today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"The question is… the question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments #1, 2, and 5 to House Bill 1312?' This is final action. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those 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 'aye,' 32 voting 'nay,' and 0 voting 'present.' The House does concur to Senate… in Senate Amendments #1, 2, and 5 to House Bill 1312. And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Proceeding to the Order of Senate Amendment… Senate Bills on 10400061.docx 117 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Second Reading, we have Senate Bill 2111, offered by Leader Delgado. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"Senate Bill 2111, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendments 2, 3, and 4 have been approved for consideration. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Delgado."
"Leader Delgado on Floor Amendment #2."
"Mr. Speaker, I would like to move to adopt Floor Amendment 3 and 4."
"Floor Amendment #2 is withdrawn."
"Floor Amendment… Floor Amendment #3 is offered by Representative Delgado."
"Leader Delgado on the Floor Amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, we stand at a turning point…"
"Forgive me, leader. Leader Delgado on the Floor Amendment #3."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Speaker. Could you… could you say that again?"
"Leader Delgado moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #3. All those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed vote (sic-say) 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the… and the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"Floor Amendment #4 is offered by… offered by Representative Delgado."
"Representative Delgado on Floor Amendment #4." 10400061.docx 118 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today we stand at a turning point…"
"Forgive me, leader. Do you want the #4 to be adopted?"
"I would like to adopt the amendment, Mr. Speaker."
"All right. Leader Delgado moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #4. All those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments, but notes have been requested and not filed at this time."
"Third Reading. Leader Ann Williams on the notes." Williams, A.: "Hi. I move to move all the notes… withdraw all the notes requested."
"Mr. Clerk, please remove the notes."
"No further motions."
"Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"Senate Bill 2111, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. Third Reading of this Senate Bill."
"Leader Delgado is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And forgive me, it is 12:52, and I think we're all doing the best that we can. Today we stand at a turning point, one that will shape how millions of Illinoisans move, work, and live for generations to come. For decades, public transit has been the backbone of our region, connecting workers to jobs, students to schools, patients to care, and families to opportunity. Whether you ride the 'L,' the Metra, the bus, or even if you never step on a train at 10400061.docx 119 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 all, you benefit from a system that keeps our economy moving and our communities connected. But that system has been running on borrowed time. Fragmented governance, uneven investment, and post-COVID ridership losses have left transit struggling with unreliable service, delayed trains, canceled routes, and a looming fiscal cliff that's threatening to derail it all. Without action, families across the Northeast region and across the state would soon face service cuts, layoffs, and isolation from the opportunities that define our great state. This legislation replaces outdated bureaucracy with a unified, transparent Northern Illinois Transit Authority, a single system built to plan, coordinate, and deliver results. It invests $1.5 billion to stabilize transit operations statewide, modernize service, and ensure the buses and trains that Illinois families rely on remain safe, frequent, and dependable. But this is about more than funding transit. Every dollar we invest expands access to jobs, it strengthens small businesses, it spurs housing and commercial growth and reduces the congestion and pollution that hurt our neighborhoods. We are doing something historic today. We are reforming the structure and operation of the transit system, and we are also investing in its future. This bill is the product of years of preparation and months of negotiation, and I would like to take this moment to thank all of the dedicated members of the public transit working group who helped us build this piece of legislation: Leader Buckner, Leader Avelar, Rep. Blair-Sherlock, Rep. Canty, Rep. Will Davis, Rep. Deuter, Rep. Gill, Rep. Hanson, Rep. Barbara Hernandez, Rep. Huynh, Rep. Manley, Rep. Mayfield, Rep. 10400061.docx 120 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Moeller, Rep. Morris, Rep. Moylan, and Leader Stephens. I look forward to answering any questions, and I ask for your support."
"Leader Spain is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she will."
"Leader Delgado, we have had some discussions about this bill, none with actual language to review in front of us before doing so. Could you explain the changes made in Floor Amendment 4?"
"Floor Amendment 4 eliminates the immediate effective date."
"And what is the purpose of eliminating an immediate effective date for this bill?"
"We are… the effective date of this legislation will be June 1, 2026."
"And why was that change made?"
"It was a drafting error."
"Why… it's 1 o'clock in the morning for a bill with an… an effective date of June 1, 2026. Why are we hearing this bill tonight, and why are you calling it now?"
"So, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, this bill is the culmination of about five years' worth of work. There is an urgent need for us to make a plan for what's going to happen to the transit system in Northeastern Illinois, in particular. Now, while this is an issue that's happening across the state, we know that without action now, there could be pink slips issued to folks, there could be a 40% service cut, and we just can't wait to be able to resolve that issue." 10400061.docx 121 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"I appreciate that this is five years of culmination of hard work for you. It's six years of culmination of betrayal for me and other people in this chamber who worked collaboratively with how we should fund infrastructure in the state of Illinois. When are the pink slips and service reductions that we are all worried about, when would they take effect if this bill does not pass?"
"My understanding is that there is a requirement for warn notices, or pink slips, to be issued about 90 days in advance of service cuts actually happening. So, I couldn't tell you an exact date right now. But I know that there are… there… the looming service cuts they're looking at in Q3, which means that we would likely be seeing those pink slips in the second quarter of next year."
"In the second quarter. So, not a Halloween deadline, not an end-of-2025 deadline, but a deadline, while we can't continue to kick the can forever, a deadline that does not require us to take action tonight. Is that true?"
"I would disagree with that."
"Why?"
"As I said before, this is an issue that we have to deal with now so that we can ensure that the future of our transit system is intact for years to come."
"I… I support making sure the future of our transit system is intact for years to come. My argument is that we still have some time here. And today you introduced a drastic change, something that has not been discussed publicly until this afternoon that makes a material change to how infrastructure is funded in downstate communities. So, I'll 10400061.docx 122 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 ask you, knowing that this is not a special day on Halloween here that we need to pass this bill tonight at 1 o'clock in the morning, would you pull this bill from the record? We will work on it together in collaboration, come back with even more supportive votes to make sure that we fix transit but we also don't diminish important funding for infrastructure in downstate communities. Would you do that for me tonight?"
"Leader Spain, I was just reminded that one of the issues that we are very concerned about are an April deadline related to what we call RAP and TAP services. RAP and TAP services are services that are provided to folks who ride paratransit, and they are looking at losing the entirety of that program starting in April of next year. So, yes, this is something that is urgent. It is urgent for a population that is in dire need of access to transportation. So, no, I will not pull it from the record."
"Mr. Speaker, to the bill."
"To the bill."
"I'd like to go through some of what's taking place in the legislation that's being proposed and voted on here at 1 o'clock in the morning on Halloween. It requires a little bit of a history of transportation funding in our state. Prior to many of us collaborating with the passage of the capital bill, Rebuild Illinois, in 2019, we had experienced a lack of funding in infrastructure that had gone on for a very long time. In fact, it had been 30 years since any changes were made to the gas tax in the state of Illinois. In the passage of Rebuild Illinois, we introduced a lot of new revenue for 10400061.docx 123 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 transportation funding in the state, and we did something that was important on a bipartisan basis. We proved for all of us that transportation funding is not just roads and bridges. It is also transit funding. So, we worked together in a bipartisan way at that time to make sure that 20% of these gas tax funds would go to transit. And so, you see anyone buying gas in the state of Illinois, regardless of their use of transit or their geography, is participating and investing in mass transit. And that's a good thing. Ninety percent of that money goes to the RTA, 10% percent goes to downstate. Another thing we did in 2019 Rebuild was we had an important discussion about a special Illinois tradition of paying taxes on top of taxes. That's the sales tax on gas in addition to the motor fuel tax. And we had a discussion about eliminating that tax altogether, but the compromise we ended up moving forward was that that tax dollars, 5%, was going to the General Revenue Fund. And we would work year by year, 1% by 1% in future budgets to move that into transportation funding, where it belongs. And with that agreement came an understanding that those dollars would follow the traditional allocation of the Road Fund, with 45% of those dollars being spent in IDOT District 1 and 55% of those dollars being spent in the rest of the state, Districts 2 through 9. For those of us that represent downstate communities, that's about $470 million every year that we use for roads and bridges. In this bill, those dollars are gone. They are taken and used to fund mass transit, with 15% of an expected $860 million total going to downstate and 85% going to the RTA or the new NITA. In addition, after Rebuild Illinois, we have been accruing major 10400061.docx 124 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 balances in the Road Fund and the state construction fund. I'll mention here that without the ability to even have legislative texts in front of us, when we move this bill through the House Executive Committee in a subject matter hearing just hours ago, no language to review, more than 1,000 pages that dropped subsequent to that hearing, there was never a mention that the state construction fund would also be implicated for interest sweeps to fund transit capital. So, this bill comes up with a new revenue stream in interest in these important funds, with 90% going to Chicagoland transit and 10% for downstate transit capital projects. It's a total of $6.2 billion. This balance of infrastructure funding is something I bet lots of us have heard about because our constituents are skilled tradespeople, our businesses are frustrated that they are paying high taxes and not getting the benefit of road projects developed for them. This transit funding bill creates a perverse incentive, as it was described in our committee earlier, to not diminish the balance of the Road Fund, not get projects out of the door at IDOT, as needs to happen, but continue to build up big balances in the Road Fund so that every year we can kick off $200 million for transit capital. And then there's one more thing, and it's a big one. And it really is the change that led us to this whole point. And I got to tell you, it has nothing to do with transit. It is such a corrupt bargain that only could be possible in the state of Illinois. This bill increases our tolls by 43 cents for traditional passenger car or 30% for commercial vehicles. It delivers $1 billion of tax increases to the tollway authority. One billion dollar tax increase. Do 10400061.docx 125 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 you know how much revenue is generated by the tollway in a given year anyway? Last year, it was $1.7 billion. And with this initiative that surfaced just hours ago today, we're going to put a billion dollars more into the tollway and rob money from downstate Illinois in doing so. I'll bring my remarks to a close, but I got to tell you, this has been one hell of a veto session. It's been an expensive couple days for taxpayers here, with initiatives to increase insurance rates, energy prices, and now a massive sales tax increase throughout the RTA, including an increase on groceries for communities that did not reinstate their own grocery tax after we eliminated it, a billion-dollar tax increase for the tollway, and a betrayal of trust for people that wanted to work together in a bipartisan way to do something good for investing in infrastructure. It's a terrible day, week, experience in this General Assembly. I can't express enough my disappointment in the way that this has been handled, the way this body conducts itself, the way this chamber is operated. Something's got to give. Please vote 'no.'"
"Representative Johnson is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she will."
"Thank you. First of all, thanks to yourself, Leader Buckner, and the entire team for all of your incredibly hard work on this. Just one question. Is there funding for passenger rail in the Quad Cities in this bill?"
"Yes, there is. There is $342 million for intercity passenger rail, and the Quad Cities project is included in that." 10400061.docx 126 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you very much."
"Leader Ugaste is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she will."
"Thank you. Leader, we've had a short time, and I… I heard you talk some earlier, but I wasn't in committee, and we didn't have a bill. So, I want to make sure I have this information correct. This bill changes not only how the money will be spent for mass transit within the state of Illinois but also the governance system. Is that correct?"
"Yes. There were some changes to the government… governance in this bill."
"And… and once we replace the RTA with NITA, it will go from a 15-person board to a 20-person board. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"And the five new appointments come from the governor of Illinois?"
"That's correct."
"Why do we need those five new appointments?"
"Well, given the investment that the state of Illinois is making in the transit agencies, it… it seemed appropriate."
"Hasn't the state of Illinois always contributed to the transit agencies?"
"It has, but it… this is a pretty significant investment that we're talking about that the state of Illinois is making."
"So, shouldn't one come from each of the four leaders within our caucuses?" 10400061.docx 127 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"The governor of the state of Illinois, I think, is an appropriate representative for the people of the state of Illinois."
"OK. As far as the voting requirements go in this new NITA board, because they're going to oversee spending, future planning, allocation of funds, all of that, other than day- to-day-type operations, which the three service boards will continue to handle, correct?"
"That's correct."
"OK. What are the voting requirements for any action on that board?"
"For the NITA board?"
"Yes."
"It would require a supermajority, which is 12 votes in this case, with either… a supermajority, including two people from each appointing authority, or a 15-vote…"
"OK."
"…super-duper majority."
"So, with a 15 vote of… or what you referred to as a super-duper majority, effectively the collar counties could go without a voice in any decisions made on mass transit in Northeast Illinois. Is that correct?"
"I would say that any combination of 15 votes would be able to pass a piece of… or an ordinance out of that… out of that body. That could be a number of different combinations."
"Leader… Leader Delgado, I… I…"
"It could… it could leave out the city of Chicago. It could leave out the… the governor's appointments. It could 10400061.docx 128 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 leave out Cook County. So, there could be a whole lot of permutations of that."
"That… that is true. There are many, and we could talk about just every… about every situation and possibility here. I just wanted confirmation that with this structure, which is not one that we have previously talked about, we talked about 16 in our personal conversations, but also has been in place with the current RTA board so that the city of Chicago and Cook County could never control the decisions being made by the board, that one vote from the collar county would have to exist. That's the current structure of the RTA, correct?"
"I believe so."
"OK. But we're removing that. There's a possibility now that with 15 votes, not one vote coming from the collar counties, that the board can make decisions that affect every one of those five counties."
"The requirement is that if 15 folks in… on that board vote for something, then it will pass."
"OK. Thank you. As far as the… the money being given, it… it's quite substantial. I… I do note it's a bit lower… lower than yesterday to mass transit, and I appreciate that. We come up with about 1.478 billion in our estimates. The fares, though, I noted, have been frozen for one year. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"When is the last time the CTA has raised their fares?"
"I believe it was before COVID." 10400061.docx 129 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Why do we feel the need today to… to limit the CTA's ability or anyone else's ability to raise fares when we're looking at a fiscal cliff?"
"So, the investment that this legislation makes is around $1.5 billion to transit across the state. In order for the agency to go from what exists now to what it's going to be in the future, we felt it was appropriate for the agency to have a year to be able to stabilize before they begin talking about fare increases."
"Well, the current RTA board was looking at raising fare… or the current transit boards, I guess it wasn't just the RTA, but transit boards were looking at raising fares across the board by 10%. That was going to help them raise additional millions of dollars so that there wouldn't be such a great fiscal cliff. Don't we think that would be a good idea to save the taxpayers of Illinois some money? That's a user fare."
"Correct. It is… it is a user fee to be able to utilize the system. However, what I would say is that when the RTA proposed that fare increase, they were doing that based on not knowing what exactly it was that this body was going to do to support transit, which is another reason why there is some urgency here, so that we can put this in place so that they can be prepared for their budgets that are actually due before the end of this year. And so, again, I'll go back to the reasoning to why we want to allow at least one year for this new agency to be able to stabilize before they start making decisions about fares." 10400061.docx 130 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"OK. So, if we wait one year, there's no additional fare recoveries despite the fact that it's been over 10 years since the RT… RTA or CTA has done anything about their fares. I don't understand how anything operates that way, but I guess we'll move on. The fare recovery is down to 25% still, I assume. I haven't had a chance to look."
"Yes, the farebox recovery ratio will be at 25%. That is a little bit higher than what we see most of the peer agencies around the country have."
"But it's lower than the 50% we have demanded in the past and what the system operated under, at least up until 2020, is my belief. And I paid myself as a rider of mass transit, not only on Metra but Pace and the CTA, for about 40 years. Is that correct?"
"The 50% farebox recovery ratio is way out of whack if you compare to other agencies, similarly situated peer agencies across the country. And so, we wanted to make sure that when we were doing the reforms in this legislation that we really methodically thought about what is the best way for us to encourage efficiency and effectiveness in transit. And one of those ways is to consider changing the farebox recovery ratio to making it something that's more attainable because, frankly, they never met the 50% farebox recovery ratio. It was always a bit of an… a numbers game. It's much better for them to have something that's attainable that they can show in metrics so that there can be accountability to the service that they're providing."
"Well, arguments could be made about what we do here sometimes the same ways, but we'll move on from that. As far 10400061.docx 131 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 as the amount for the tollway, it's about a one point… a $1 billion surcharge that's going… or charge that's going to be collected. Is that correct? Annually, and then with a CPI on it."
"So, the tollway is also a user fee. So, I would characterize it that way."
"OK."
"And I would… and our… our estimations is that it could be between 800 million to a billion dollars. But keep in mind, those funds are being dedicated to infrastructure projects related to the tollway. So, these user fees for the folks that are using that system and a significant investment in that system, again, for the users who are utilizing it."
"I… I understand. I agree, and I appreciate that, and I appreciate the fact that it's being dedicated to the infrastructure on the tollway. I truly do. Where… where is that work needed of a billion dollars a year? I'm trying to figure it out because I drive the tollways quite a bit, and I have not noticed the tollways to be in any great disrepair based upon their current collections of 1.72 billion."
"So, I am not an expert in the tollways, but what I can say is that they are currently working on a long-term plan for future investment in the system. And so, they… they have started to lay out the needs that they see moving forward. It's a modernization plan. And, again, I think I would say if you're not seeing a significant need that must mean that the tollway is actually doing what they're supposed to do, which is maintaining the road and continuing to invest in it."
"I… I agree. My… my question…" 10400061.docx 132 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"If you don't invest in something, it'll start to fall apart."
"Oh, sorry. I thought you were done, I apologize."
"Go ahead."
"No, I… I don't want it to fall apart either. It's just if they're doing it with 1.72 billion right now, I was just wondering why 2.72 billion was needed, but we'll… we'll go from there. And then there's going to be an increase in the RTA sales tax of 0.25%."
"Yes, a quarter of a percent."
"Are we going to allow the NITA board to raise that tax on their own hereafter?"
"The RTA board is going to be given the authority to raise that."
"It's not… the board's going to continue to be called the RTA board, not the NITA board now?"
"No, it'll be the RTA board. Based on the immediate need for getting these funds in place, there are transition plans to go from the RTA board to the NITA board. The RTA board's going to be given the authority to do this in statute. That's the way it's written. The transition doesn't happen immediately."
"So, we're… but either way, we're abdicating our authority to tax people within the state to a transit board. Is that right?"
"The RTA board has had the authority to do this, I think, since its inception."
"OK. And, again, you said it's almost 1.5 billion that we're going to be putting into transit throughout the state." 10400061.docx 133 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Yes. It's a transformative investment in transit."
"OK. The 800 billion, I understand, is going to address the fiscal cliff that the RTA is anticipating will hit them in 2027. Is that right?"
"The 860 million?"
"How… what's the dollar figure that the RTA anticipates they're going to need to survive without severe cuts in 2027?"
"2027, I think it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 800 million."
"OK. And as far as downstate, how much are they going to be allocated?"
"So, downstate's need is 80 million. Their transformative request is above that. So, I think that we're expecting about 149 million."
"OK. So, 149 and 800 is still under a billion dollars. I'm wondering why we're coming up with a billion and a half to give these agencies."
"It also includes an infusion of capital investment as well as part of this package. So, it's a mixture of both operating and capital."
"So, there's a directed half a billion dollars of capital investment within this?"
"There's $200 million."
"OK. I… I thought I was near the end. I… I just remembered something, though. Rockford's going to be getting a Metra train. Is that right?"
"I believe that there is a plan to extend the service of Metra out to Rockford, yes." 10400061.docx 134 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"OK. Is Winnebago County, then, being asked to come into the… the board and is the seat being made available for them, along with the tax that the rest of the…"
"I certainly hope that Winnebago County would like to join the NITA region. I think that would be fantastic."
"Well, everyone else, we… we've required that if they want access to transit service in Northeast Illinois, they're required to become part of the system and pay into it. So, is Winnebago County and Rockford going to be required under this?"
"Under this piece of legislation…"
"Yes."
"…that's not contemplated."
"OK. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"I appreciate the fact that we want a state-of-the-art mass transit system in Illinois. I… I don't know how, though, we… we justify spending more money than what we need after $2 billion of tax increases in the last few years. And while this isn't all tax increases, and I can appreciate that, somehow, we're… or for some reason, in order to address mass transit in Northeast Illinois, we're also raising the rates on tolls by a billion dollars, a 60% increase at each toll booth. And yet, the CTA is not being asked to raise their fares after 10 years, being put on hold until the new board can come in and determine, apparently, what is right. There are people who use that tollway, as well as the CTA, that can barely afford to pay their bills too. I have a family member that's one of them. It's going to force them onto arterial 10400061.docx 135 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 streets. On what is already a long day, it's going to make it even longer. You know, I… I understand the need to make certain things don't fall apart, but the RTA came to us with a number of $200 million. It seems to me the very logical thing to do here would be to put in place a new governance board in which the collar counties cannot be disregarded, and I hope every suburban legislator is paying attention to that. Cook County and Chicago can completely control mass transit in Northeast Illinois with the right appointments, and the collar counties could be left with no say. And that, to me, is a huge problem, especially given the fact that in all this funding, and while we all pay into the Road Fund, Chicago, Cook, collars, and the whole rest of the state, from which these expenses are going to be taken, most of the drivers on those tollways that are going to see that $1 billion increase in their tolls come from the suburbs. And I'm still not certain how that money, why that money has to be raised in order to improve mass transit in Northeast Illinois. But that having been said, it feels to me like the collar counties are being taken advantage of here much the way downstate feels they're being taken advantage of. We have citizens and population that travel throughout the area and need good roads in addition to needing mass transit. And when we will have little to no say over it, I'm very concerned in 10, 15, 20 years what mass transit may look like for the people that live in my district. Spending more money than we need to at the current time is not the right answer. The RTA came to us in October after telling us for a year that they needed $771 million and said, 'Oh, by the way, we can get by with about 10400061.docx 136 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 230 million.' And, amazingly, in that, they had 232 million in additional revenues coming from taxes that they had not anticipated as well as the fact that they came up with 217 million in various operating efficiencies and expenditures that they were able to save. So, why, at this time, we would give them and start paying them $1.5 billion to operate a system that only needs another 230 is not a proper way to proceed. It's not being good stewards of our taxpayers' money, and I would urge a 'no' vote."
"Leader Hammond is recognized."
"You… thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"Just for a point of clarification. I know many of my colleagues live within Cook County, but when we're discussing downstate when it refers to this bill, we're referring to everything in the state outside of Cook and the collar counties. So, I want to make that very clear. That is an enormous amount of roads across the state of Illinois. For many, many years, we have had an agreement that when it came to the road funds, Cook and the collars would receive 45% of the funding. It's a smaller area. Yes, you have a lot of motorists. The rest of the state would receive 55% of the road funds. That was a deal. That was a deal that was made that's been in place, that's been honored for years. Now, we stand here, 1:28 on October 31, and that deal is no longer going to be honored. Instead, we're going to an 85-15. And you can take it or you can leave it. Is it fair? Hell no, it's not fair. But it is what it is. And you can take it or you can leave it. In 2016, the voters in the state of Illinois 10400061.docx 137 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 voted to put our road funds into a lockbox. We had that referendum on the ballot for a very, very, very good reason. Because the road funds were being used and abused for just about everything you could possibly imagine. Wasn't just downstate or the rest of the state that suffered. It was everybody. Overwhelmingly, the voters voted to put that lockbox into effect. There was nothing in that referendum that said we're going to put this all in a lockbox unless you need it for something else. But here we are, 1:30 in the morning, October 31. That deal's off the table too. Ladies and gentlemen, this is wrong. I appreciate how difficult and how hard the sponsors in the House have worked on this, but we don't have it right yet, and we don't have to pass it now. There is time. There is time for negotiations, and there's time for more work. And that's what we should be doing, not what we're doing here right now. The other interesting part of this that I find pretty mysterious, definitely controversial, when we had the subject matter hearing earlier with no language, of course, this is the largest fund sweep that I can recall from IDOT road funds. There was not one representative from the Illinois Department of Transportation in that hearing room. Not one. It was crickets. Why? In my opinion, they were told to stay away. There's nothing right, folks. Vote 'no.'"
"Representative Hanson is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and happy Halloween. You're doing a great job tonight. Normally, at 1:32 in the morning, I'm somewhere between I-355 and the east branch of the DuPage River on train number 1295. And in the discussion, we had 10400061.docx 138 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 earlier, we talked about that legislation being about people, not policy. And this fiscal cliff that we are addressing started with an education mountain, and all the people that… that make this transit system for not just the… the RTA area, the NITA area, but also the entire state, so, so complex. And… and first things first, thank you to both leaders for… for navigating and leading our… our transit working group. And for all the staffers that are around here, the other part of fiscal cliff was education mountain, and you got us up that hill and got a lot of folks really smart in a hurry, and we realized how complicated it was. I'm not going to read you the entire history of… of railroading and transit. But this began in 1849 in the Aurora and Eastern Railroad, when some wealthy businessmen wanted to figure out how to get to Chicago more quickly. And now, here we are, some darn near 200 years later, and Illinois is the largest transportation hub in the continent, and Chicago is the largest transit hub in North America. Union Station alone hauls… or handles 35 million people a year, 30 million of which are commuter rail users. That's before we even start talking about Pace, paratransit, ride on demand, and our CTA passengers. So, we talk about this being important to people. It's a lot of people every single day. And while this bill is not perfect, neither are we. And we all have a shelf life, unlike Metra equipment, unlike our… unlike our bridges, 227 of which are over a hundred years old. So, it's going to be on all of us and our… our successors to make sure that we get this right in follow- up legislation, we make sure we get this right and that the accountability standards that are finally going to be in place 10400061.docx 139 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 for all these agencies are adhered to, to make sure that we continue to invest properly. Back to the people, I think about the nurses that we haul on our line every single night, OK, going to work, third shift, picking them up, getting off third shift; the parochial stool… school students that use our system and the CTA system to get to a school of their and their… their caregivers' and their parents' choice. I think about the mail carriers that… that hop on our line at four in the morning, 3:30 in the morning, jump right off the train, go right upstairs to the… to the Chicago post office. I think about all those… the students of the other types: the trade students, the… the community college students, the UIC folks, to and from either direction, not always out of the city, coming out or in the city, coming in… or out of the city, coming in; the tourists, all the people that… that make our system so critical to the $1.1 trillion economic engine that is Illinois; the MacGyvers, OK, MacGyvers in the verb, meaning they keep our system together. They make everything work. They make sure it's always there, and this funding is going to finally make the MacGyvers have a little bit easier time. When we use rolling stock, meaning our cars and our engines that are 70, 80 years old, I'm not kidding, they were built during the Korean War, and our locomotives were built in the 1970s, that's great that you can refurb, but we need new stuff, and this capital commitment will… will change those things too. It'll be real work on the front end, and it'll be transformational transit on the back end. So, I commit to being a part of this legislation… this Legislature as long as the people will commit to me. And as long as I'm here, I'll 10400061.docx 140 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 make sure that everything that we've started tonight gets underway quickly and people are held accountable for doing it 'cause, certainly, the groups that are there now don't always do what they're supposed to be doing. They've been tasked for coming up with a universal fare system for a long time. A network that is actually a network: talk to each other, communicate with employees to figure out how to make the system better, and this is a step in the right direction. So, thank you for everything that's gotten us here. There's a lot of work left to do, but this is a great start. And I can't wait to get to work on actually putting this into place. You're just the best. And I realize this is… this is difficult for some, but I promise to commit to make sure that it… that it's a lot less painful than you may think it's going to be 'cause I think it's… I think it's a… it's what Chicagoland and Illinois deserves. Thank you."
"Leader McCombie is recognized."
"Thank you, Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. I just have a few questions for… to clarify. On the sweeping of the sales tax on the motor fuel, that was the 55-45 split, with the 55 going downstate, able to use for road infrastructure, correct? Before this bill."
"So, the funding that's identified in this bill is a portion of the sales tax on motor fuel that is being dedicated to transit operations."
"Right. I mean as it exists before we pass this bill. But you could spend… downstate could take that 55% of that 10400061.docx 141 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 portion and spend it on road… roads, bridges, infrastructure for downstate, correct?"
"So, when the Department of Transportation puts together a plan to… to put construction work out in the system, they do split it 55% downstate, 45% District 1."
"Right. But what I'm trying to get at is how they can spend it. What can the 55% be spent on? Because from my understanding, the new split, 85-15 for downstate, that can only be spent on downstate transit, not downstate roads and bridges. Is that correct?"
"That's correct, yes."
"I don't know if everybody just heard that. All right. The other thing to clarify on the tollway surcharge. So, every toll, I actually think it's 45 cents, not 43, per the bill language. But how often… that's going to have a CPI on that now, capped at 4%. How often will that be adjusted?"
"My understanding is that it will be adjusted every two years. Let me confirm for you though, leader."
"Every two years?"
"Let me confirm for you, leader. I want to make sure I get it right. Yes, every two years."
"Thank you. And just to confirm, when the… the deal that Representative Hammond and… and several others have talked about that was made before with the capital bill, the increase of the gas tax, didn't that have 20% of the new revenue going to transit?"
"That's… that is what I was told."
"OK." 10400061.docx 142 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Unfortunately, leader, I wasn't here when that piece of legislation passed."
"OK. So, when you talked, I think it was Representative Ugaste asked about the tollway or somebody, the surcharge, and that's going to be spent. So, that money collected on the tolls will be spent on the tolls, correct?"
"That's correct, yes. It'll be invested into the capital program for the tollway."
"OK. So, that's… that's a… that's a bill, and that's the deal that's being made. But a few years down the road, that promise, that deal could blow up when somebody else who has a different idea how the money should be spent will be spent. So, you really can't say that the tollway money is going to stay in the tollway because it's not going to really be up to you. It's going to be up to who's passing the next bill or the next priority of a Speaker. Wouldn't that be more accurate? I mean, ideally that's the goal that you're trying to achieve, but you can't guarantee that. Would that be correct?"
"So, I guess I would say a couple of things. So, one, I think that anytime we do something in this body, I think the intent is the intent, right? I'm… I'm telling you that this is the plan that is existing today. I can't predict what future General Assemblies are going to do or how they're going to make decisions. I can also say that with this tollway fund that's going to be dedicated to capital construction, if they bond against those dollars and that revenue stream, then that revenue stream is dedicated to those bonds for the future because there's an indenture related to those bonds. So, once 10400061.docx 143 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 we identify this as a revenue stream for that, it really can't be changed or touched. There's a contract associated with that."
"OK. So, the… the tollway dollars that are collected are going to go in… so, you're saying they're going to go into the lockbox and they're just going to be used for capital on the tollway."
"So, the way I would describe it is the revenue stream that's coming from this increased toll, they will be dedicated to bonding in the future that is going to be this… these construction projects. And so, that revenue stream can't be tapped for anything else but to repay those bonds."
"OK. So, I'm hearing that it won't be any sweeps or slides to be used for operations."
"That's correct. This… this money is going to be dedicated to capital construction."
"OK. And then a previous Representative from the Quad Cities asked about the rail for Moline. And you stated that, yes, there was, what'd you say, 143, 145 million to extend the rail to Moline?"
"So, there's $342 million that… that is dedicated to intercity rail."
"So, not… so, there's not a line item in particular for the Moline line?"
"The Moline line, I believe, is identified, but it is included as part of that package."
"At… at what amount?"
"I don't have a specific… I have…"
"Oh, I… I thought…" 10400061.docx 144 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"I have 342 million."
"So, 342 is the total. So, that could be part of Rockford and it could be part of Moline. Is that a fair assessment?"
"I… I couldn't answer that question, specifically. I only know that it's 342 million."
"So, 342 for inner… inner, what did you say, inner?"
"For innercity rail."
"OK. Are you aware, is there a deal all of a sudden with the state of Illinois and Iowa Interstate rail?"
"I am…"
"That's… that's private rail."
"I'm unaware of that…"
"OK."
"…leader."
"So, to say that the Moline… the Moline rail is going to be extended when there is no deal with a private owner of land, is there a plan or anything that you're aware of that they're going to take this by eminent domain?"
"I am not aware of anything like that, leader."
"OK. So, to be clear, from the Representative from the Quad Cities, there's a couple of them here. We've been talking about this rail before I started when I had the Quad Cities for nine years. It's private land. Until that… that deal is made, there is going to be no rail to Moline. So, to say you're going to vote for this because there's going to be a rail to Moline is false until that deal is made. This is the thing about deals. The deal that was made several years ago, I… I fought against our leader at the time, and it caused angst for a long period of time between us. But now, today as 10400061.docx 145 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 the leader, I fight to still hold that deal together. When Republican districts around the state were going to be getting projects, I think in the amount of $110 million, and today $41 million still sits out there not used, some of which is now in Democrat districts. When I ask about the deal, I'm told it wasn't my deal, I didn't make it, move on. That's the problem, and this is how this place has changed in a very short period of time. We are never going to collaborate and work on a deal if you continue to screw us over, to screw each other over, and not have any respect for the deal. We don't need to do this today. We don't need to do it in this amount. And if anybody thinks you're getting a deal, it's not going to happen or it's not going to happen to the full extent. And I'm sorry, Representative… leader, I'm sorry. You're probably going to get screwed too. Vote 'no.'"
"Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates she will."
"Thank you. Leader, I have just a couple questions on a specific part of the bill. It's on page 218. It's the transit supportive development section. These… it deals with transit supportive development projects. And the way that many are reading this, and I want to make sure this is correct, is that this would allow for property to be taken by the authority under condemnation or other acquisition from private owners and potentially have a development given to a different private owner. Is that your understanding of how this would work, or is there a limitation on transfer of whatever property is acquired to a separate private owner?" 10400061.docx 146 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"So, just to… I'm going to expand a little bit on your question."
"Please."
"So, the RTA, as it exists today, has eminent domain power. We are taking that same eminent domain power and we're including it as a part of this transit supportive development. However, I can tell you that there were some concerns that were raised by local municipalities concerned that they would not be engaged in that. So, we did address that issue. As it relates to the transfer of the property, I don't know that there's anything specific in this language that addresses whether the NITA board would be… would be restricted in any way from the transfer of property."
"And it appears that they could essentially take property from one private person or private owner for residential improvements, commercial improvements, or supportive infrastructure, and particularly on those residential or commercial improvements have that be done by a separate private entity. And so, that is concerning. The other question I have is are there current projects that are envisioned under this section as… if this bill were to pass that are ready to… to occur?"
"There are no projects, as far as I know, that are planned at this time."
"Thank you."
"Members, we will be instituting a three-minute timer for the remaining of our speakers. Representative Blair-Sherlock, you're recognized."
"Thank you. Will the sponsor yield?" 10400061.docx 147 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"She indicates she will."
"OK. Thank you. Leader, just a couple of questions. Mass transit or our transit agencies, which are three, right? We've got Metra, Pace, and CTA. They have certain mandates with respect to paratransit and senior transit. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"OK. And have… has the state of Illinois been fully funding those mandated programs?"
"No."
"OK. And were you aware that the RTA has only funded the RAP and TAP program until March of 2026, at which time that will stop if we don't pass this bill?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"OK. And that provides paratransit rides subsidized by Uber and in areas that don't necessarily have as much mass transit. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"OK. And this will be addressing that shortfall and will be shoring up the unfunded mandates with respect to not just paratransit but senior transit as well."
"Yes, that's correct."
"Thank you."
"Leader Cabello is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield… leader yield?"
"She indicates she will."
"Thank you. Leader, let's talk about safety for a few minutes here and get away from all the other stuff. I… I do 10400061.docx 148 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 have a couple of questions. I believe back in the spring session you and I kind of had a conversation about who is going to oversee the security on the trains, the rails, and everything else. It has now come out that it's going to be CPD that is going to do that. Is that correct?"
"So, there is a provision for a law enforcement task force, and I believe that the Cook County sheriff is going to be the lead on that."
"OK. Are they going to be the lead on the trains that go throughout different counties, like Metra?"
"So, the way that the law enforcement task force is envisioned to work is that there will be a collaboration across multiple agencies, and depending on where any particular issue may occur, it's likely that the responding agency would be the agency that wherever the issue is occurring. So, for example, if there was something that happened in the city of Chicago, CPD would be the responding agency."
"OK. The reason why I bring this up, and I'm not sure somebody brought it to your attention, so I want to make sure that it comes clear, Metra trains are also funded by the federal government, which means anyone that is doing police work must also be a federal agent, which means they also must enforce federal law. So, I think somebody needs to look at that. I talked to you about it before. I think Metra is the… the better choice to… to police those… those trains, especially since they're going through other counties. Because if law enforcement doesn't enforce those federal laws, federal funding will be pulled. Thank you." 10400061.docx 149 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Representative Reick is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates she will."
"Representative, you just… we just heard that the paratransit program is going to be shut down or run out of money or whatever in March of 2026. But this bill does not go into effect until June 1 of 2026. Why aren't we getting immediate… why aren't we putting this bill into immediate effect, or what's going to happen to that program in the intervening months between the time it runs out of money and this bill goes into effect?"
"So, once the agencies can predict and prepare for a future effective date, they will be able to adjust their budgets so that they could continue to operate as they would or as they would like to, knowing that there will be future funding…"
"Or… or…"
"…that is coming to address the rest of the fiscal year."
"Or possibly you could sweep it out of Metra and the CTA, like you did to Pace and Metra in order to fund the CTA, something like that?"
"Is… is that a question?"
"Yeah, it was a question."
"I would say no."
"OK. We have precedent, that's the only reason I ask. Another question I have deals with, again, Winnebago and Boone County not being expected to join this NITA program, even though they're going to get rail service. Let's extend this to the… courtesy to the same… to the five collar counties. 10400061.docx 150 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 Are the five collar counties going to have the option to opt into NITA if they so choose or are they automatically going to be dragged into this?"
"So, the five collar counties that are currently a part of RTA will continue to be a part of NITA."
"Can we get out?"
"You can, yes, through a referendum."
"OK, question. Metra, Pace, and… Metra and Pace, 'cause those are the only ones that affect my… my constituents, are those going to still exist as separate entities?"
"Yes."
"OK. 'Cause they're all subject to different pension rules and federal employee rules and all that kind of stuff. So, they will continue to exist?"
"Yes, they will… they will all continue to exist as operating entities."
"OK. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"In 1974, when the RTA was formed via referendum, the referendum passed by the slimmest of margins and was only approved by the city of Chicago. Cook County itself voted against it. In… in McHenry County, fewer than 2700 people voted for it out of 30,000 who voted. That's about 9%. And the collar… the other collar counties had similar voting records. And nothing over the past 50 years has given us any reason to think that that was the wrong decision on McHenry County and the other collars' part. The point I'm trying to make here is that the lack of autonomy given to the collar counties to run their own… to run their own deals, especially 10400061.docx 151 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 with Metra… let me ask you a question. Oh, I can't ask you a question. I went to the bill. I'm wondering if it's possible that since McHenry County only spends $2.8 million a year on Pace, and we're giving $45 million to Metra, and that's… and that's going to go up to… by a third because of the increase in the… in the RTA sales tax, it looks like we're not getting what we're paying for."
"Please bring your remark to its close."
"Mr.… Mr. Speaker."
"Not extending time, sir."
"Thank you. So, the simple fact is, is that…"
"I'm sorry, sir. I said we are not extending time."
"You're not expending… extending time?"
"No, sir. Please bring your remarks to a close."
"I'll bring my remarks to a close. If you're not going to bring Boone and Winnebago County in and make them pay the same sort of thing that McHenry County and all the other collars are expected to pay, I have a real problem with making… making us get into this thing without referendum on the part of the county to determine whether it wants to be in it or not. Thank you. Vote 'no.'"
"Leader Mah is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please excuse Representative Hirschauer for the rest of the day."
Speaker West: "Shall reflect. Representative Deering is recognized."
"Thank you, Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she will." 10400061.docx 152 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Can you tell me what the current transit funding shortfall is?"
"Based on what the RTA has most recently put out, I think it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 260 million."
"Two hundred and sixty million?"
"Yes, I believe so, for… for 2026."
"So, I feel like only in Illinois would we fix a $250 million problem with a $2 billion piece of legislation. I'm sorry you didn't entertain my colleague's prior offer to pull the bill and continue to work on it and talk about it, knowing that we're not going to have a problem until approximately June. To the bill. OK. I represent all or parts of four counties in central or downstate Illinois, and I can't celebrate much, but road projects are a very popular win. Just this week in my newsletter, I'm recognizing almost $50 million in IDOT projects coming to the 88th House District in 2026. Next time the mayor of Colfax invites me on a ride- along on Route 165, I'll make sure you get an invitation because it's really rough. And to think that these projects are potentially not going to be continued to be executed is a real concern for me. I want to acknowledge and applaud the Midwest labor representative who boldly, during committee earlier this afternoon, opposed this bill. He's worried about jobs downstate if these roads projects don't come to be, and I thank him for that. Our union… our union friends should be concerned. And I'm absolutely not thrilled that we are continuing on this transit bill, although I am happy that my constituents aren't going to be stuck with ridiculous taxes. 10400061.docx 153 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 But I just can't continue to vote for a piece of legislation that screws them anyway. Thank you."
"Representative Benton, you're recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she will."
"First of all, thank you to the leaders in the working group on all your hard work on this. My district, I have a large Pace facility, and we rely on paratransit and Pace transportation, along with the surrounding communities. I just want to make sure that we get this on record that there is going to be fair and equitable funding going forward for Pace, that it is not just going to go for rail, and we will continue to make that fair and equitable."
"Absolutely."
"All right. Thank you."
"Leader Davidsmeyer, you are recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she will."
"Leader Delgado, obviously, I'm on a timer, so I'm going to try to do this quickly. Really quick, I'm going to start off with a quick question that I… that was brought to me. The public safety task force that's included in this, who is the head of that? Who's in charge of it?"
"The Cook County Sheriff's Office."
"And how are they going to be funded to provide that service?"
"I believe that the way it's drafted is that they would be eligible for reimbursement from NITA, from the NITA board." 10400061.docx 154 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Eligible for the… so, they will be reimbursed for their service?"
"They would have to document what their reimbursement needed to be and…"
"Yeah, time and whatnot."
"Yes."
"OK. OK. I… I appreciate that. So, earlier you heard… we heard individuals mention downstate funding and… and District 1… versus District 1 funding. So, 45% versus 55%. We talked about this a little bit in committee. I just want people to understand that if you're not in the six counties in District 1, if you're not in the six… six counties, if you're in the 96 other counties, you're going to have your road funding, your transportation project funding cut by $473 million. But you're going to be given 146 and a half, about, million dollars of funds that can only be used for transit. I think that taking away funds… we promised our constituents when we passed that capital bill that we'd be filling potholes, that we'd be fixing roads, that we'd be fixing bridges, and now we're going to take it and tell them, sorry, we're not going to use it for that. We're going to build a new shed for a local mass transit. The reality is it only took five, six years for that to become a lie to our constituents. The previous capital bill was to be funded by VGTs, video gaming terminals, right? Every county in my district put it out, put… put them up, put them in their facilities. Every… every county around the state has 'em, except for Chicago. Chicago never implemented it. And I think that it's important… that would be… instead of creating a new 10400061.docx 155 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 tax… and I'm going to finish up, Mr. Speaker. I'm watching the time."
"Thank you, sir. Thank you."
"Instead of… instead of putting a new surcharge on the tollway, taking interest out of the Road Fund, sweeping the sales tax from the motor… motor fuel tax, or putting additional sales taxes, we should be looking at implementing VGTs in Chicago, which is a… a decision that each individual would decide to do on their own. It's not a tax that somebody is forced to pay. It would be something that somebody could show up and choose to put a dollar bill in or a $20 bill in as they please. I know that each one of my towns has done incredibly well with those dollars, and I know for a fact that Chicago would do incredibly well. That would be a great way to fund this. We shouldn't be having new taxes and sweeping funds that we promised we wouldn't sweep. Thank you."
"Representative Halbrook, you're recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. So, leader, I'm trying to understand math here in Springfield. And… and what is really kind of bizarre to me, but it's becoming a reality more and more every day, is that we do hard math with really, really big numbers after midnight, it seems like, or just before midnight on the last day of the May session, here at this hour at lame duck… or, I'm sorry, boy, it's getting late… in this veto session. We see… we see this stuff over and over again in lame duck. It's just… it just seems bizarre to me. When did we first hear of this fiscal cliff? And to what extent, what was the amount of 10400061.docx 156 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 money that was being proclaimed when we first heard about this fiscal cliff?"
"So, we've been talking about the fiscal cliff ever since we started to come out of COVID. So, I think… I've been working on this issue for the past five years. So… so, we've known that it's coming for about the past five years. The RTA did an initial assessment. I want to say maybe three years ago we started to get a better idea of what that number was. I think it was originally pegged at $771 million."
"OK. And so, we've had three-plus years at $771 million. Then, most recently, we heard a new number of about 200 or 230 million dollars was the real number. When… when did that number appear?"
"So, that number actually came out, I want to say two to three weeks before we came down here for the veto session."
"Right. And for the sake of time… and I do believe, Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, that this timer has been inequitably applied to us here at this hour. We've raged on for the last several hours, but now here recently we've… we put a put this timer on us when we've got a huge… a huge bill here to discuss. That said, I'd like for you to discuss how $500 million just disappeared, where that went, but I won't. My… my question is, this 860 million that you want to sweep from the Road Fund, and that's an… that's an annual number, right? Into perpetuity, that never goes away?"
"So, I wouldn't characterize this as a sweep of the Road Fund. And I know I… I was actually saying this a little bit earlier. I would like for us to start calling it the 10400061.docx 157 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 transportation fund because that's what those dollars were intended for."
"So, you… so, time is short. So, you want to call it a transportation fund. And that's a great… a great point. And I don't mean to cut you off. Part of the original lockbox amendment that was passed and part of the… the 2019 deal, part of the money was set aside for RTA. Is that correct? There was a formula for that. Is that correct?"
"Yes. There was a portion set aside. Yes. That… that is my understanding."
"Right. That was… that was legislated and adopted. But… but we really aren't doing that. We're just… we're just deeming this stuff to be transportation. We're really not making it a legislative action. We're just deeming it to be transportation."
"No."
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"I believe that that's actually what the… the constitutional amendment says, and it actually identifies mass transit as an allowable expenditure."
"Thank you. And to the bill. And in closing, thank you for your time. Here we go again. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, many of you in this chamber won't remember, but I wish I had a dollar for every time somebody said to me, well, I thought the lottery was going to fix school funding. And here we go again. This… we… they did… people were lied to about the lockbox amendment, said that was going to fix the roads and bridges all over the state of Illinois, and to some extent maybe it has. But the Road Fund has more and more money in it 10400061.docx 158 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 than it has ever had before in the history, and we're going to sweep that and use it for something that it wasn't intended for. The people of the state of Illinois have once again been lied to, and that's why there's zero lack… or zero trust in our state government here. We've heard a lot this week and most recently in the last few hours about freedom and liberty and constitutional rights and the like. But, ladies and gentlemen, tonight the constitutional freedoms and liberty of our citizens are being stolen from 'em in this most unruly situation. Please vote 'no.' Thank you."
"Representative Canty, you are recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicated she will."
"Thank you so much. I just want to ask some questions 'cause I think there's been a little bit of confusion around some of these topics. So, the 2016 transportation lockbox amendment, am I correct that it doesn't just protect asphalt and concrete? It goes for the whole transportation network?"
"Yes, I apologize, Representative. I got a little distracted. Can you ask that question again?"
"All good. So, the lockbox amendment…"
"Yes, ma'am."
"…for transportation, 2016."
"Yes."
"Is that just for asphalt and concrete…"
"No."
"…or for the whole network?"
"Absolutely not." 10400061.docx 159 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"OK. Fantastic. So, it is constitutionally not limited only to the building of roads?"
"That is correct."
"Thank you so much. I've got two more for you. The increase in the RTA sales tax, is that only meant to go towards transit? Are we building a funding system that is sustainable for transit (unintelligible)?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Thank you so much. And then let's talk about this Road Fund interest that we are putting towards capital funding, which we know we need to invest in, not just for our roads but also for our transportation system as a whole. The money that we are moving now, the interest from the Road Fund, not the principal but the interest that will go there, is there a cap on that in any way?"
"Yes, there is a cap at $200 million a year."
"Fantastic. Thank you. I yield."
"Leader Buckner, who's our final speaker, you are recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"This isn't just another transportation bill. It's a transformation bill. For 50 years, Illinois has been trying to fix transit one piece at a time. We've done it in parts but never as a plan. In 1974, we tried to fix structure. In 2000… in 1983, we adjusted governance. In 2008, we addressed funding. Each time we treated one symptom and ignored the others. And what we got was a patchwork, a hodgepodge of agencies working hard but not always working together. This 10400061.docx 160 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 bill is our chance to finally fix all three, structure, governance, and funding at the same time, in the same bill. No other state has ever attempted a reform this large. No other state has had the courage to say we're going to fix this and not just patch it anymore. This bill creates a unified system that will replace fragmentation with coordination. Because this isn't just about getting around. For the people of Illinois, it's about getting ahead. Transit is how people access opportunity, how cities and small towns attract investment, and how we keep Illinois moving as one state. Because you can't run a modern economy if people can't get to work, can't get to clients, can't get to opportunity. This bill also protects our transit workforce, the operators, the mechanics, the engineers who literally move Illinois every single day. And it brings new opportunities for local contractors and small firms to compete for the billions in work that this plan will generate. Illinois is growing up. We're choosing balance over bailouts and planning over panic. We're building a system where every region and every rider has a stake in the future that we're funding together. And this is not a partisan issue. If you look up there, the third name you'll see on there is a Republican leader. And I'm thankful for Leader Stephens, for his work here. But I've also heard folks tonight complain about Rockford, Illinois getting Metra access. Rockford, Illinois getting Metra access. When Metra today, the UP North, goes to… I'm sorry, goes to Kenosha. That's in Wisconsin, y'all. This is about bringing our system together. And it's a special kind of cruel to not acknowledge that not passing this right now will make 10400061.docx 161 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 a very hard Christmas for the people who drive our buses and our trains around this state. That's a special kind of cruel. And I guess it's fitting that on Halloween night we learned that from our colleagues. It's pretty scary. But this is thriller night. This isn't just a transit plan. It's a statement of values: That connection is stronger than chaos, that fairness is good economics, and that Illinois will always be a place where opportunity moves and everyone can move with it. Thank you."
"Leader Delgado to close."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know we've been talking about this for a while, and I will keep my closing remarks short. But I would not be able to stand here in front of you all and talk about this incredibly complex bill without the help of the staff who has been working with us for a long time to pull this together. So, I want to thank Eric Halvorsen, Sakthi Kumar, Dorothy Reinhard. I'd also like to thank my chief of staff, Marco Mendez, and Priscila Pena, who's on my team. They have been incredibly patient with me. I am a little bit of a transit nerd. I don't know if you guys could… have noticed that, and… and I'm kind of sad that we spent so much time on this floor talking about silly things like calling a transportation fund that's meant to fund transportation a sweep. That's not what we're doing here. What we're doing is we're taking transportation dollars and investing them in transportation. And, frankly, I'm confused. Do you want to invest in infrastructure and transportation or don't you want to invest in infrastructure and transportation? Because that's what we're doing here. This is an investment. And if 10400061.docx 162 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 you don't invest in something, it's never going to grow and it's never going to prosper. And so, I'm excited tonight to be able to say that we are doing something transformative in the state of Illinois. We are making a transit system that is going to serve the people better, and it's going to make this state even more competitive and a place that people really want to be. We have to remember that transit isn't just tracks and trains and buses, it's people. And, to me, that's what we're all doing here. We're all here to try to make lives… the people's lives better. I know that sounds a little corny, but that's the reason we all got into this, right? I think more than anything we've seen the need for the reform. And the kinds of reform that we're talking about here, it's taken us five years to get here. And the funding, well, the funding is what makes the reforms work. So, again, I want to thank everybody who has listened to me drone on and on about transit. I know sometimes I can't stop talking about it. But I'm really proud of the work that we've done here, and I can't wait to send this over to the Senate and get it to the desk of the governor. Thank you. I ask for your enthusiastic 'yes' vote."
"The question is… the question is, 'Shall Senate Bill 2… 2111 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 72 voting in 'favor,' 32 voting 'against,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declare passed. Leader Keicher, for… you are recognized." 10400061.docx 163 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you, Speaker. If you could please excuse Representatives Halbrook and Miller."
"The record shall reflect."
"And Severin."
"The record shall reflect. Members, we are moving to Short Debate."
"And Reick and Niemerg."
"Thank you, sir. Again, Members, we are moving to Short Debate. Proceeding to the Order of Senate Bills on Second Reading, we have Senate Bill 642, offered by Leader Tarver. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"Senate Bill 642, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendments 1 and 2 have been approved for consideration. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Tarver."
"Leader Tarver on Floor Amendment #1."
"Mr. Speaker, I don't want to move Floor Amendment #1. I want to move Floor Amendment #2."
"Floor Amendment #1 is withdrawn. Mr. Clerk, any other Floor Amendments?"
"Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Tarver."
"Leader Tarver on Floor Amendment #2."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Amendment 2, in addition to the… to the extension, adds an amendment related to property tax sales in Cook County. I'm happy to explain in further detail or take any questions on Third Reading." 10400061.docx 164 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Leader Tarver moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any other further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"Senate Bill 642, a Bill for an act concerning local… local government. Third Reading of this Senate Bill."
"Leader Tarver, you are recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, this bill, one, is a TIF extension bill. In addition to those TIF extensions, there's an amendment, that I just briefly discussed, that would move the payment date for property taxes from March 1, 2026 to April 1, 2026, considering those bills came out late. Cook County, it would allow for a senior… it would allow for a senior exemption… to increase the income levels, excuse me, for the senior exemption in years '26, '27, and '28 to 75,077 and 79,000 dollars. It defines what a qualified taxpayer is. And then lastly, it allows for counties that have taken tax certificates to… they may provide for payment plans, and they may waive penalties and interest as it relates to those payment plans. Happy to answer any questions."
"Members, don't forget we are on Short Debate. Leader Keicher, you are recognized."
"Thank you, Speaker. I'm going to make this as quick as I can. I'm going to… I'm going to avoid my usual TIF rant 'cause we're short on time. We're in the wee hours of the morning. Representative, I'm going to be voting 'present' on 10400061.docx 165 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 your bill today. I, as you are well aware, am adamantly opposed to TIF extensions. I've seen them devastate communities, go into green fields and… and really devastate the funding mechanisms for schools. But you guys are doing a tremendous thing by helping out seniors as inflation and… and increased costs have really devastated what those limitations are within the senior property tax freeze. So, I think you're going to see some votes on both sides of this. It's a very good measure. It's going to help seniors in the state of Illinois, and I'm finally glad to see that we're able to push that across the finish line. So, thank you for that part. I appreciate it."
"Leader Tarver to close."
"Thank you, Leader Keicher. And we are doing something very good for seniors, but I cannot take the credit. I simply have the vehicle. This is Representative Mary Beth Canty. So, thank you for your hard work. Thank you for twisting a lot of arms and pushing us to get this done. I urge an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall Senate Bill 642 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed say (sic-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 99 voting in 'favor,' 0 voting 'against,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Going back to Supplemental Calendar #2, under the Order of Concurrence, we have House Bill 1437, offered by Leader Morgan." 10400061.docx 166 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to adopt the amendments, please."
"We are on concurrence, sir."
"Thank you, Speaker. So, these sunset extensions, this is our semiannual sunset extension bill. You can read all the different amendments, and happy to answer any questions during debate."
"Leader Gabel, you are recognized."
"Mr. Speaker, please excuse Representative Stava for the rest of the day."
"Record shall reflect. Leader Windhorst, your turn."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Thank you. Leader, there were, as you mentioned, several sunset extensions, one with the Illinois Act on Aging. That extends the Illinois Commission on LGBTQ Aging for a year. We're extending RICO, I believe, the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law, extending the safe gun storage awareness campaign repeal date from January 1 of '26 to July 1 of '26, as well as some other Election Code and quick-take changes. What I just said there was correct. Is that right?"
"That's correct."
"All right. Would you just briefly explain why we're amending the Statute on Statutes and what that amendment does?"
"Sorry about the delay. The change is so that if we pass a bill that gives us seven days from the repeal date… if… what happened is that we had several extensions in May in 10400061.docx 167 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 which the governor signed the… the sunset extension after the… the bills had already sunset. So, this accounts for that and provides a buffer so that… that doesn't happen again."
"So, the sunset date won't necessarily be the sunset date going forward. There'll be a seven-day buffer period. Is that correct?"
"That… that's correct. To be passed by the General Assembly."
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
"Leader Morgan to close."
"Vote 'yes.'"
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments 1 and 4 to House Bill 1437?' This is final action. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those 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 74 voting 'aye,' 26 voting 'nay,' and 0 voting 'present.' The House does concur in Senate Amendments #1 and 4 to House Bill 1437. And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Stuart in the Chair."
"Continuing on the Order of Concurrence, we have House Bill 3065, presented by Leader West."
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. House Bill 3065 is an initiative to preserve several higher education programs and respond to a shifting legal landscape. These programs have long served important public interests to provide access to educational and career opportunities to a diverse pool of students who 10400061.docx 168 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 have faced historical hurdles to accessing these opportunities. The amendments preserve the spirit of those important public interests while addressing considerations raised by new Supreme Court precedent. The proposal would establish the Teacher of Illinois Scholarship Program to replace the Minority Teacher of Illinois Scholarship Program. Among other requirements, the scholarship would be available to any student who has attended an Illinois public school that both experienced high teacher vacancy rates and had 70% or more of their students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. By linking scholarship eligibility to these measures, we better target support to prospective teachers who were enrolled in schools that have experienced significant teacher shortages and demonstrated… demonstrated student need. The bill also demands the diversifying… amends the Diversifying of Higher Education Faculty of Illinois Program, which aims to ensure higher education faculty in Illinois reflect the diversity of our state. House Bill 3065 selects scholarship recipients based on indicators of financial need, such as recipients of Pell Grant while earning a bachelor's degree and enrollment in a post-baccalaureate degree program at a qualified institution where at least 45% of students receive Pell Grant. The bill will also amend several programs that currently designate a special portion of their funds to support students from historically underrepresented racial or ethnic groups. In all program years since the appropriation has been made, funds have been sufficient to cover all eligible programs. The amendment removes the reservation of funds for specific students but does not otherwise impact the 10400061.docx 169 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 underlying programs. The amended language applies to the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program, the Golden Apple Scholars, the School and Municipal School Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program, the iGROW Tech Scholarship Program, and the Post-Master Social Work Schools Social Work Professional Educator Licensure Scholarship. I will entertain any questions you have… you may have. It passed unanimously in the Senate. My hope is that it can do the same in the House."
"Leader… Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Thank you. Leader, appreciate the description and its thorough nature, so I'll just get to kind of some of the specific points. The purpose of this bill, as we understand it, is it's an initiative of the Illinois Attorney General's Office to bring Illinois scholarships into compliance with federal guidance on what is sometimes referred to as DEI. Is that accurate?"
"More so to make sure that our programs can keep moving forward. But yes, we're adapting so that we… we can keep the programs going."
"And that has to do with federal guidance…"
"Correct."
"…under the current administration? There is a provision in the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty program that would limit the scholarship to only students attending institutions with more than 45% Pell recipient 10400061.docx 170 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 students. Will that provision limit the number of institutions that will be eligible for the program?"
"Yes, it will. Yes, it will."
"And do we believe… that will, I believe, be five institutions in the state now that will be eligible. Does that match with what you have?"
"Yes, sir. That tracks."
"And looks like this bill passed the Senate 59 to 0."
"Correct."
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
"Leader West to close."
"I urge an 'aye' vote. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments 1 and 2 to House Bill 3065?' This is final action. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote '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 96 voting 'aye,' 0 voting 'nay,' and 0 voting 'present.' The House does concur in Senate Amendments 1 and 2 to House Bill 3065. And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On the Order of Third Reading, we have Senate Bill 2683, presented by Representative Bunting. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"Senate Bill 2683, a Bill for an Act concerning finance. Third Reading of this Senate Bill."
"Representative Bunting is recognized." 10400061.docx 171 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. This issue is extremely time sensitive and incredibly important to a school in my district. Senate Bill 2683 provides that the Iroquois County Community Unit School District 9 bonding authorization that passed the referendum in April of 2021 is expended to 10 years. The Watseka community experienced a devastating flood approximately 10 years ago. Multiple school buildings were flooded out. One was irreplaceable and is being torn down. The other one was being used is, obviously, in a floodplain and at high risk for more floods, and high maintenance costs is continuing to occur. The school districts have struggled to get their application for funding approved through IEMA and FEMA. The process took longer than expected. Therefore, we are… we are asking to extend the referendum timeline from five years to 10. Senate Bill 2683 passed the Senate Wednesday morning with a 53-0 vote. I would greatly appreciate an 'aye' vote to allow Watseka school districts enough time to get this process completed properly for their kids and their community. Thank you, and I will take any questions."
"Seeing no questions, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 20… Senate Bill 2683 pass?' All those 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, please take the record. On this question, there are 99 voting in 'favor,' none voting 'against,' and none voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions." 10400061.docx 172 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025
"Agreed Resolutions. House Resolution 544, offered by Representative Buckner. House Resolution 545, offered by Representative Jed Davis. And House Resolution 546, offered by Representative Kifowit."
"Leader Gabel moves for the adoption of the Agreed Resolutions. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those 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: "House Joint Resolution #47, offered by Representative Gabel. RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that when the two Houses adjourn on Friday, October 31, 2025, the House of Representatives stands adjourned to the call of the Speaker and the Senate stands adjourned to the call of the President.
"Leader Gabel moves for the adoption of the Adjournment Resolution. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those 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 stand adjourned until the call of the Chair. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the House stands adjourned."
"House… House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Introduction and First Reading of Senate Bills. Senate Bill 1698, offered by Representative Huynh, a Bill for an Act 10400061.docx 173 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 61st Legislative Day 10/30/2025 concerning property. Senate Bill 1989, offered by Representative Hoffman, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. First Reading of these Senate Bills. Introduction and First Reading of House Bills. House Bill 4195, offered by Representative Schweizer, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. First Reading of this House Bill. There being no further business, the House Perfunctory Session will stand adjourned." 10400061.docx 174