Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113) sponsored 88 bills in the first quarter of 2019, 52 more than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 36 bills, 23 less than the average, according to a Metro East Sun analysis of data made available by the Illinois General Assembly.
During the first quarter, 119 representatives sponsored legislation, with Rep. Michael J. Madigan (D-22) sponsoring the most with 940 bills. There were 119 representatives that co-sponsored legislation, with Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-57) co-sponsoring 169 bills, more than any other representative.
When a bill is introduced to the House, the clerk reads the bill title before the House and it is automatically referred to the Rules Committee. If the Rules Committee thinks that the bill merits further consideration, it is assigned to another committee. If the committee reports favorably on the bill to the House, or if the committee has been discharged with respect to the bill, the bill will be ready for its second reading before the House.
According to House rules, a bill can be passed only after the House clerk has read the bill before the House on three separate days. However, many bills are introduced as shell bills in order to circumvent the rule requiring three readings before they can be passed. These shell bills, which are far more common in Illinois than in other states, are created with the purpose of beginning the often lengthy process of passing a new piece of legislation. But since they would only make trivial or meaningless changes in the law in the form that they initially appear, they are either left to die or are later changed to something more substantive that can be rushed to passage without bothering with procedure. This has the unfortunate effect of leading to laws that may not have been debated or discussed sufficiently.
Representatives that sponsor an inordinately large number of bills are often sponsoring many shell bills.
The following table shows the bills that Hoffman sponsored in the first quarter.
OFFICERS-SIMULTANEOUS TENURE
COMM COLLEGE BOARD-SECRETARY
HISTORICAL HORSE RACE-WAGERING
CRIM CD-CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTUR
SERVICE MEMBER-EXPEDITED LIC
ICC-REPORT-EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
ENERGY ECONOMY ACCESS STUDY
POWER AGENCY REPORT-PROCUREMT
DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE PROGRAM
WORKERS' COMPENSATION REPOSE
WORKER COMP-MRSA/HEARING LOSS
SCH CD-CHARTER SCH-PROPOSALS
WORKERS' COMP-ABILITY TO PAY
STUDENT RECORD/CONFERENCE-DCFS
PEN CD-TIER 2 STATE POLICE
PEN CD-DNST POL & SURS-TIER 2
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PRACTICE
PROCURE DOMESTIC PRODUCTS
PROCURE DOMESTIC PRODUCTS
ATTY GEN-WORKER PROTECT UNIT
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE BENEFITS-TECH
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE BENEFITS-TECH
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE BENEFITS-TECH
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE BENEFITS-TECH
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE BENEFITS-TECH
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE BENEFITS-TECH
LEVEE & FLOODPLAIN TASK FORCE
RESPONSIBLE BIDDER ORDINANCE
LEVEE & FLOODPLAIN TASK FORCE
CONGRATS-BELLEVILLE WEST H.S.
DHFS-MEDICAID-LONG TERM CARE
WORKERS' COMPENSATION REPOSE
IL INSURANCE GUARANTY FUND
UNIVERSITY-SURPLUS REAL ESTATE
The following table shows the bills to which Hoffman was added as a co-sponsor in the first quarter.
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-60)
Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33)
Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-114); Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113)
SERVICE MEMBER-EXPEDITED LIC
Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112)
SCH CD-MINIMUM TEACHER SALARY
Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7)
MENTAL HEALTH ACTION ON CAMPUS
Rep. Lance Yednock (D-76)
Rep. Robert Martwick (D-19)
ELECTED CHICAGO SCHOOL BOARD
Rep. Kelly M. Burke (D-36)
PRODUCT LIABILITY EXCEPTIONS
Rep. Thomas M. Bennett (R-106); Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst (R-79)
CONSERVANCY DIST-EXPANSIONS
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
MEDICAID-SUPPORTIVE FACILITIES
Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. (D-40)
AGING-HOMEMAKER SERVICES-WAGES
Rep. Lawrence Walsh, Jr. (D-86)
UTILITIES-ELECTRIC PROCUREMENT
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11); Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18)
LOCAL WIND ENERGY REGULATION
Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-48)
HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRAINING
Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-114)
PARKINSON'S DISEASE AWARENESS
Rep. Michael J. Zalewski (D-23)
WATER HEATER SAFETY VALVE ACT
MED PATIENTS INFORMED CONSENT
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PEN CD-EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS
HOSPITAL PATIENT PROTECTION
HOSPITAL PATIENT PROTECTION
Rep. Jerry Costello, II (D-116)
PENCD-SERS-CONSERVATION POLICE
Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-48)
INS CD-COVERAGE FOR INHALANTS
Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-114)
Rep. Robert Martwick (D-19)
COM COL-CHICAGO-ELECT BOARD
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112); Sen. Melinda Bush (D-31)
SCH CD-ED SUPPORT PERSONNEL
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
2020 CENSUS GRANT PROGRAM ACT
Rep. Terri Bryant (R-115)
Rep. Monica Bristow (D-111)
MEMORIAL-CAPT. JAKE RINGERING
Rep. Michael J. Madigan (D-22)
CONGRATS-RONALD E. POWELL
Rep. Gregory Harris (D-13)
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24)
CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS-FUNDING
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4); Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
MINIMUM WAGE/INCOME TAX CREDIT
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