Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-65) sponsored 12 bills in the first quarter of 2019, 24 less than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 40 bills, 19 less than the average, according to a Kane County Reporter 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 Ugaste sponsored in the first quarter.
CRIM CD-FIREARM PENALTIES
WORKERS COMP-FEE SCHEDULE
WORKERS COMP EMPLOYEE TRAVEL
WORKERS COMP-COMPOUND DRUGS
WORKER COMP-DRUG FORMULARY
WORKERS COMP-SHOULDER HIP
WORKERS COMP-BENEFIT RATES
WORKERS COMP-PRIOR INJURY
AGING-SENIOR SERVICES LISTING
CONAMEND-OFFICE OF COMPTROLLER
The following table shows the bills to which Ugaste was added as a co-sponsor in the first quarter.
Rep. Margo McDermed (R-37)
TRACK-SEXUAL ASSAULT EVIDENCE
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
CRIM CODE-AGG BAT-EMPLOYEES
Rep. Keith R. Wheeler (R-50)
CRIM PROSECUTIONS-SEX OFFENSES
Rep. Keith R. Wheeler (R-50)
Rep. Keith R. Wheeler (R-50)
NO FUNDS W/OUT REVENUE EST
Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-118)
VEH CD-EMERGENCY VEH-PENALTY
Rep. Thomas M. Bennett (R-106)
WORK COMP-PARTIAL DISABILITY
Rep. Thomas M. Bennett (R-106)
WORKERS COMP-REVIEW-COLLATERAL
Rep. Thomas M. Bennett (R-106)
WORKERS COMP SPINAL INJURY
Rep. Thomas M. Bennett (R-106)
WORKERS COMP-PAIN MANAGEMENT
Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-66)
ELEC CODE-DUAL REGISTRATION
Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-66)
ELEC CODE-VOTER REGISTRATION
COMM ON FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
DFPR-OPTOMETRIC INVESTIGATOR
Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-118)
Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-100)
CRIM CD-GROOMING-IN PERSON
Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-100)
TAXPAYER FISCAL CHARTER ACT
Rep. John Connor (D-85); Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-49)
CRIM PRO-SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS
Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst (R-79)
RIVER EDGE REDEVELOP-KANKAKEE
MAP GRANT-TEACHER EXTENSION
Rep. Keith R. Wheeler (R-50)
Rep. Martin J. Moylan (D-55)
HIGH SPEED RAILWAY COMMISSION
Rep. Margo McDermed (R-37)
EQUAL PAY ACT WAGE INFORMATION
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
Rep. Daniel Swanson (R-74)
INS CODE-TICK-BORNE DISEASE
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
CRIM PRO-EVIDENTIARY SAMPLE
Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33)
URGE CREATION OF CANCER CAUCUS
COMMISSION ON FISCAL REFORM
CONAMEND-LEGISLATIVE REDISTRCT
Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. (D-40)
Rep. Terri Bryant (R-115)
GRADUATED INCOME TAX-OPPOSE
Rep. Martin J. Moylan (D-55)
MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION PROCESS
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
Rep. Margo McDermed (R-37)
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