Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-83) sponsored five bills in the second quarter of 2019, three less than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 87 bills, 40 more than the average, according to a Kane County Reporter analysis of data made available by the Illinois General Assembly.
During the second quarter, 117 representatives sponsored legislation, with Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113) sponsoring the most with 36 bills. There were 120 representatives that co-sponsored legislation, with Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24) co-sponsoring 129 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 Hernandez sponsored in the second quarter.
SCH CD-SEAL OF BILITERACY
COMMUNITY COLLEGE-CONTRACTS
INS CD-PHARM BENEFITS MANAGERS
PUB AID-SNAP-JOB TRAINING
The following table shows the bills to which Hernandez was added as a co-sponsor in the second quarter.
Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-80)
Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-8)
NO REPRESENTATION WITHOUT POP
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
MEDICAID-TRAFFICKING VICTIMS
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27)
SCH CD-TEACHERS-EVALUATIONS
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32)
ELIMINATE RACIAL PROFILING ACT
Rep. Robert Rita (D-28); Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-17)
IEPA-WATER REVOLVING FUND
Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-114); Sen. Christopher Belt (D-57)
HOMELESS-MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS
Rep. Curtis J. Tarver, II (D-25)
HUMAN RIGHTS-HOUSING-ARREST
Rep. Diane Pappas (D-45); Sen. Donald P. DeWitte (R-33)
KENNEL OPERATION-FIRE ALARMS
Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-60)
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PEN CD-EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS
Rep. Daniel Didech (D-59)
FOID-DENIAL & REVOC-STALKING
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
HIGHER ED-COLLEGE PROMISE
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Don Harmon (D-39)
KIDDIELAND AMUSEMENT PARK ROAD
Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112)
Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112)
Rep. Charles Meier (R-108)
ENCOURAGE MILKWEED GROWTH
Rep. Michelle Mussman (D-56)
NEW SEXUAL HARASSMENT RULES
DACA LEGISLATION-U.S. CONGRESS
Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-101)
RECOGNIZE-NAT. DAY OF PRAYER
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24)
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24)
CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS-FUNDING
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24)
IEP BI-LINGUAL INTERPRETERS
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
LICENSE-REMOVE CITIZENSHIP REQ
Sen. Laura M. Murphy (D-28); Rep. Deb Conroy (D-46)
LOC GOVT OFFICER COMPENSATION
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
PRAIRIE RESEARCH-MICROPLASTICS
Sen. Melinda Bush (D-31); Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-51)
CIV PRO-DISSEMINATE PRIV IMAGE
Sen. Suzy Glowiak (D-24); Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. (D-40)
PERSONAL INFORMATION REPORT GA
Sen. Michael E. Hastings (D-19); Rep. Kelly M. Burke (D-36)
PMP-LICENSED VETERINARIANS
Sen. Antonio Muñoz (D-1); Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-51)
PROCUREMENT-VETERAN SET-ASIDE
Sen. Laura M. Murphy (D-28); Rep. Joyce Mason (D-61)
PROP TX-SENIOR FREEZE-INCOME
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11)
DRYCLEANER RESPONSE TRUST FUND
Sen. Suzy Glowiak (D-24); Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-48)
MHDD CD-CLEAR&PRESENT DANGER
Sen. David Koehler (D-46); Rep. Kelly M. Burke (D-36)
FOIA-PUBLIC BODY CREDIT CARDS
Sen. Antonio Muñoz (D-1); Rep. Theresa Mah (D-2)
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4); Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7)
SCH CD-ROE-GRANT PROGRAMS
Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33)
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
PHARMACY PRACTICE-VARIOUS
Sen. Pat McGuire (D-43); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-49)
Rep. Keith R. Wheeler (R-50); Sen. Linda Holmes (D-42)
CRIM PROSECUTIONS-SEX OFFENSES
Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit (D-84); Sen. Cristina Castro (D-22)
SCH CD-SCH BOOKING STATION
Sen. Andy Manar (D-48); Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112)
SCH CD-MINIMUM TEACHER SALARY
Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-8)
PROMPT PAYMENT-CONTRACTORS
Sen. Laura M. Murphy (D-28); Rep. Karina Villa (D-49)
SCHOOL CODE-ASTHMA MEDICATION
Sen. Michael E. Hastings (D-19); Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin (D-38)
VETERAN GRANT PROGRM-DEPENDENT
Sen. Heather A. Steans (D-7)
Sen. Heather A. Steans (D-7)
Sen. Cristina Castro (D-22); Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin (D-38)
ILLINOIS BANK ON INITIATIVE
Sen. Laura Ellman (D-21); Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-48)
PROP TAX-SR FREEZE-MEDICARE
Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-8); Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17)
EVIDENCE-IMMIGRATION STATUS
Sen. Antonio Muñoz (D-1); Rep. Celina Villanueva (D-21)
ELEC CD-PRESIDENT-TAX RETURNS
Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16); Rep. Anna Moeller (D-43)
NURSING HOME CARE ACT-VARIOUS
Sen. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113)
ATTY GEN-WORKER PROTECT UNIT
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40); Rep. Michael Halpin (D-72)
Sen. Robert Peters (D-13); Rep. Nicholas K. Smith (D-34)
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
Rep. Curtis J. Tarver, II (D-25)
PARTITION OF HEIRS PROPERTY
Sen. Omar Aquino (D-2); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
VEH CD-LICENSE TO WORK ACT
Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112)
SALES TAX-REDUCED RATE-CONDOMS
Sen. Terry Link (D-30); Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11)
LIMITATIONS-CHILD SEX ABUSE
Sen. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Avery Bourne (R-95)
SEX HARASSMENT REPRESENTATION
Sen. Cristina Castro (D-22); Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-114)
HEALTH-PREGNANCY/POSTPARTUM
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PUBLIC DEFENDER BAIL PROGRAM
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40)
BANKING-CANNABIS BUSINESSES
Sen. Terry Link (D-30); Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113)
VEH CD-FREIGHT TRAIN CREW SIZE
Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-51)
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
SCH CD-PARENT-VICTIM-SERVICES
Sen. Emil Jones, III (D-14)
CAREER-WORKFORCE TRANSITION
SCH CD-SCHOOL COUNCIL-OFFENDER
Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40)
Sen. Emil Jones, III (D-14)
BUREAU APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS
EQUITABLE RESTROOMS-ALL-GENDER
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
ALTERNATIVE ELEC/GAS SUPPLIERS
HOTEL CASINO EMPLOYEE SAFETY
Sen. Scott M. Bennett (D-52); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
COAL ASH POLLUTION PREVENTION
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