Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17) sponsored four bills in the second quarter of 2019, four less than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 51 bills, four more than the average, according to a North Cook News 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 Gong-Gershowitz sponsored in the second quarter.
COMMEND-JAMES A. KARAGIANIS
CONGRATS-DOUGLAS J. BANES
EVIDENCE-IMMIGRATION STATUS
The following table shows the bills to which Gong-Gershowitz was added as a co-sponsor in the second quarter.
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10)
BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS-DRUG PRICE
Rep. Celina Villanueva (D-21)
ANTI-WAGE THEFT-STATE CONTRACT
Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-8)
NO REPRESENTATION WITHOUT POP
Rep. Gregory Harris (D-13)
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7)
Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-92)
Rep. Theresa Mah (D-2); Sen. Laura Fine (D-9)
DHS-MEDICAID-PRESCRIBER ED
Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz (D-1); Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
HOSPITAL-HEALTH INSURANCE POST
Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98); Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-49)
Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4); Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-8)
EQUITABLE RESTROOM-BABY CHANGE
Rep. Gregory Harris (D-13)
Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-78); Sen. Don Harmon (D-39)
KIDDIELAND AMUSEMENT PARK ROAD
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
COMMEND-DR. STEVEN NASATIR
Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39)
AFFORDABLE HOUSING-INVESTMENT
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
COMMEND-DR. STEVEN NASATIR
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24)
CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS-FUNDING
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
LICENSE-REMOVE CITIZENSHIP REQ
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
PRAIRIE RESEARCH-MICROPLASTICS
Sen. Suzy Glowiak (D-24); Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. (D-40)
PERSONAL INFORMATION REPORT GA
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20); Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz (D-1)
UNIV OF IL-STUDENT TRUSTEE
Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-51)
Sen. Laura Fine (D-9); Rep. Deb Conroy (D-46)
INS CD-COLLABORATIVE CARE
Rep. Michael J. Zalewski (D-23)
Rep. Anna Moeller (D-43); Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
HOME BIRTH CRISIS COMMITTEE
Rep. Martin J. Moylan (D-55)
IDOT-COMPLETE STREETS-BICYCLES
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27); Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-17)
TRAFFIC/PEDESTRIAN STOP STUDY
Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy (D-14); Sen. Robert Peters (D-13)
Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy (D-14); Sen. Robert Peters (D-13)
Rep. Lamont J. Robinson, Jr. (D-5); Sen. Robert Peters (D-13)
Sen. Heather A. Steans (D-7); Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81)
Sen. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113)
ATTY GEN-WORKER PROTECT UNIT
Sen. Omar Aquino (D-2); Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-4)
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. Natalie A. Manley (D-98)
PUB AID-SNAP-JOB TRAINING
Sen. Melinda Bush (D-31); Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
WORKPLACE TRANSPARENCY ACT
Sen. Laura M. Murphy (D-28); Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27); Rep. Michael J. Madigan (D-22)
CRIM PRO-VIDEO-SENTENCING
Sen. Laura Fine (D-9); Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
JUV CT-FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM
Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-57)
STATE TREASURER-REAL PROPERTY
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PUBLIC DEFENDER BAIL PROGRAM
Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-51)
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
SCH CD-PARENT-VICTIM-SERVICES
Sen. Scott M. Bennett (D-52); Rep. Carol Ammons (D-103)
COAL ASH POLLUTION PREVENTION