Rep. Tom Weber (R-64) sponsored seven bills in the first quarter of 2019, 29 less than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 45 bills, 14 less than the average, according to a Lake County Gazette 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 Weber sponsored in the first quarter.
COUNTY BOARD CHAIRMAN REMOVAL
INC TX-WAGES PAID TO SENIORS
LINDENHURST SANITARY DISTRICT
The following table shows the bills to which Weber was added as a co-sponsor in the first quarter.
Rep. Margo McDermed (R-37)
TRACK-SEXUAL ASSAULT EVIDENCE
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
INC TX-JOB TRAINING CREDIT
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
CRIM CODE-AGG BAT-EMPLOYEES
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
ANIMALS-POLICE AND SERVICE
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
FIREARMS-ELECTRONIC LICENSES
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
FIREARM REGISTRY PROHIBITION
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. Deanne M. Mazzochi (R-47)
HUMAN TRAFFICKING OFFENSES
Rep. Charles Meier (R-108)
AGR-COOPERATIVE TRUST FUND
Rep. Thomas M. Bennett (R-106)
AG FAIR-FISCAL ACCOUNTING
Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-118)
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-71)
LOTTERY-PROCEED DISCLOSURES
Rep. Deanne M. Mazzochi (R-47)
Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-66)
ELEC CODE-DUAL REGISTRATION
Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-66)
ELEC CODE-VOTER REGISTRATION
Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-66)
ELEC CODE-VOTER REGISTRATION
Rep. Margo McDermed (R-37)
Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-100)
TAXPAYER FISCAL CHARTER ACT
Rep. Terri Bryant (R-115)
AGING-ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS
AGING-SENIOR SERVICES LISTING
Rep. Keith R. Wheeler (R-50)
KENNEL OPERATION-FIRE ALARMS
Rep. Thomas Morrison (R-54)
PROP TX-BD OF REVIEW RESOURCES
COUNTY BOARD CHAIRMAN REMOVAL
Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-60)
Rep. Margo McDermed (R-37)
EQUAL PAY ACT WAGE INFORMATION
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
COMMISSION ON FISCAL REFORM
CONAMEND-LEGISLATIVE REDISTRCT
GRADUATED INCOME TAX-OPPOSE
Rep. Martin J. Moylan (D-55)
MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION PROCESS
Rep. David McSweeney (R-52)
MEMORIAL-DEPUTY JACOB KELTNER
Rep. Margo McDermed (R-37)
Rep. Margo McDermed (R-37)
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97)
Rep. Charles Meier (R-108)
PER MILE DRIVING TAX-OPPOSE
Sen. Melinda Bush (D-31); Rep. Daniel Didech (D-59)
COUNTY BOARD CHAIRMAN REMOVAL
Sen. Scott M. Bennett (D-52); Rep. Michael T. Marron (R-104)