Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97) sponsored six bills in the second quarter of 2019, two less than the average Illinois state representative, and was added as a co-sponsor on 50 bills, three more than the average, according to a Will County Gazette 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 Batinick sponsored in the second quarter.
VEH CD-SCHOOL ZONE START TIME
PFC MEARI MEMORIAL HIGHWAY
PRAIRIE RESEARCH-MICROPLASTICS
HIGHWAY CODE-COMMISSIONER
TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK
The following table shows the bills to which Batinick was added as a co-sponsor in the second quarter.
Rep. Terri Bryant (R-115); Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29)
Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-113); Sen. Michael E. Hastings (D-19)
CRIM CD-CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTUR
Rep. Darren Bailey (R-109)
Rep. Darren Bailey (R-109)
Rep. Darren Bailey (R-109)
Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
MEDICAID-TRAFFICKING VICTIMS
Rep. Deanne M. Mazzochi (R-47)
ST POLICE-FORENSIC SERVICES
Rep. Norine K. Hammond (R-93); Sen. Jil Tracy (R-47)
VEH CD-TEXTING BODILY HARM
Rep. Lawrence Walsh, Jr. (D-86); Sen. Pat McGuire (D-43)
EPA-UNCONTAMINATED PLASTICS
Rep. Lawrence Walsh, Jr. (D-86); Sen. Jason A. Barickman (R-53)
Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-70); Sen. Donald P. DeWitte (R-33)
HOME BUSINESS-LISTED ADDRESS
Rep. Terri Bryant (R-115); Sen. Sue Rezin (R-38)
AGING-ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS
Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98)
ELIMINATE WILL CO TWP CLERKS
Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-41); Sen. Martin A. Sandoval (D-11)
PEN CD-FIRE-DEFINED CONTRIBUTE
Rep. Daniel Didech (D-59); Sen. Terry Link (D-30)
TWP CD-ATTESTATION OF FUNDS
Rep. Keith R. Wheeler (R-50)
STATE POLICE-FOID REVOCATION
Rep. Thomas Morrison (R-54)
CON AMEND-TAX-2/3RDS VOTE
Rep. Keith R. Wheeler (R-50)
Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R-69)
NO FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS TAX
GREAT LAKES APPRECIATION DAY
Rep. Maurice A. West, II (D-67)
WOMEN'S RIGHT TO VOTE DAY
Rep. Thomas M. Bennett (R-106)
HIGHER ED-FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Sen. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-48)
LIBRARY TRUSTEES-ELIGIBILITY
LOC GOVT OFFICER COMPENSATION
Sen. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Jim Durkin (R-82)
COUNTY CD-RETAILERS' REVENUE
Sen. John F. Curran (R-41); Rep. Jim Durkin (R-82)
COUNTY CD-RETAILERS' REVENUE
Sen. Linda Holmes (D-42); Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-70)
INSURANCE-DIAGNOSTIC MAMMOGRAM
Sen. Linda Holmes (D-42); Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-70)
INSURANCE-DIAGNOSTIC MAMMOGRAM
Sen. Linda Holmes (D-42); Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-70)
INSURANCE-DIAGNOSTIC MAMMOGRAM
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11)
DRYCLEANER RESPONSE TRUST FUND
Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33)
Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29)
PERSONNEL-INTERNS-DISABILITY
Rep. Anna Moeller (D-43); Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
HOME BIRTH CRISIS COMMITTEE
Rep. Fred Crespo (D-44); Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23)
SCH THREAT ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL
Rep. Bob Morgan (D-58); Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-29)
ST POLICE-BURIAL REIMBURSE
Rep. André Thapedi (D-32); Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16)
HIGHER ED-UNIFORM ADMISSION
Rep. Natalie A. Manley (D-98); Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-49)
CRIM CD-FEMALE GEN MUTILATION
PUBLIC OFFICERS-HIRING SELF
Rep. Ann M. Williams (D-11); Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4)
SCH CD-SEX EDUCATION-CONSENT
Rep. David McSweeney (R-52); Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23)
ISP-FORENSIC SERVICES-AUDIT
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-10); Rep. Michael P. McAuliffe (R-20)
Rep. Mark L. Walker (D-53)
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
Sen. Neil Anderson (R-36); Rep. Robert Rita (D-28)
REG SUNSET-REAL ESTATE LICENSE
Sen. Thomas Cullerton (D-23); Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-77)
PARENTAL RIGHT TERMINATION
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-20)
SCH CD-EMPLOYMENT-OFFENDERS
HOTEL CASINO EMPLOYEE SAFETY