April 8, 2026 · 3,779 words · 15 speakers · 72 segments
Thank you. Thank you. Attention. Attention. Members of the House of Representatives. The House will convene in 30 minutes. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Attention! Members of the House of Representatives. The House will convene in 15 minutes. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Attention! Members of the House of Representatives, the House will convene in five minutes. Any parties not entitled to the House floor, please retire to the gallery. Thank you. Thank you. The House will be in order. Members will be in their chairs.
We shall be led in prayer today by Representative Grassi.
Members and guests are asked to refrain from starting their laptops. Turn off all cell phones and rise for the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Good morning. As we gather here today, we gather with a shared responsibility to serve the people of this state. In this work it can feel easy to feel certain to believe our position is the right one but as history has shown us time and time again the greatest danger is not disagreement it in the kind of certainty that leaves no room for reflection. So as we gather here today, I pray that we can be mindful, mindful that righteousness is not about being right at all costs, but about how we carry ourselves in this important work we do. It is found in listening, even when it's uncomfortable, in questioning ourselves, even when it's hard, in recognizing that not one of us holds all the answers. So let us not fall into the trap of self-righteousness that divides and hardens, but instead may we each choose respect, honesty, and a willingness to understand each other. because in the end, it will not be our words alone that define us. It will be how we treat people. It will be whether our work reflects fairness, dignity, and care for all of our people. So let this be our shared intention today to lead with humility and honesty, to serve with integrity, and to do this good and important work for the people of Illinois in such a way that it honors the trust they have placed in every one of us. Amen.
Speaker, let the record show that Representatives Evans, Lisa Hernandez, Wynn and Kelly are excused today. Leader Wynn Horse is recognized to report any excuse absences on the Republican side of the aisle. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please excuse Representatives Hammond, Davidsmeyer and Rosenthal today. Have all recorded themselves who wish. Mr. Clerk, please take the record. There being 111 members answering the roll call, a quorum is present. Mr. Clerk, committee reports. Committee reports. Representative Gable, chairperson of the Committee on Rules, reports the following committee action taken on April 7, 2026. Recommend to be adopted and referred to the floor as Floor Amendment No. 1 for House Bill 4292 and approved for consideration and referred to Second Reading as House Bill 862 and House Bill 899. Representative Gable, Chairperson of the Committee on Rules, reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2026. Recommend to be adopted and referred to the floor, Floor Amendment No. 2 for House Bill 4372, Floor Amendment No. 1 for House Bill 5258 and Floor Amendment No. 2 for House Bill 5487. Representative Harper, Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Conservation reports the following committee action taken on April 7, 2026 recommends be adopted for Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 3056. Representative Walsh, Chairperson of the Committee on Public Utilities reports the following committee action taken on April 7, 2026 recommends be adopted for Amendment No. 2 to House Bill 4943. Chairperson from the Committee on Transportation Regulation Roads and Bridges reports a filing committee action taken on April 7 2026 Recommends be adopted for Amendment 2 to House Bill 5071 Representative Ammons Chairperson from the Committee on Transportation Regulation Roads and Bridges reports a filing committee action taken on April 7 2026 Recommends be adopted for amendment number two to House Bill 5071 Representative Ammons chairperson of the Committee on Energy and Environment reports the following committee action taken on April 7 2026 Recommends be adopted for amendment number two to House Bill 4941. Representative Croke, chairperson of the Committee on Financial Institutions and Licensing, reports the following committee action taken on April 7, 2026. recommends be adopted for Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 4814. Representative Manley, chairperson of the Committee on Health Care Availability and Access, reports the following committee action taken on April 7, 2026, recommends be adopted for Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 4642. Representative Slaughter, chairperson of the Committee on Judiciary Criminal, reports the following committee action taken on April 7, 2026, recommends be adopted for Amendment No. 2 to House Bill 4217 and for Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 4255. Chairperson of the Committee on Human Services reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2026. Recommends to be adopted for Amendment 2 to House Bill 1811 and for Amendment 2 to House Bill 4379. Representative Gon Gershaw, Chairperson of the Committee on Judiciary Civil, reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2026. Recommends to be adopted for Amendment 1 to House Bill 4262, for Amendment 1 to House Bill 4508, Floor Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 4649, Floor Amendment No. 2 to House Bill 4649, and Floor Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 4702. Representative Morgan, Chairperson of the Committee on Health Care Licenses, reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2026. Recommends to be adopted Floor Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 4749. Representative Jimenez, Chairperson of the Committee on Housing, reports the following committee action taken on April 8, 2026. recommends be adopted for amendments one and two for House Bill 4571 and floor amendment number one for House Bill 5424. Representative Andrade chairperson of the Committee on Transportation vehicles and safety reports the following committee action taken on April 8 2026 recommends be adopted for amendment number two and for a minute for a minute number two to House Bill 4232 for a bit number two to House Bill 4382 and for amendment number two to House Bill 4385. Leader Tarver, for which purpose do you seek recognition?
A very brief point of personal privilege.
Please state your point.
Actually, if I could give the attention to the body, that would be helpful.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My staff, or Clayton's staff, I should say, Revenant Finance sent out an email yesterday with a memo about how Revenant Finance will work. And I just wanted to make sure, it seems that there's a couple people who are confused. Anyone can always come and talk to me. I have no issue with that at all. I want to be very, very clear. That is not the issue. I just cannot respond to things via text all the time. So please, just simply fill out the form. I promise you, I review it. I will talk to you even if you're Representative Hernandez and want to talk about digital ads and things like that. I promise you I will get to you. But please, by all means, catch me on the floor. Talk to me about your bills.
I have no issue with that at all.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Leader.
Representative Holbrook, for which purpose do you seek recognition? Point of personal privilege, please. Please state your point. Members, there's a peculiar habit in government. and once you see it, you cannot unsee it. When something isn working we don fix it We fund it we expand it and then we even congratulate ourselves for trying That brings me to the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion Now, we were told that this commission would increase access. We were told it would expand opportunity. We were told it would bring more vendors into the process. But according to the reporting from the Center Square, what we are actually seeing tells a very different story. Instead of opening doors, this commission appears to be narrowing them. Instead of increasing participation, we see fewer vendors engaged. Instead of simplifying access to state contracts, we are watching the process become even more difficult, more complicated, and more burdensome. And here's the rub. This is not happening for free. We're all paying for it. Seven commissioners appointed and paid well into six figures. staff salaries averaging around and above $100,000, and a budget that continues to grow. So let me put this very plainly. Illinois taxpayers are funding a system that makes it harder, not easier, for people to do business with their own government. And now in the real world, outside of this building, when someone is paid a premium, there is an exception. It's because of results. Not intentions, not reports, not redefinitions of success, but results. If a business loses customers, they don't double down on the very strategy that drove them away. They change course. But here in state government, we seem to operate by a very different set of rules. Failure is not a signal to correct. It is treated as a justification to continue. Members, we should be asking some very basic questions. Why are fewer vendors participating? Why is access becoming more difficult? What are the outcomes moving in the opposite direction of this goal? And most importantly, who is being held accountable? Because right now, what the people of Illinois are seeing is a commission that is well-paid, well-funded, and yet accomplishing the opposite of what it was created to do. Once again, the government has become the obstacle. This should concern every one of us in this chamber. This is about results. The taxpayers of Illinois deserve a system that works, and they deserve a government that removes barriers, not one that quietly builds those. So before we add another dollar, before we pat ourselves on the back, let's take an honest look at what is actually happening here. Because if the goal is opportunity, this commission is failing, and we're paying a huge price for it. Thank you. Representative Blair Sherlock, for which purpose do you seek recognition?
Point of personal privilege.
Please state your point.
Thank you. Actually, I'm going to do two real quick. Before I get into the fact that I love someone with autism, I'd also like to acknowledge that it is Deaf History Month. You may recall that I did a presentation on that last year, but today, as promised by Representative Manley yesterday, I'm here to present some additional information about autism. autism also known as autism spectrum disorder asd is a complex set of neurological conditions with symptoms that are characterized by challenges with social skills competitive behaviors speech and nonverbal communication now autism is a spectrum and the spectrum is broad uh i talk quite a bit about my son and my son is an intelligent highly functioning person with autism and in fact has completed his master's degree in library science. He's a very hard worker, but regrettably society discriminates, whether they acknowledge it or not, against people Autism. Another part of autism spectrum disorder is something known as stimming. And stimming is when you see somebody flapping, clapping, running, skipping, and it's something that people with autism do to help calm themselves. It's not a bad thing. It's a good thing because it helps them self-regulate. Between 30 to 50 percent of people with autism, hello? Hello? Hello? between 30 to 50 percent of people with autism have seizures. Autism was originally believed to be a form of schizophrenia brought on by traumatic experiences or bad parenting. But we know this is not the case. They just think differently. The thought processes are different. I would highly recommend that you're interested in learning more about autism, that you read the book Look Me in the Eye. It was written by a gentleman who was not diagnosed with autism until he was an adult. As a matter of fact, when we were growing up, some of us, you may recall, they just didn't know yet that that child that was different was a child who had autism. April is not only Autism Awareness Month, it's Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. I would ask you all to educate yourselves and learn what the spectrum entails. If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism. And I love someone with autism. Thank you.
Thank you, Representative. Representative Chung, for which purpose do you seek recognition?
Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker.
Please state your point.
I just wanted to draw the body's attention to, we have a birthday not on the, well, not in our chamber here, but somebody who actually likes to write about us, and we rely on the press to sort of cover what's happening. So let's give a happy birthday to Sox fan extraordinaire Brendan Moore from Capitol News, Illinois. Happy birthday.
Happy birthday to Brendan. Representative Ryan, for which purpose do you seek recognition?
Point of personal privilege, please.
Please proceed.
I'd like to congratulate one of our colleagues today, Representative Olakol recently found out on Friday that he passed the bar exam. Where is he at? Congratulations, Representative. Hard work, well done. Welcome to the bar, Representative Olakol.
Leader Windhorst, for which purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. your point of personal privilege. Please state your point. Thank you. I am happy to introduce my page for the day today. It is Emerson Clark. Emerson is from Heron, Illinois, and she graduated high school in 2025, a year early, and will graduate John A. Logan College with an associate's degree in political science in May. She is moving to St. Louis to attend Maryville University as a pre student before applying to law school She aspires to obtain her law degree and work as legislative council and a guardian ad litem This is Emerson fifth year serving as a page for the day We believe that comes with a commemorative jacket. We've not yet seen that. If you would, join with me in welcoming Emerson to the House floor.
Welcome to the House, Emerson. Representative Yang Rohr, for which purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, a point of personal privilege.
Please proceed.
Thank you. I'd just like to introduce the floor to my page for the day, Sophia Hodgson. Sophie is a senior at Naperville Central High School in the 41st District. She plans to attend the University of Florida next year, and she plans to major in finance and be on the pre-law track. She's very involved in debate and Model UN and various volunteer positions. She's been job shadowing my office for the past few weeks and with her legal issues in America society, and she's going to be a summer intern in the office. And so please, everyone, give Sophie a great Springfield welcome.
Welcome to the House. Representative Canty, for which purpose do you seek recognition?
Point of personal privilege.
Please state your point.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to very quickly introduce my page for the day. David Berlinski, he is an intern with my office. He's a senior at Buffalo Grove High School, headed to Loyola next year to study political science on a pre-law track. So welcome to the chamber, David.
Welcome to the chamber. Representative Briel, for which purpose do you seek recognition?
Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker.
Please proceed.
Thank you, members of the body. I'd like to introduce my page for the day, an amazing young man from Ottawa, Illinois, a freshman at Ottawa Township High School, an avid historian, political junkie, and we met because his mom allowed him to get out of school to attend a Chamber of Commerce luncheon with me. He is down here for the day and is amazing. Elliot Jarmus, please welcome him.
Welcome to the house. Representative Weber, for which purpose do you seek recognition?
That's not working.
Did you say?
Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker.
Please state your point.
So I want to ask everyone in this chamber to demand immediate relief for Illinois families. There's no way to sugarcoat it. The people of Illinois are suffocating under a continued increase in cost to raise a family here in the state of Illinois. The cost of living continues to rise. the cost of electricity and gas, health care, gasoline to get to work, and groceries for the dinner table. Every way they turn, everything they do, Illinoisans face an affordability crisis. Seniors hope to raise and retire in the homes where they raise their families, but far too many simply cannot afford to do so. Young families find a home they think they can afford, but soon realized that the home that they thought they could raise their children in and retire in has become unaffordable This is not because of something they did wrong but because of the continued always increasing property taxes that eventually bleed families dry and cause retirees to move out It needs to end today. Too many families face impossible choices. The governor and the legislator have also had choices. Like back in 2019, Property Tax Relief Task Force, and the choice was to ignore all proposals we came up with and to do absolutely nothing. What a disgrace it was. I propose we pass unapologetic property tax relief and immediately fiscal accountability that protects homeowners. Nobody who bought a home for $150,000 or $300,000 should be paying $5,000 to $15,000 a year in property taxes. The people who founded this nation 250 years ago wouldn't have stood for this and neither should we. Illinois families just want a fair shot. No more excuses, no more delays. Illinois deserves relief now. Thank you, and let's work together and get results that restore dignity to our homeowners here in Illinois. Thank you.
Representative Lisa Davis, for which purpose do you seek recognition?
Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker.
Please state your point.
I just wanted to introduce the body again to my three-piece spicy, also known as the 18. We have Adam Davis, who's my oldest. He's 14. We have Aston Davis, who is in sixth grade. He is 12. And then we have little Miss Ava Davis. She's the boss of the house, y'all. And she is seven. They are celebrating their spring break with me again this year.
Members, we will be proceeding to the order of House bills on third reading. Again, members, we're going to be proceeding to House bills on third reading. We're going to start on page 28, House Bill 1329. Representative Ness. Mr. Clerk, read the bill. House Bill 1329, a bill for an act concerning local government, third to read in this House bill. Representative Ness is recognized.
Thank you, Speaker. So House Bill 1329 is a bill that many of you in this chamber know. We passed it out unanimously last session. We're going for it again this year. This is the adds McHenry County's shared social worker program to the co-responder pilot program for the state of Illinois. There is no opposition, and I ask for an aye vote.
On that question, Leader Gable is recognized.
Speaker, can you excuse Leader Delgado for the rest of the day?
The record will so reflect. Leader Windhorst is recognized.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?
She indicates she will.
Thank you. Representative, thank you for the description of the bill. Just to cover a few things this is adding McHenry County Sheriff Office to the co pilot program Is that accurate Correct And this bill is an initiative of or at least supported by the Sheriff Association
Is that correct? And just briefly, what is a co-responder model? What is that intended to do? Yeah, so the co-responder model is utilizing law enforcement showing up on a call when it's clearly not a law enforcement caller. but it's a mental health crisis. And so the co-responder model then sends someone out more appropriately, a social worker, to deal with that situation. So how that looks in McHenry County is that when there are these calls, actually it's a shared model with the county, they're able to connect people with services immediately. So instead of going to jail or some other way that is not appropriate for that individual, they get connected to services and the help that they need. And it's resulted in a reduction of calls to some of those households.
And speaking of costs, do we anticipate adding McHenry County to this program will increase costs to the state?
It does not change the costs at all. It just distributes them a little differently.
Thank you. Thank you.
Representative Sanlitro, do you have questions on this bill?
Representative?
Do you have any questions on this legislation?
No, I'm sorry. No.
That's okay, Representative. There being no further debate, the question is, shall House Bill 1329 pass? All in favor vote aye, all opposed vote nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, take the record. On this question, there are 108 voting in favor, zero voting opposed, and zero voting present. And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative San Aletro, I believe you had a point.
Yes, thank you. I have today with me a point of personal privilege.
Please state your point.
I have with me today Alina Rodriguez. She is part of Fridays for Future Chicago. She has been a climate activist since she was seven and is now 12. She drives to turn her climate anxiety into climate action. Please everybody give her a round of applause
and welcome her to the House floor. Welcome to Springfield. Continuing with House Bills on third reading on page 29, we have House Bill 2564 with Representative Vella. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill. House Bill 2564, a bill for an act concerning public employee benefits, third reading of this House bill.
Representative Vella.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
2564 is a workforce bill that strengthens our ability to staff classrooms and support the educators who keep our schools running. Districts rely on teachers who step up to take on overload assignments like summer school, additional class hours, and other instructions. under current LA law, when