Inside:
- Six committees this spring
- Illinois in need of redistricting reform
- How to file a witness slip on legislation
- More news
Six committees this spring
I have been selected to serve on six different House committees this spring, including as chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Committees are the setting where some of the most important work gets done on legislation in Springfield. That is where we examine the bills, ask questions of sponsors and hear testimony from supporters, opponents and the state agencies who will be charged with implementing the changes made by the bill. Committees have an important oversight role over state agencies and how taxpayer dollars are spent.
During this General Assembly, in addition to the Veterans Affairs committee, I will once again be the Republican spokesperson on the Higher Education committee, a role I held over the past two years. I will also serve on the Agriculture and Conservation Committee as well as committees dealing with State Government Administration and Education Policy. Last but not least I will be a member of the Appropriations committee which looks at the budget for our higher education institutions.
Now that the committees have been formed, legislation will start being assigned to them and we should begin holding hearings when we return to Springfield on February 18. I am looking forward to getting to work on these important committees, which will be closely examining hundreds of bills over the next couple of months.
Illinois in need of redistricting reform
In the past, hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans have signed petitions attempting to amend the state Constitution to create a fairer redistricting process. There have also been Constitutional amendments filed in the General Assembly to accomplish the same goal. They have always been blocked from moving through the process, while Springfield politicians have continued to draw legislative districts to ensure their hold on power.
House Republicans are taking action on redistricting reform, filing a lawsuit with the Illinois Supreme Court asking it to declare the state’s legislative district map an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. The suit asks the Court to throw out the current, partisan map, and create a new, fairer map, which will better represent the voters of the state. Under the current map, drawn to maximize Democratic party gains and protect a Democratic supermajority, nearly two-thirds of seats in the House are held by Democrats, even though they only received just over half of the votes last fall. Illinois needs a fairer process.
It is not yet known when the Court might issue a ruling.
How to file a witness slip on legislation
As the spring session gets going, and bills are being filed, Illinoisans can participate in the legislative process from the comfort of their own home by filing a witness slip to state their position on legislation.
These slips go into the record on each bill. They allow Illinoisans to express their support or opposition to a bill, and even offer testimony about their position. On some bills there have been thousands of witness slips filed by everyday Illinoisans who wanted to make their voices heard.
If there is a bill you feel strongly about, you can click here to find out how to share your thoughts with the General Assembly. As always, you can reach out to me directly with your comments or questions about any bill we are considering this spring by clicking here, or calling my office.
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