By: Diane Benjamin
Both the House and Senate do this. Deliberation and discussion are too difficult when leadership wants something slammed through. None of this is new. There are likely many more examples than those listed below.
It’s called SHELL bills.
The bill below was introduced by the Senate President Democrat John Cullerton. New bills are assigned to a committee where they are supposed to be read 3 times before a committee vote is taken.
Note from the image below this bill was scheduled for a third reading on March 12th.
Go to the link below and click on Full Text. This is what you will see:
This is what has been read three times! It is an empty bill for which language will be added right before the Senate votes. Nobody will have read it, nobody will discuss it, it will just be passed.
Here is the really bad news. This is not the only bill with no language. See SB 0462 to SB 0470 – all labeled as election related.
Not to be outdone by the Democrats, Republican minority leader Bill Brady has 5 shell bills of his own: SB 921 to SB 925.
This is how much of the work is done in Springfield. Both parties are at fault. Both parties say nothing. This is just how the game is played and bad legislation becomes law. We won’t know what scams are brewing until it’s too late to change or reject them.
Link to the below image:
An old saying comes to mind. Do not watch laws or sausage being made.