In general, rules of decorum are guidelines for polite and appropriate behavior, especially in formal settings like board rooms, courtrooms, and yes, even in the Illinois General Assembly. These rules aim to ensure order, respect, and a professional environment.

In the Illinois House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House, and in their stead, the presiding officer, is responsible for maintaining decorum in the House Chamber during session and in committee hearings. The House decorum is guided by Rules established by the majority political party. The Democrat supermajority adopted House Rules for the 104th General Assembly in January of this year that include a provision on Decorum.

The state of Illinois created and expanded (multiple times) a program to give hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded health benefits to illegal immigrants with almost no public notice and almost no public debate.

It wasn’t the first time a controversial program or spending item was sneaked through the General Assembly in secret. This tactic is made possible by inserting major policy changes into what is known as a “budget implementation” bill, often shortened to “the BIMP.”

Shell Bills (sometimes referred to as vehicle bills) are a mechanism used by the Illinois General Assembly to provide placeholders for legislation yet to be determined. Essentially shell bills allow lawmakers to introduce legislation after the bill filing deadline established by chamber rules has passed. It’s important to first note that each bill introduced must be read by title on three different days in each chamber before it is passed. The first reading introduces the bill and the second reading allows for floor amendments. A bill is voted on when called for third reading.

The actions of the Illinois state legislature affect many facets of your life from the taxes you pay, the highways you drive, the schools that educate your children to the programs that help the poor, seniors, veterans and the disabled. The list is endless.

While the legislative process is clearly spelled out in the Illinois Constitution, the human component of legislating is always in flux, and always in play. State legislators come from all walks of life and bring with them their own priorities, agendas, alliances, personalities and biases. This group of independent-minded individuals may or may not vote for a particular measure on any given day. Moreover, like in any setting, group dynamics often take over. A bill that garners enough votes to pass on one day, may fail to pass on another day solely based on the mood of the room at that moment.

Partisan working groups have become the favored form of policymaking for House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch since he took over as the presiding officer of the Illinois House of Representatives in 2021. By all appearances, the working groups are his not-so-subtle way of shutting Republicans and, more importantly, the public out of the process. An end-around, if you will, to stave off opposing viewpoints.