NW Illinois News

The following action was taken on Feb. 28 in the House on House bill HJR43 ("us const-art v-application"): "Referred to Rules Committee."

The Rules Committees is a powerful standing committee in the House controlled by the majority. All legislation is assigned to the Rules Committee as a kind of legislative filter that sorts the more-than-6,000 bills introduced each year. The committee considers the legislation and often assigns it to other committees in order to be heard by other lawmakers. Sometimes, legislation dies in the Rules Committee if the committee decides it does not merit further consideration, occasionally leading to objections from the minority party that just a few legislators from the majority have the power to completely kill their legislation. Minority party members have objected that this makes it difficult or impossible for them to represent their constituents.

The bill, as it was introduced in the House by Rep. Sue Scherer (D-96) on Feb. 27, "makes application to Congress under the provisions of Article V of the Constitution of the United States for the calling of a convention of the states limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government and limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government," according to the General Assembly website.

The following house representatives also co-sponsored the bill: Darren Bailey (R-109), Avery Bourne (R-95), Dan Brady (R-105), Terri Bryant (R-115), Kelly M. Burke (D-36), Tim Butler (R-87), Dan Caulkins (R-101), Fred Crespo (D-44), C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-100), Tom Demmer (R-90), La Shawn K. Ford (D-8), Amy Grant (R-42), LaToya Greenwood (D-114), Brad Halbrook (R-102), Norine K. Hammond (R-93), Stephanie A. Kifowit (D-84), Camille Y. Lilly (D-78), Natalie A. Manley (D-98), Rita Mayfield (D-60), Tony McCombie (R-71), Margo McDermed (R-37), Chris Miller (R-110), Thomas Morrison (R-54), Mike Murphy (R-99), Dave Severin (R-117), Allen Skillicorn (R-66), Joe Sosnowski (R-69), Ryan Spain (R-73), Katie Stuart (D-112), Daniel Swanson (R-74), Grant Wehrli (R-41), Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7), David A. Welter (R-75), Keith R. Wheeler (R-50), Blaine Wilhour (R-107) and Sam Yingling (D-62).

The table below shows a history of actions for this bill through Feb. 28.