SPRINGFIELD – On the only scheduled day of legislative Session for the month of February 2021, Illinois House of Representatives members met in the House Chamber for the first time since March 2020 to consider changes to the parliamentary rules that will govern the House’s business for the 102nd General Assembly.
Illinois’ 115th district State Representative Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) cast a vote opposing the House Rules contained in House Resolution 72. Jacobs says any hope he had for positive changes to be made to improve transparency and provide more opportunities for public input has been dashed.
“Basically, the ‘new’ House Rules are the same as the old Mike Madigan House Rules,” Jacobs said. “We might have a new Speaker, but the old way of doing business is alive and well in Illinois government. The House Rules adopted today do nothing to increase transparency, allow for amendments containing hundreds of pages, spending billions of dollars to be dropped on the laps of lawmakers at the 11th hour of Session. It’s not right.”
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