ITS NOT ALWAYS easy to find out what is going on in the Illinois General Assembly. However, there are some basic sources of information that help bring some semblance of order to the surface chaos and confusion.
The two most basic sources of information are the daily House and Senate Calendars and the Legislative Synopsis and Digest. The calendars list the bills which are ready for action by the full House or Senate. Only the bill number and title are listed in the House Calendar, while the Senate Calendar gives a somewhat better description, although it is still difficult to know from these brief descriptions what the bills really contain.
The bills on the calendars are listed by the stage at which they are in the legislative process, such as "Second Reading," "Third Reading," or "Concurrence." Second reading is the amendment stage, while third reading is the point at which a final vote on passage is taken. A good, brief description of the various steps is found in the Handbook of Illinois Government, which is available free at the information desk in the Capitol.
The Legislative Synopsis and Digest is the single most valuable source of information. It is published weekly by the Legislative Reference Bureau in paperback volumes; an annual subscription costs $40.
The Digest lists bills and resolutions in numerical order, giving the sponsors, a one paragraph description of the bill and each amendment adopted, and a chronological listing of each action on the bill. Indexes are included which refer to bills by sponsoring legislator, topic, and section of the statutes they amend. Thus it is an invaluable reference tool.
The Digest is prepared by computer. The updating and processing of the computerized information is handled by the Legislative Information Systems. Video terminals are available to the legislators and staff with the same information as the Digest but updated within an hour or two after each action.
Since the Digest is printed weekly, it often rapidly becomes outdated, particularly near the end of the session when legislation moves very quickly through the process.
The same information is also provided by the Daily Legislative Report on a more timely basis, although not as well organized. It is published by State Capitol Information Service, Inc., a private organization. A subscription costs about $300 per year.
If more information than these brief descriptions is needed for a particular bill, copies of the bills may be obtained at the House and Senate Bill Rooms in the Capitol.
In order to actively follow the legislative process, you also will need information about committee hearings. This is the point in the process where citizen participation in the legislative process is maximized. The schedule of committee hearings is listed at the end of the daily calendars generally at least one week before the hearing. This notice will either contain a numerical list of the bills which will be discussed or a brief description of the subject area the committee will be considering. A hearing notice is also posted on a bulletin board near the House and Senate chambers. Last minute changes, which are frequent, can be checked there.
Those interested in following a particular bill should contact either the chairman of the committee or the sponsor prior to the committee hearing. This can provide additional information about amendments which may be proposed during the hearing and some idea of whether the committee views the legislation favorably or not.
Several other sources of information which are generally less useful are also available. The House and Senate Journals give a formalized record of the proceedings of the two chambers. Most of the preparation of the journals is also computerized, but printing is generally delayed two to three weeks after each daily session.
The most useful information in the journals for general purposes is the full text of all amendments, although these are also generally available in the bill rooms, and the record of each roll call. The roll call records are useful in compiling voting records of legislators on specific pieces of legislation.
Full transcripts of the proceedings of the House and Senate are also kept by the clerk of the House and secretary of the Senate. They are available through the Index Division of the Secretary of State. These are copious records, but may be useful in locating specific points in debate on the House or Senate floor.
Handbooks which contain the detailed rules of the House and Senate become available from the clerk of the House and secretary of the Senate after rules have been adopted by each new General Assembly. These also contain names of the members on the various committees as well as occupational information about members. Biographical information can be obtained in the Illinois Blue Book. available free through the Secretary of State. This is not published until late in the second year of each General Assembly but a book with the biographies of new members is issued early in each session.
The Illinois Legislative Council, which provides research to members of the General Assembly, also publishes two useful documents, the Illinois Legislative Directory containing addresses and phone numbers for legislators, staff, and legislative commissions, and the Provisions Concerning Continuing and Temporary Commissions with Membership, which outlines the functions, authority, and composition of the numerous legislative commissions.
Special interest organizations such as the Taxpayers Federation and the state Chamber of Commerce may also provide useful information. .
These basic sources of information should enable even the novice legislative observer to take an active part in the legislative process./ K.E.M.
December 1976 / Illinois Issues/27