Most of us know the process of how a bill becomes a law. While that process directs the flow of bills that are filed, just how do thousands of policy ideas each year become bills in the first place?
As of this writing, just under 3,000 Senate and House bills have been filed this year alone. Generally, these policy ideas come from one of four places.
Many good bills are the result of a constituent who contacts their elected Senator or State Representative with an issue that cannot be resolved through existing systems. In those cases, a lawmaker writes a bill that provides a solution. The legislator files the bill, talks with colleagues to gain support, and the bill moves through the legislative process of hearings and votes in both chambers of the General Assembly. Some of our very best laws begin as ideas brought forward by Illinoisans.
Other laws are the result of a legislative agenda pushed by individual lawmakers. Most people get involved with politics because there are specific issues that are very important to them. For example, I am a vocal advocate for Second Amendment rights, ethics, traditional family values, and support for our men and women in blue. As such, every year my legislative agenda is comprised of bills that address these ideals and seek to improve or safeguard protections.
Additionally, advocacy groups that hire lobbyists to push an agenda are responsible for a large number of the bills that are filed each year. These groups have their place, and their lobbyists form relationships with lawmakers in an effort to build support for their policy ideas. Lobbyists can also be good sources of information on issues for which they have a depth of knowledge.
Unfortunately, there are also many instances when leaders from special interest groups come to lawmakers and ask them to legislate issues that do not and should not require legislative involvement. In these instances, those representing these large groups are being disingenuous and are asking the legislature to pass legislation that could be viewed as unpopular. We saw the perfect example of this during the 2024 spring session when the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association asked lawmakers to pass a bill that prohibits the use of small single-use plastic bottles of products like shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion in hotels with more than 50 rooms. The Association partnered with two environmental advocacy groups to seek passage of Senate Bill 2960.
Many hotels have already moved away from the small bottles as a way to save money. The decision was made internally and without legislative assistance. The only reason to involve the legislature is to provide cover when patrons complain about ridiculous state mandates that limit consumer choice.
Nevertheless, the Association asked for a legislative mandate and received it through Senate Bill 2960. And now, the same group that lobbied for the change will say “Illinois law prohibited our ability to provide these products” when patrons ask why they no longer have access to popular single-use bottles. The Association limited consumer choice and used a fake vehicle to make it happen. It was clearly about their financial bottom line and had nothing to do with the environment.
The legislature should be focusing its efforts on issues like tax relief, reducing regulations on job creators, improving ethical standards, and realigning priorities so that Illinois citizens come first. We should not be in the business of adopting private industry regulations like prohibiting the use of single-use shampoo bottles all in the name of protecting the environment.
Folks, this is how the sausage is made. Welcome to your state government and the operations of the General Assembly.
