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Members of the General Assembly considered hundreds of bills,
with a large majority put forth by Democrats. They included a
bill to make the black walnut the official state nut, a bill
allowing businesses and schools to make multi-occupancy
bathrooms open to all genders, and a bill prohibiting dogs from
riding on a driver’s lap.
State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Shelbyville, said the real issues
facing Illinoisans are being ignored.
“Allowing a member of the General Assembly or constitutional
officer to certify or solemnize a marriage in Illinois, so we’re
not dealing with our pension crisis or anything else but we can
all officiate marriage ceremonies now,” Wilhour said.
More than 300 pieces of legislation were passed last week.
Wilhour said bills that ban the pronouns "boy" and "girl" in
state statute and a cat declawing ban made it to the floor but
the important issues facing the state have not been addressed.
“We’re basically a woke Dumpster fire of a government that is
literally circling the drain and these are the things we are
talking about,” Wilhour said. “We’re talking about nothing on
the massive pension crisis that's driving property taxes through
the ceiling and there’s nothing to deal with the 7,000-plus
units of governments in this state that’s taxing everybody into
oblivion.”
Wilhour also would like to see legislation to create more audits
of state spending and lower gas taxes.
House Minority Leader, Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, said the
Democrats' dominance and one-party control is putting Illinois
at risk.
“Our system of checks and balances between our co-equal branches
of government is unbalanced and unhealthy for us all,
Republicans, Democrats and independents,” McCombie said during
swearing in ceremonies in January.
Friday is the deadline for bills to be passed out of the
Illinois House.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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