(The Center Square) – After a flurry of action last week, Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield Tuesday to get back to work.
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.