MARION – State Representative Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) and State Representative Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) joined Republican members of the Illinois House and Senate in a lawsuit filed in Sangamon County Circuit Court seeking enforcement of the Illinois Constitution’s Third Reading Rule regarding the passage of Senate Bill 328. The Third Reading Rule is outlined in the Illinois Constitution to grant public transparency to legislation as it moves through each Chamber. This litigation is an effort for Republicans to fight for transparency and adherence to the Constitution.
SB 328 is legislation that would allow out-of-state plaintiffs to sue out-of-state businesses in Illinois courts. On Wednesday, the American Tort Reform Association called on Gov. Pritzker to veto the bill, calling it one of the, “Single worst bills we have seen this year, nationwide,” and warning that if the bill is signed into law, “Illinois is likely to see a mass exodus of businesses leaving and a sharp decline in new business investments.”
Rep. Windhorst is a plaintiff in the lawsuit, a former State’s Attorney, and the current House Republican Floor Leader. Windhorst says he hopes Gov. Pritzker vetoes SB 328, but if he doesn’t, he urges the court system to stop the bill in its tracks.
“What we’ve seen in recent Sessions has been Democrats, time and again, breaking the House Rules to get their way on any given piece of legislation,” Windhorst said. “The House takes minimal action for months of the Session, then Democrats cram major items through at the last minute by suspending, or just outright breaking, the very Rules they wrote and voted for. It’s an abuse of their power, and it needs to stop.”
State Rep. Paul Jacobs, also a plaintiff suing Democratic leaders Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, echoed Windhorst’s concerns. Jacobs argued that there is plenty of time to get the process right in Springfield to ensure transparency.
“A practice that reaches back to Speaker Madigan, the Democrats’ continued rule breaking has become increasingly egregious, and Republicans continue to be cut out of the process as major pieces of legislation are rushed through the House and Senate,” said Rep. Jacobs. “We had plenty of time between January and May to follow the Constitution, but the Democrats chose not to. Every time the rules are suspended and ignored, the people of Illinois lose. We must challenge this behavior, or the Democrats will keep abusing their power.”
The Third Reading Rule is the final stage of debate that bills are supposed to follow as outlined in the Illinois Constitution. The legislative process is designed for legislators to have adequate time to review and debate legislation. Bills are supposed to be read by title three times on three different days; however, Democrats have repeatedly subverted the Constitution in order to rush bills through without proper review.
