Illinois GOP lawmakers from Central Illinois hosted a social media townhall meeting on Monday following the end of the spring legislative session.
The town hall took place online on Sen. Sally Turner’s Facebook page. Turner was accompanied by Rep. Bill Hauter and Rep. Regan Deering, who each represent parts of McLean County.
The lawmakers said they were disappointed with the final days of the session, citing the last-second discussion of the budget and the new taxes worth up to $1 billion.
"As a first-time legislator, I was frustrated," Deering said. "I had heard it was par for the course but it was hard to experience in real time."
Bills they were against
Hauter was especially disappointed to see lawmakers pass the Safe Gun Storage Act.
The bill would require gun owners to put their firearms in safe storage if there is a minor, someone who is at risk of harming others, and those ineligible for a FOID card who lives there.
Gun owners would also have to report within 48 hours whether their firearm has disappeared. Those who do not report their missing firearms could face fines and possible suspension of their FOID card.
Gun advocates have criticized the bill as unconstitutional, arguing the 48-hour reporting system is burdensome to gun owners and reject the notion that police would have the constitutional authority to take one’s FOID card.
Speaking to gun rights supporters, Hauter said advocates and lawmakers alike don’t know if it’s worth fighting gun measures like the Safe Gun Storage Act. If the bill is unconstitutional, Hauter said, let it be settled in the courts.
“I don’t even look at these bills anymore because I know they are going to be in the courts for years,” Hauter said. “They are going to be found unconstitutional in my opinion. It is blatantly unconstitutional. It really hinders your ability to defend yourself in your home.”
The bill passed in both chambers and awaits Gov. JB Pritzker's signature.
Other bills they were frustrated to see brought up was the End-of-Life Options bill which provided patients with less than six months to live a pill to end their life and a bill which would have created oversight for homeschool families.
Neither bill won approval by the end of the spring session.
Bills they helped pass
The lawmakers said they were happy to get some bills of their own approved.
Turner led passage of a bill to help veterans access affordable housing. The bill was a response to the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. It requires newly built homes to have an electric vehicle charging capacity.
Turner said that it prevented the Central Illinois Veterans Commission from building tiny homes for veterans.
“That helps provide from the goofy CEJA bill that passed,” Turner said. “These veterans on the verge of homelessness. We provided them a tiny home or small home. They didn’t need the electric hookup for their electric car they couldn’t afford.”
The Republican lawmakers also cheered passage of several others bills they helped to pass, including one provide resources to young farmers and another that restricts healthcare insurance companies from placing a time limit on anesthesia payment coverage.
