Sangamon Sun

State Representative Coffey has introduced HB4735, a bill aimed at enhancing transparency within the Illinois General Assembly. The proposed legislation mandates that the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate, along with their respective committees, conduct all business between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

"I filed HB4735 to provide Illinois residents with full transparency from legislators in the state house," Coffey stated. He emphasized that conducting legislative activities during late hours undermines public trust. "Passing a massive budget at 3:00 a.m. while everyone is asleep only causes people to lose trust in their government, and rightfully so."

Coffey criticized current practices, suggesting they contribute to a lack of accountability and inefficiency. "The notion of backroom partisan conversations and waiting until the last minute to present a multi-billion dollar budget is not how government should work for its people," he remarked.

He further argued that session days could start earlier to avoid unnecessary delays. "There is no reason why session days can’t begin at 8:00 a.m. rather than 3:00 p.m. The wasted time is unreal," Coffey noted.

Highlighting party dynamics, Coffey claimed Republicans are prepared to work but often face delays due to internal meetings among Democrats. "Republicans are ready to work; however, most days we are waiting for Democrats to wrap up their one-sided meetings before we actually start debating bills," he said.

Coffey believes HB4735 will foster greater transparency regarding legislative processes such as bill filings, debates, and voting records accessible to the general public.

For more details on this topic, listeners can tune into Coffey’s interview on WMAY where he discusses the budget and other related issues.

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