Sangamon Sun

State Representative Jeff Keicher and State Senator Dave Syverson have joined forces with their Republican colleagues in a legal challenge filed in Sangamon County. The lawsuit seeks to enforce the Illinois Constitution’s Three Reading Rule concerning Senate Bill 328.

Senator Syverson expressed his concerns, stating, “Once again, Democrats are forcing a reckless bill through the legislature and ignoring the Constitution to do it. When they sidestep the rules, Illinois families pay the price. If we don’t push back, they’ll keep crossing the line.”

The Three Reading Rule mandates that every bill be read on three separate days in each legislative chamber. According to Republicans, this step was bypassed when Democrats advanced SB 328 within hours of filing its final language.

House Republican Conference Chairman Jeff Keicher commented on the importance of transparency in government: “The Three Reading Rule is meant to guarantee that the people, and the legislators they elect to represent them, have an open and transparent process in place to review legislation. Every time Illinois Democrats subvert that process to advance their agenda, it only degrades trust in state government further. Illinoisans deserve an open and transparent government, and that is what this lawsuit is about.”

The Third Reading Rule represents a critical stage of legislative debate as outlined by the Illinois Constitution. It ensures that lawmakers have sufficient time for reviewing and debating bills by requiring them to be read by title three times over three different days.

Republican lawmakers argue that SB 328 exemplifies issues with current legislative practices. They claim it allows anyone nationwide to sue companies registered in Illinois regardless of any actual connection to the state. This situation could turn Illinois into a “judicial hellhole,” potentially clogging courts, increasing costs, and impacting job growth negatively.