Several bills are scheduled for committee hearings this week. This is the only time witness slips can be filled out and filed for a bill. It really does matter, so please take the time to show your support or opposition for the following bills.
Witness Slip Instructions
(In any field where the system requires text be entered, such as Firm/Business or Title, type in self.)
Section I. Enter your name, address, city and zip code. (Do not use punctuation.)
Section II. Leave it blank if you are not a representative of a group or business.
Section III. Check your position as Opponent or Proponent, depending on the bill.
Section IV. Unless you are filing a written statement, select Record of Appearance Only.
Lastly, agree to the terms of agreement by checking the box.
Click Create (Slip).
IFI OPPOSES THESE BILLS
HB 1083 – Illinois State Representative Daniel Didech (D): Changes gender specific references to gender neutral descriptions in the Religious Freedom Protecting Act, the Civil Unions Act, and the Rights of Married Persons Act. *OPPOSE* Hearing in the House Judiciary – Civil Committee, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, 8:00 AM, Room 114 Capitol Building.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 1708. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 1708 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 1328 – Illinois State Representative Robyn Gabel (D): Termed “End-of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act,” it only provides one option: lethal drugs by a physician for the purpose of ending one’s life. *OPPOSE* Hearing in the House Executive Committee, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, 10:00 AM, Room 118 Capitol Building.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 1328. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 1328 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 1708 – Illinois State Representative Kam Buckner (D): The horrible bill allows election authorities to print/mail “Special Write-in Vote by Mail Voter’s Blank Ballots” if they run out of regular mail-in-ballots for a federal election. It also creates a new method of voting – ranked choice voting – where voters rank candidates in order of preference: first, second, third, and so on, instead of casting one vote for one candidate. Write-in candidates would not be allowed. Vote tallying would proceed in rounds until a candidate receives the majority. All candidates would appear on a primary ballot and with ranked choice voting, two candidates from the same party could go on to the general election. Regular mail-in-ballots and ranked choice ballots would both be mailed to a voter. This is a ridiculous bill that greatly endangers our elections and opens the door to more fraud. *OPPOSE* Hearing in the House Ethics & Elections Committee, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 2:00 PM, Stratton Building, Room D-1.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 1708. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 1708 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 2343 – Illinois State Representative Marcus Evans (D): Provides state loans and grants for cannabis businesses, including loan forgiveness, to “social equity applicants.” (Your tax dollars at work!) *OPPOSE* Hearing in the House Executive Committee, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, 10:00 AM, Room 118 Capitol Building.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 2343. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 1708 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 2381 – Illinois State Representative Laura Faver Dias (D): Requires 4 hours of LGBTQ+ inclusivity training for all school board members. *OPPOSE* Hearing is in the House Education Policy Committee, Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 8:00 AM, Room 122b Capitol Building.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 2381. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 2381 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 2431 – Illinois State Representative Nabeela Syed (D): Would allow ranked choice voting for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, and Treasurer. *OPPOSE* Hearing in the House Ethics & Elections Committee, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 2:00 PM, Stratton Building, Room D-1.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 2431. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 2431 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 2493 – Illinois State Representative Nicole Grasse (D): Allows people to get married over a Zoom call. Gives a whole new concept to “shotgun” weddings. Hearing in the House Judiciary – Civil Committee, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, 8:00 AM, Room 114 Capitol Building.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 2493. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 2493 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 2585 – Illinois State Representative Curtis Tarver (D): Prohibits law enforcement from stopping and inspecting a car based on the odor of cannabis; removes the requirement of storing cannabis in an odor-proof container. This bill seemingly contradicts the law that prohibits someone from driving high on cannabis. *OPPOSE* Hearing in the House Judiciary – Criminal Committee, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 4:00 PM, Stratton Building, Room D-1 .
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 2585. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 2585 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 2706 – Illinois State Representative Elizabeth Hernandez (D): Amends the Illinois Trust Act, in a number of ways, strengthening the ban that prohibits Illinois law enforcement officers from cooperating in any way with federal immigration officers. *OPPOSE* Hearing in the House Executive Committee, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, 10:00 AM, Room 118 Capitol Building.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 2706. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 2706 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 2763 – Illinois State Representative Nabeela Syed (D): Certain applications processed by the Secretary of State shall also serve as applications to apply for permanent vote by mail ballot status. *OPPOSE* Hearing in the House Ethics & Elections Committee, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 2:00 PM, Stratton Building, Room D-1.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 2763. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 2763 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 2904 – Illinois State Representative Dagmara Avelar (D): Creates the Health Care Transparency Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall identify reproductive health care services, LGBTQ health care services, and end-of-life health care services and develop an education and awareness program regarding how denial of care may negatively impact health care access and quality. (Ironically, the aforementioned services end life, not provide access to quality healthcare.) *OPPOSE* Hearing in the House Health Care Availability & Accessibility Committee, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 4:30 PM, Capitol Building, Room 122B.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 2904. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 2904 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 2960 – Illinois State Representative Laura Faver Dias (D): Requires public school health education courses to include instruction in mental health and keeps pupil’s health or mental health information confidential from parents. Hearing is in the House Education Policy Committee, Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 8:00 AM, Room 122b Capitol Building.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 2960. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 2960 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 2992 – Illinois State Representative Theresa May (D): Creates the Healing Opportunities through Psilocybin Equity Pilot Program Act. Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic found in a certain variety of mushrooms. It produces hallucinations. Notice the name of the bill. It’s straight out of the “medical” marijuana playbook. HB 2992 provides immunity from criminal and civil liability for licensees with respect to manufacturing, delivery, and possession of psilocybin products. If this is good for Illinois, why would they need an immunity from liability clause?*OPPOSE* Hearing in the House Executive Committee, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, 10:00 AM, Room 118 Capitol Building.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 2992. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 2992 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 3049 – Illinois State Representative Tracy Katz Muhl (D): Damages the solemnization of marriage by allowing parties to marry themselves without an officiant. *OPPOSE* Hearing in the House Judiciary – Civil Committee, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, 8:00 AM, Room 114 Capitol Building.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in OPPOSITION to HB 3049. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to oppose HB 3049 if the bill passes out of committee.
IFI SUPPORTS THESE BILLS
HB 1333 – Illinois State Representative Paul Jacobs: Repeals the Reproductive Health Act and creates a number of Pro-Life Acts including provisions defining “viability.” *SUPPORT* Hearing in the House Health Care Availability & Accessibility Committee, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 4:30 PM, Capitol Building, Room 122B.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in SUPPORT of HB 1333. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to support HB 21333 if the bill passes out of committee.
HB 2400 – Illinois State Representative Michael Kelly (D): Classifies aggravated criminal sexual assault as a Class X felony for which 5 years shall be added to the term of imprisonment and predatory criminal sexual assault of a child as a Class X felony with a minimum term of imprisonment of 11 (rather than 6) years. SUPPORT* HB 2400 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Judiciary – Criminal Committee Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 4:00 PM, Stratton Building, Room D-1.
ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in SUPPORT of HB 2400. Click HERE to send an email to your state representative, asking them to support HB 2400 if the bill passes out of committee.
Thank you!
