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State Rep. Nathan Reitz (D-Steeleville) was only in Springfield for the final 16 days of the legislative session, but he still passed several bills and voted on numerous critical proposals. 

“I enjoyed my time,” Reitz said. “It was quick. I got in there when there was a lot of legislation that had to be finished.”

Reitz was appointed on May 9 to replace former state representative Jerry Costello II after Costello got a job at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 

His first day in the Legislature was May 14. 

With the state moving on measures like legalizing recreational marijuana, a capital plan and a budget,  Reitz pointed to that final item as a highlight. 

“The best thing about the session, in my opinion, was that we passed a balanced budget,” he said. “It took a lot to get to that point.” 

Reitz said the speed with which bills moved surprised him, singling out one proposal in particular. 

“I was most surprised by how fast the capital bill ended up coming together when it looked like things weren’t quite going to get there,” Reitz said. 

That legislation was introduced with about 12 hours to go in the General Assembly’s scheduled session.

All the activity may have helped Reitz, as he said he learned much about how the process works in Springfield.

“It takes a lot to make things happen,” he explained. “You don’t just write a bill and then voilà. I had been up there over the years, but I’d never sat on committee hearings and stuff like that to see how that process works. There’s a lot of give and take to make a good bill and end up creating something that everybody can vote for.” 

The first-time lawmaker had some firsthand experience with that, as he sponsored or co-sponsored several bills that passed…

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June 25, 2019 at 07:27PM