South Central Reporter

Illinois State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) took a moment to voice his support for legislation that will boost cybersecurity for the state's infrastructure.

Democratic Rep. Lindsey LaPointe is the chief sponsor of House Bill 1293 in the House. She is joined by 30 House colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, as co-sponsors. The bill will establish the Money Laundering in Real Estate Task Force and the Illinois Elections and Infrastructure Integrity Task Force in advance of the 2024 election in order to prepare for and prevent potential cyberattacks on state infrastructure. 

HB1293 unanimously passed in the House with 114 'yes' votes on April 5. 

During debate on the House floor on April 5, Davidsmeyer spoke in support of the bill and praised the efforts of LaPointe and fellow legislators. 

"Many of you know that when I stand up and speak on the House floor, most often I am speaking in opposition to a bill," Davidsmeyer said in the session, quoted by the South Central Reporter. "Some may see it more as a slap in the face because I’m very straightforward in how I talk. Today I’m here not as a slap in the face but as a pat on the back for the work that you’ve done on this bill, Rep. LaPointe.

"It is good to see that when good legislation can be made better, we can pull it from the record, not take an immediate vote, and come back with an even better bill. I hope this will be a lesson to this body on how we can better serve our constituents together. I really appreciate your willingness to pull it from a vote in the exec committee and come back with an amendment that would fix the bill and make it stronger for the Ukrainian people. Thank you."

HB 1293 has now moved on to the Senate. It is sponsored there by Democratic Sen. Don Harmon and has been referred to the Senate Assignments Committee.