Governor Bruce Rauner has a track record of handing the toughest topics to small bipartisan panels of legislators.
These so-called working groups have been tasked with solving the budget, pensions, and criminal justice reform. And weeks after the Florida mass shooting, he formed a working group on public safety. But like the others, that group meets in private.
Speaking outside the Capitol after Friday's meeting, Republican State Representative Barbara Wheeler said it's probably meant to prevent politicians from grandstanding.
"I'm going to guess that because there's nothing secret, and that's something to be proud of, I think it might be just to focus on real policy that's going to be helpful to the public and not necessarily to anyone's campaign."
This group includes lawmakers from both chambers and both parties, but Senate Democrats have declined to participate.
