Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune
Before the doors to early voting opened, dozens of early voters line the sidewalk at 191 N, Clark in Chicago as they wait to cast their vote, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. The lines stretched out to the corner and nearly around the block. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune)

PUBLISHED: October 7, 2020 at 12:33 p.m. | UPDATED: October 7, 2020 at 4:33 p.m.

Seats in the 118-member Illinois House are up for election every two years.

Currently, Democrats hold a supermajority of seats: 74 to Republicans’ 44. In Democrat-heavy Chicago and Cook County, many incumbents are unopposed.

But in the suburbs and the rest of the state, Republicans hope to pick up seats while Democrats hope to build on their supermajority. We asked candidates in contested races to tell us about themselves. Here are their answers to our surveys:

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Don’t see your district above? Check out this page of Chicago and Cook County districts (17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 35th, 37th, 38th, 49th, 52nd, 54th, 56th, 77th, 78th, 80th and 82nd) and this page of suburban districts (41st, 42nd, 45th, 41st, 47th, 48th, 50th, 51st, 61st, 63rd, 64th, 66th, 70th, 79th, 81st, 85th, 90th and 97th).

62nd District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

Fixing the unfunded liabilities is going to take a three-pronged approach: changing the IL Constitution, funding the liability and structurally changing the way we do pensions. First, we have to change the wording in the Constitution to allow for changing the pension system when a local government or the state government cannot perform its basic functions. The changes that need to happen will require collaboration with expert actuaries, unions and government administrators at all levels. That said, these are my ideas on what it will take. First, from looking at states that have recovered from bad decisions with regards to pensions, we need to get the backlog fixed soonest. There are just too many variables to trust a ramp up over the next 25 years to do the job. We need to find creative ways to find funds to get the backlog down now. I would imagine it as a coupling of selling assets and issuing bonds. Second, we need to make changes to the system itself. These include changing the COLA to be based on inflation, not a fixed amount and gradually ramping into a fully hybrid defined benefit/defined contribution plan.

Voters will decide in November whether to change the Constitution from a flat income tax to a graduated tax. Do you support this idea AND do you believe middle class taxpayers can be protected from future hikes? How so?

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Even with the pandemic and corruption at all levels dominating the headlines, the top priority I hear time and again in that the property taxes are killing my constituents. If they can leave, they are making plans to leave within five years. If they cannot, they are resigned to the fact that they will always rent their house from the government and some are becoming despondent. They want to see us go after the dollars on their property tax bills, not the pennies. However, another common theme is that the don’t want to see their local taxing bodies, especially the schools, handcuffed by oppressive limitations and mandates from Springfield.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

My top two priorities are getting Illinois’ taxes under control and creating a structure of government that is resistant to corruption. Let’s look at corruption. The American Anti-corruption Act group has created a template for leveling the money playing field and stopping politicians from allowing themselves to be bought. It also starts to empower the people by ending gerrymandering. However, I don’t think it goes far enough. It still basically makes the government accountable to itself, not the people. We need to give the people more control over local governments and local governments a role in policing the state government. The second is especially true if we want to lower property taxes and keep them low. Right now, the state mandates policies and actions to the local governments without putting funding in place to pay for them. Also, according to Article X of the Illinois Constitution, “The State has the primary responsibility for financing the system of public education.” As of 2018 the state funded 26.9% of K-12 education according to Illinoisreportcard.com. Imagine that is 50%. That means on average, schools can decrease local funding by 23.1%. Since K-12 schools are generally 65% of my constituents’ property tax bills, just changing that means we will no longer be renting our homes from the government. We will be more attractive to companies deciding where to move. Our tax code will be less regressive because we will move the tax burden from regressive property taxes to a progressive flat income tax.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

I think we need to address property taxes while keeping schools funded. Most of the municipalities in my district are heavily residential. Many of the people who have moved here and continue to move here come because we have solid schools, save communities and room to breathe. We have some of the finest and well funded bike paths and park districts around. We also have good quality school districts. However, they are not well funded. All but two districts are in the worst category for funding with those two in the second worst. All districts are funding at a higher rate than the state expects with some as high as 3x the rate. Currently, the state is offering 90 cents on the dollar to districts in this situation to offer property tax relief. Unfortunately, accepting this means decreasing funding to already strapped school districts. So, increasing the offer to an even dollar for dollar will make it so districts are more likely to do the match and will not further hamper the funding for the districts. This alone will drop the property tax rate by as much as 20% in some areas without handcuffing the local governments any more than they already are. This will not only allow residents and businesses to stay in Illinois but also encourage businesses to come which will in turn encourage people to come or come back.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

Due to the fact that he is under investigation, I think that Speaker Madigan should step down as Speaker of the House. Illinois state government has had a problem with corruption for at least as long as he has been Speaker. If we are going to show the people of Illinois that we are serious about corruption, we need him to step down and the House to install term limits for all leadership roles. Also, due to the nature of the allegations, I think Mike Madigan should step down as chairperson of the IL Democrat Party. As part of the indictment, Com Ed is accused of buying the Speaker using both payouts to him and jobs for people associated with him. If that money has made it into any of the three PACs he is in charge of, then every Democrat who has received help from those PACs including the Illinois Democrat Party is tainted by that money. So, in my opinion, Michael Madigan must step down not only from his role of Speaker but also as chairperson of the Illinois Democrat Party for the integrity of both institutions and their members.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

Just one? In my opinion, if we want to make representatives more accountable, we need ranked choice voting. The only power we the people have over our representatives is the power to vote them out. However, the districts have been drawn to ensure the Democrat Party maintains a vice grip on control of the state legislature. This can be seen by comparing political affiliation in the state vs. the political makeup of the legislature. According to PEW, the state is 33% conservative, 48% liberal and 19% neither. This means nearly 1/5 of voters are not represented in the General Assembly. If we go to ranked choice voting, the voters will be able to rank their choices. This means that representatives from parties not in the duopoly will be more likely to get to places where they can represent the 2,413,000 people who are currently not represented in Springfield. It also means there will be more competition for votes throughout the state. This, in turn, will force representatives to be more transparent not only in their fund-raising but also in their voting on bills.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

If you had asked me this question at the end of May, I would have said an F. Now I would say he is at a D+. I liked that he went to regional monitoring and solutions. However, he was about 2 months too late to prevent the crushing economic and societal consequences we are seeing. His implementation of rules are heavy-handed and see arbitrary at best. I am concerned that he has decided to go state-wide with the mask mandate. This is not because I think it is unnecessary, but because he has shown himself to be quick to implement state-wide measures when small areas of the state actually need them. I am concerned that we have one person making policy decisions for 12.7 million people. Yes, I understand that he is considering input from many people, but he is still the only person making the decision. The percentage of people in the committee needed to stop that decision from becoming policy is far too small. I would advise him to call the General Assembly back into session to actually make policy on how we go forward with our response to the Coronavirus threat and how we would address future pandemics. We need to have a group of people evaluate the advice from experts. It is only with diverse points of view that we can develop policy that works for the whole state and gets buy-in from the state’s citizens.

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67th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

As a Veteran, I understand the importance of planning and being able to execute objectives. We need pension reform so our shortfalls never happen again. We need to protect current retirees and we need to explore short term revenue options as a solution for the shortfall. Of the 50 states we are the only state that requires a constitutional amendment to fix this. We are incredibly inflexible. We have to find a way to be able to make adjustments and protect working families.

I do not support this. I do not believe the middle class voters will be protected. There is nothing in the amendment that will protect middle class families. In all other states that have installed a progressive tax in the past thirty years, lawmakers broke their promises to working families by raising income taxes and property taxes.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Cut taxes. Stop violence. Get us back to work.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Balancing the budget and protecting working families.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Businesses must stay open. Business have to be protected from rioters and looters in this environment. Relief from taxes and overbearing regulations.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

No. Working families deserve to have a government they can trust.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

We should have fair maps to promote competition on the issues and not on influence. Legislators can currently become lobbyists immediately after they resign. They should not be able to lobby while in office or for five years after. We should have term limits for the Speaker.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

The Governor should trust Illinois residents to understand the science and make good choices for their families. Instead of shutting down business and breaking the law he should trust working families in IL.

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

As we work to bring revenue to our state we must ensure that this revenue is prioritized in paying our unfunded pension liabilities.

I do support the graduated tax model. Over 98% of my constituents are projected to either stay the same or decrease in percentage. I took that into consideration when I voted for it.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Rockford is unique in that we have this gorgeous river that splits our city right down the middle. This has caused a prosperous side of town and an underserved side – I proudly represent the underserved side of Rockford. My constituents wants someone who will go down to Springfield to bring resources back to their neighborhoods – to their side of town. We have a food desert and a depletion of resources. Excellence everywhere, for everyone is my top priority for my district. Funding/assistance for education, childcare, healthcare and empowering my district so that we can move ourselves forward.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

I will move forward with the work that I’m currently working on. Policies that promote COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT within community relations with law enforcement. I will also move forward with Constituental Services within my district. As of August 27, my office has solved over 1,100 Constituental issues. My top priority is to make sure my constituents know that when they call my office, someone will be answering them.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Beyond COVID, residents need property tax relief and see the return on their investment concerning Rebuild Illinois. I strongly believe that we invest in our youth and decrease the skills gap to increase our tax base. When we do that, more jobs will come, more people investing in Illinois by becoming homeowners and more funding coming in so that municipalities can truly be stewards of residents’ property taxes. For businesses, they need to know that we care about their success as well – especially with minimum wage increasing. That’s why I filed HB4492: creating a credit against withholding tax payments for employers with 250 or fewer full-time equivalent employees in an amount equal to a percentage of the compensation paid to qualified employees who received a raise from the employer.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

As the judicial process plays out I have no desire to grandstand and state the obvious if Madigan is implicated. What I am proud of, however, is that I have been a supporter of bipartisan legislation that calls for strong ethics reform and term limits for leadership long before this happened. I can do that boldly because I have never accepted financial contributions from Madigan’s campaign.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

I am an co-sponsor of majority of the Republican ethics reform proposals. The proposals that I feel is needed is creating the State Ethics Task Force to address corruption within Illinois government (HJR0087), and term limits for those in leadership (HJRCA0012).

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

I believe he’s done a great job thus far in managing the pandemic. My biggest feedback is that I feel that he should have been more aggressive in pressuring the General Assembly to call a special session – to work with him on the executive orders that he put forward. I feel that he would have had less pushback from legislators and the blame would have been place on GA leadership if we never convened and he “was forced” to move forward with the EOs without us.

71st District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

The pension program is a promise to those employees enrolled and a promise should be kept. They paid into it . That being said, legislators need to address the problem. The unfunded balance needs to be paid and the pension programs need to be secured. Recommendations like re-amortization of the balance and full funding in the budget need to be considered.

Illinois’ tax structure is upside down. The flat tax heavily burdens the middle to lower incomes, forcing the local municipality and school districts to make up shortages of State funding through increased property taxes. I believe a graduated income tax like most States & the federal government is a major step to improving challenges in Illinois. Increased revenue will be directed to paying past-due bills created when Governor Rauner failed to have a budget for two years, will pay down the pension debt, and secure funding for education and social services. Rates set will give tax relief to every Illinois taxpayer making under $250,000. The highest bracket is for those making over a million dollars. if elected I will not support an increase on the middle to lower income brackets, as I believe many legislators will not even consider. The change to graduated DOES NOT affect retirees! It is unfortunate that the republican party is scaring the elderly with this misinformation. The state has financial obligations that must be met, the flat tax has not brought in the necessary funds. The anticipated 3.2 billion dollars in increased revenue will help turn things around so that Illinois can be competitive in bringing businesses to the State. Like Wisconsin and Iowa, it is time that Illinois focuses on being pro-growth.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

The people I have met and listened to are very disheartened by the workings of government. They feel a loss of control, they feel they are not being heard. The legislators need to earn the trust of the people. True ethics reform focused on transparency and honesty needs to be taken up immediately. This State suffers from apathy and pessimism. Influence from lobbyists and big corporations needs to end, the people need to see that they are being served, not special interest. When the people see that legislators have the best interest of the those they serve then we can work toward growing a stronger Illinios.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Addressing our tax structure will be a top priority to get relief for homeowners. For too long State responsibility has been passed on to our local municipalities, forcing them to pass the shortfall on to home owners through increased property taxes. My experience in nonprofit management positions me to look at and manage budgeting in real and transparent ways. If education is the economic driver of a community, small businesses and other employers are the engine. Small business owners are people with highly-specialized ideas and skills, and their children are our district’s students. When they are provided a fair chance at success, they strengthen and grow the 71st’s economic prosperity. I plan to further ensure small businesses’ success by helping pass legislation that will make it easier for owners to secure small business loans, grants, and tax credits. This goal can be achieved by investing in our Small Business Development Centers throughout our region, such as those offered by SVCC and Western Illinois University, providing great connections between aspiring entrepreneurs and mentors who can direct them to the resources necessary to establish and grow their business. Furthermore, I plan to work with philanthropic organizations, banks, and public and private investors to provide entrepreneurs with needed baseline funding and capital.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Residents are leaving because of the insecurity and inefficiencies they feel from the financial crisis with the State.The State needs to be run like a nonprofit not a business. The non profit model follows the mission of the organization and all programs and services reflect that mission. The non profit serves the community to make it stronger and improve the quality of life. A business model is focused on profits and making share holders happy sometimes over the well being of the customer. The business model looks to cut costs to improve profits, not necessarily be efficient. As the director of a non profit, I know we are constantly reviewing and assessing the effectiveness of our programs and services. Programs that are not effective are changed or discontinued. Non profits don’t have the luxury to waste resources. All legislative action should be mission-centered to ensure the programs and services provide the highest quality of life for the people of this State. I will take my experience and leadership to Springfield focusing on efficient and effective governance. I have the experience to not only make sure programs and services follow the mission but that the budget reflects efficiency and prudent goals.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

We are living in an era of dismal public trust in elected officials. Even the slightest implication of wrongdoing, whether founded or unfounded, further erodes that trust. This is why we must allow due process to ensure that the truth of the events, in this case, is known. If these allegations were to prove true, it would of course be appropriate for Speaker Madigan to resign all positions held. However, in the era of both social and mainstream media, it is easy to forget that the court of public opinion is not, and should never be, the force that determines a person’s guilt or innocence. Due process is one of the Constitutional rights we hold most sacred–for good reason. The current legislative panel set to investigate should do their job in a timely and fair manner and make their recommendations as well.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

I believe the government should work in the best interest of the people. With that being said, legislators should not be able to influence the other levels of government. From federal, state to municipal government, leaders should work in tandem for the people they serve. Lawmakers should be prohibited from becoming a lobbyist after their term and I believe it should be for ten years.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

Considering Illinois was the only state to reach all the required benchmarks from the CDC, I rate Governor Pritzker very good! We are in uncharted waters. The important consideration is that there was no cohesive message or direction from the President and his administration. The States were left to handle Covid on their own. Instead of a unified United States working together, we saw States going in every direction, sometimes working against each other in policy and guidelines. This created chaos and more than likely more deaths. Governor Pritzker from the beginning pulled a team together of credentialed professionals in the healthcare fields. Together they implemented a plan that was based on science and what would protect the citizens of Illinois. He established communication and partnerships that brought PPE to our healthcare front line workers, life-saving ventilators, and more. Was it perfect? Was it smooth sailing? No, there were bumps and snags along the way. I would like to see more testing being done and a contact tracing program in place. knowing where the virus has taken hold is a critical first step in containing it. This is not easy, and Illinoisans across the state are being asked to work together and, many have suffered hardships. As for bringing in the legislature for input, “too many cooks spoil the broth.”

74th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

Our present system is completely unsustainable. Pension benefits have been left unchecked and that has led to financial insolvency. In addition, municipalities continue to suffer because changes have not been made to pension funds. We must make our full pension payment annually going forward. This is crucial to ensuring the long-term viability of our pension systems. Police and fire pensions need to be fully funded by 2033, and yet far too many members of the Illinois Assembly continue to make haphazard decisions, like adding pension sweeteners, that may look good on the surface but have ruined our system (foremost of which was the annual compounding COLA passed in the 1980s). The Democrat supermajority has sponsored and supported dozens of pension sweeteners, while also voting for budgets that raided the pension funds of those they purport to be helping. We did not get into this situation overnight and there is no simple solution to get out of it either. Possibly offering cash buyouts of benefits at least allows for a consideration approach that may pass legal muster. This could be expanded. It is going to take many years of budget prioritization and careful management to return our pension systems to sustainability.

I do not support the Constitutional change because the middle-class taxpayers cannot be protected. The 2021 budget included over $6B of borrowing. The proposed progressive tax plan is expected to generate $3.2B in new revenue. A delta or difference of $2.8B between spending and projected progressive tax revenues. To continue on the same spending levels, additional revenues will need to be generated to satisfy the spending increases. This burden will eventually fall on the middle-class tax brackets created within the progressive tax plan for the 2021 personal income tax year and beyond.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Taxes, unfunded mandates, ethics and broadband services. We can’t continue to increase taxes and not reduce spending. Unlike our households, Illinois government must learn to live within its means. The additional unfunded mandates that burden our local schools and governments creates a higher property tax on property owners. Too many times, our schools or county governments are required by state government or agencies to “do something” that costs additional unplanned expenses. As local schools or government manage their own budgets, in many cases the results are property tax referendums. State government could do their share in reducing our property taxes through fewer unfunded mandates. Ethics reform is very much needed in Illinois government. As I talk with people about what is going on, it is difficult to explain how it’s OK to resign from office one day and become a lobbyist the next. District 74 is extremely rural. With the additional requirements of remote learning, stay at home shopping, tele-health and other broadband requirements, many rural providers are not capable of bringing services to areas where it is needed. This has really been brought to the forefront in recent months. I continue to work with providers to seek grants to help fill the underserved broadband areas.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Ethics reform and reduce spending.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Not only my district but the state of Illinois. The majority party lost site of the importance of people and businesses. The General Assembly continues to burden residents with higher taxes, unfunded mandates and unethical government. Too many families are separated and lost because of our negative growth policies as a State. We deserve better! Illinois needs to take a hard look at our assets, strengths and weaknesses. We have some of the most productive farmland in the world, access to global economies, rail and interstate systems which are centrally located in the country and a skilled workforce second to none. As global challenges continue, our moderate Midwest weather will prove a strength for stability in feeding the world. We must play to those assets. One of the greatest Rivers in the world runs along the Western side of my district. Rail going through Illinois crosses my district. Some of the best soil and solid wind and solar resources can be found here. Our building blocks are solid. We just need a state government that assists with playing to those strengths and stays out of the way of job creators. Lower taxes, less restriction, more transparency and a state government working with our employer stakeholders to thrive in Illinois – that is the formula.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

Speaker Madigan should resign from his role as Speaker and Chairman. He has corrupted the legislative process to enable self-dealing over good public policy. The cost of corruption is simply too high for our beleaguered taxpayers.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

Requiring at a minimum of one year between leaving an elected State office before registering and working as a lobbyist.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

Governor Pritzker has neglected listening to other elected officials at all levels of government. He is consistently making decisions without input from Mayors, County Government officials and the legislative branch. He ignored the please from unemployed people who are in need of assistance. I continue to hear from residents who have yet to receive one unemployment compensation check going back to March 2020. The Illinois Department of Employment Services attempted to introduce changes, but the fact remains many calls still go either unanswered or returned. Additionally, we are now faced with Senior care living that has our seniors locked in rooms without access to their families. Many are struggling with depression and other mental health issues. The focus on the most vulnerable should have occurred earlier in the crisis. Senior homes were reaching out, but their voices went unheard. My advice to Governor Pritzker is to put his ego aside and do a better job actively listening to the advice of lawmakers and stakeholders. This can only improve outcomes, regardless of who gets credit. This has not been a team effort.

76th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

First, we need for lawmakers to take the problem seriously. Imagine paying 100 percent of your bills with just 75 percent of your total income. That is exactly what Illinois is doing as about 25 cents of every dollar going to the state goes to fund state pensions.

The pressure pensions are placing on the budget are not sustainable. The more we spend on pensions the fewer dollars we have for other spending priorities.

We need a Constitutional Amendment to give lawmakers the ability to reform Illinois pensions. Arizona has a similar Constitution to Illinois. They passed a Constitutional Amendment to fix pensions. We should do the same here in Illinois. Instead of asking voters to pass the Governor’s tax hike scheme, we should be voting on a change in the Constitution to fix pensions. The current path we are on is not sustainable. If we do nothing, our state will go bankrupt and retirees will be left with mere pennies on the dollar. We cannot continue to ignore the growing pension debt.

I oppose the progressive income tax. The graduated income tax is code for massive tax increases and that is the last thing Illinois needs right now. Voters are not voting on tax rates – they are voting on a change to the tax system. Going to a graduated income tax system will make it easier for lawmakers to raise taxes on everyone. They can pit one tax bracket against another and raise taxes one bracket at a time. The best thing for the middle class and all taxpayers would be to defeat the progressive income tax in November.

Illinois has the highest combination of state and local taxes in the nation. When you combine a graduated income tax with all the other taxes Illinois residents pay such as the second highest property taxes in the nation, a graduated income tax would do irreparable harm to our state.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

The biggest concern I hear from people when I am on the campaign trail is the high taxes in Illinois. Our state has the highest combination of state and local taxes in the nation. We have the second highest property taxes in the country, and we have the third highest gas taxes in the nation. Our taxes are too high and there does not seem to be any tax relief coming any time soon. We need a taxpayers’ bill of rights in Illinois. We need to lower taxes, eliminate costly bureaucracies and crowd out government waste by requiring voter approval for state and local tax increases. I am the candidate best suited to stand up for taxpayers.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

I will focus on jobs and taxes. We need to bring middle class and working-class jobs back through smart deregulation and lowering the tax burden in Illinois. Specifically, we need to:

* Re-Tailor our regulatory policies to benefit working class wages & new opportunities instead of just legislating to benefit the trial lawyers & special interests

* Take advantage of our ability to be an Energy Producer and Exporter

* Create a robust all of the above Energy Plan to utilize our vast Natural Resources to put people to work on Solar, Wind, Coal, Oil, and Gas.

* Lower taxes by implementing structural reforms to reduce spending such as a spending cap that ties the growth of government to a rolling average of economic growth. We need population growth – not a mass exodus out of Illinois. The pathway to accomplishing this goal is to utilize the resources we have in Illinois to create more jobs and opportunities.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

We need a change in leadership in Illinois. The Democrats have driven this to state to the brink of financial ruin. The high taxes, the reckless spending, and the anti-business climate are driving people out of this state. My opponent is enabling the Democrats’ dangerous agenda. He has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from House Speaker Michael Madigan. He is not part of the solution. He is part of the problem. We are not going to get the reforms we need to keep jobs and opportunities until we have a change in leadership and that won’t happen as long as lawmakers like my opponent remain in office.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

I have already called for Madigan to resign his position as Speaker and to resign his House seat. I have even called out my opponent for refusing to call for Madigan’s resignation. Lance Yednock has received more than $500,000 in contributions from funds controlled by Speaker Madigan.

My opponent is bought and paid for by one of the most corrupt politicians in the history of Illinois, which is saying something. I stand with the people against the culture of corruption in Springfield, but my opponent continues to be part of the problem.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

We need term limits in Illinois. Part of the reason we have the problems we have had in Illinois is because our legislators – especially the leadership – have been in office for far too long. Term limits would go a long way toward making our elected officials more accountable and transparent.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

I have traveled all across the country as part of my job and I have seen first-hand how many different states have handled the coronavirus pandemic. I have seen very little evidence that states with strict lockdowns were any better off than states without the strict lockdowns. The Governor continues to show his hypocrisy. His daughter has been competing in equestrian events out of state in violation of his own rules. His daughter can compete, but other kids can’t? He says he is following the science. So how exactly does that work? How is it safe for his daughter to compete but not other students? What “scientific” principles are at work here? Obviously, there is no science. If the Governor is going to stop school kids from playing sports this fall, my advice to him would be to make sure his rules applied to his own family as well. Otherwise his rules look like the capricious actions of a power-hungry politician.

87th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

Our unfunded pension liability is the single issue which impacts all other decisions in state government. Our pension costs squeeze the budget and put pressure on funding for programs across the state, in effect reducing what we can spend on other important programs. We must tackle the pension issue head-on, finding ways to ensure our obligation is met, but also finding a way to live within the revenue coming in the door currently. There are so many issues which play into this, and I believe we must put everything on the table to find a solution.

I voted against SJRCA 1, the tax amendment, when it was debated in the House. I will vote against the amendment as it appears on the ballot this fall. I do not believe the tax amendment is the correct course for our state. Though this tax amendment is sold as “only taxing the rich”, by allowing for graduated rates there is absolutely no protection from eventually raising income tax rates on all taxpayers.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Currently I hear from people of the 87th District about the failures of state government under the Pritzker Administration. Whether it is the debacle that has come from the failed oversight of unemployment benefits, to the denying of thousands of Illinoisans’ constitutional rights stemming from the massive delays within the Illinois State Police oversight of the FOID card process, to the contradictions and lack of communication from the Governor as he attempts to solely handle the COVID19 pandemic, people in the 87th District are frustrated with direction of Illinois.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

1. Continuing to work with local, state, and federal partners to revitalize the economy of Central Illinois.

2. Enacting meaningful ethics, lobbying, and campaign reforms in Illinois government.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

The exodus from Illinois does not have a single cause, nor a single answer, but the overall tax burden in our state is a major driver of people moving out of our state. We need to lower that burden. The state also needs to have a true coordinated effort across the state to retain and attract businesses and jobs; not just in the northeast region, but across all 102 counties. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity needs to lead the way and make Illinois a much friendlier state in which to do business. The citizens of this country largely make interstate moves due to economic opportunity. We need to once again be a state that provides those opportunities.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

He should resign as Speaker and resign from the Illinois House of Representatives. Almost 50 years in one position as an elected official is far too long. Over 37 years since being elected Speaker of the House is far too long. Longevity such as this in an elected position leads the investigations we see today. I have introduced a bipartisan constitutional amendment (HJRCA 12) to impose leadership term limits on the Illinois General Assembly. The House Democrat Caucus currently is the only of the four legislative caucuses not subject to leadership term limits. It is far past time to enact leadership term limits.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

It is ridiculous that Illinois politicians can routinely receive campaign contributions of over $57,000.

One excellent step forward would be to enact campaign finance reform that at least aligns Illinois politicians with the federal limits (lower contribution limits, no corporate dollars, etc.) and mandating day-of-contribution reporting for every dollar so the public can immediately view all political contributions.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

While I believe the Governor has been sincere in his efforts to confront the pandemic, the lack of clarity on moving through the phases of his Restore Illinois plan is frustrating to so many Illinoisans. We saw this play out recently with the way he responded differently to rising cases in Southwestern Illinois versus Will and Kankakee counties. There needs to be much more certainty and communication from this Administration on what steps will be taken for moving backwards and forwards through his phases. Even more so, the Governor needs to collaborate with the General Assembly. There really is no collaboration from the Administration, and in the end that hurts us all as we attempt to confront the pandemic.

88th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

Implement a defined contribution plan vs a defined benefit plan with structured buyouts and early retirement options

Emphatically no. Taxpayers will not be protected from future tax increases as long as the pension crisis is not mitigated.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

I hear most often that the incumbent, while he votes consistently down party lines, has not sponsored a single meaningful piece of legislation in the 21 years he has been in office. The people of the 88th District simply want a representative that is engaged in the political process and is a voice for their concerns. Not someone that is in hiding during times of crisis.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

The rights of women and children.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Not much, if we change the constitution to implement the progressive tax structure.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

Absolutely not. He should be completely removed from the General Assembly and placed on administrative leave with prohibited contact with anyone in government. Public service is about serving the public. Its apparent to me as well as the constituents of the 88th District that Mr. Madigan is only interested in self dealing.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

Each and every member of the Illinois General Assembly should undergo a full ethics audit to include examining all of their financial transactions, personal and professional relationships and professional dealings. The intent is to compare their legislative actions with needs of the people.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

I don’t feel he has been transparent with the data. My concern is that I do not trust him, nor do the people of the 88th District. My advice to him would be to allow for an independent accounting firm such as Deloitte, KPMG or E&Y to perform substantive testing and audit of the facts surrounding Covid.

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

We have to meet our pension obligations. Passing the Fair Tax will help, and we must not allow any further eroding of pensions and absolutely not borrow form pension funds.

Yes I support the Fair Tax. Middle class taxpayers are already at risk of hikes at any time. The graduated tax will be more equitable relative to incomes, and will ease the property tax burden on school funding.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Economic recovery following the pandemic.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Ending cash bail and passing the Clean Energy Jobs Act.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Invest in supporting our people and providing innovation and incentives for clean energy jobs, and for diversification and expansion of our crops and agriculture.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

The investigation needs to run its course so any accused/accessories are given due process.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

I have not looked into ethics reform. I am an honest person. I think people should be held accountable for their actions and honest and fair to the people they serve.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

I am glad to have a governor who followed the science and has kept us as safe as he could. I do not think any large schools or colleges should have opened in person without available widespread testing, such as U of I has. ISU has hundreds of cases now, and I fear for community spread. I am concerned about money spent on setting up a hospital site we didn’t need, but I am glad he was willing to be prepared for a large number of cases.

89th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

We must first start with and pass a truly balanced budget. Absent this, the State of Illinois’ ability to properly and responsibly fund our pension obligations are simply not possible.

No, I didn’t support the ballot question when it was brought forward for an up or down vote in the General Assembly and will not be voting to support this ballot question in November. Giving many of the same politicians more taxing flexibility and authority will most certainly lead to additional taxes on the middle calls and small businesses.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Public Corruption. My constituents don’t expect perfect government, but they do expect an honest one and a process that works for them. The recent indictments and guilty pleas surrounding the General Assembly make it difficult for people to trust government, and discourage growth and investment in our great State.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Reduce taxes and ethics reform.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

It is difficult to do business in Illinois. Businesses recognize this and move to a State that better appreciates their value. We need to improve the quality of life for all of those that call Illinois home. It starts with a balanced budged and making promises that we can keep. Passing budgets that carry large deficits is not only irresponsible, but its dishonest to those we serve. I haven’t supported the last two budgets that have been presented and its unlikely I will support future proposals unless the majority party presents something that reflects the values of my district and can be paid for without raising taxes.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

No, the Speaker needs to resign immediately and from all positions that are both political and official. I have called for his resignation multiple times and my position is unwavering.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

We must put an end to the lawmaker/lobbyist practice. It is unfathomable that in Illinois, you can legally be a member of the General Assembly and also a registered lobbyist.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

Gov. Pritzker spent a lot of time on cable news complaining and politicizing the Federal Governments response to this pandemic. Saving lives is non-partisan nor a political issue, its a human life concern that should have shown no political bias. An example would be when he ordered that our churches close for in-person services. He told those who attended that they were not following data and science and that their actions would lead to additional COVID deaths. Weeks later he joined thousands of protesters and multiple demonstrations, many without masks and certainly not socially distancing. The Gov. can’t have it both ways.

91st District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

Pension reform only occurs when Democrats and Republicans work together. I will remain open to working with anyone from any party who wants to solve this critical issue. We must be fair to the state and current and future pensioners in our solution.

I do not support a Constitutional change from a flat tax to a graduated income tax because I don’t trust Springfield politicians with more of our residents’ hard-earned paychecks. I’m concerned the graduated income tax opens the door to taxing retirement income, including pensions and 401ks.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

In my role as mayor and as I travel the district, I hear the disappointment residents have in the corruption in our state government. Legislators must enact true and comprehensive ethics reform. Illinoisans must know their representatives are truly there in their interest, and not in self interest.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

My top priority in Springfield is ethics reform. As legislators, lobbyists, and campaign operatives make headlines that embarrass the residents of our state, it’s imperative we increase disclosure requirements and close the revolving door of legislators becoming lobbyists. Another priority is economic development. Illinois has not only lost businesses, but has also lost population as a result of diminished economic opportunity. There needs to be a strong effort to develop better tax, land, and TIF incentives to bring strong economic growth back to the State of Illinois. Without this, we will continue to lose businesses and population.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Illinois must improve our business climate and make key ethics reforms to give job creators confidence they are getting a fair shake in Illinois. As Mayor, I have driven economic growth by utilizing land, tax, and TIF incentives. We have also generated growth by continued pursuit of state and federal grants. Together with my council, we have restructured our inspections and code enforcement departments, directing them to go improve all codes, ordinances, and policies to ensure we have a business friendly environment. These changes have helped bring in new businesses, new construction, business expansions, elevated EAV’s and forward movement for future development. That is the experience I will bring to Springfield.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

Yes, Speaker Madigan must resign all positions in state government. He has stood in the way of reform for Illinois for far too long, and Illinois needs a fresh start.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

Although many reforms are necessary, closing the revolving door between legislating and lobbying is the most urgent.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

I would advise the Governor to work with the state legislature as well as state and local officials to ensure our state’s response works for each region. In Pekin, we reprioritized our budget by $1.8 million dollars, reallocating $1 million to helping small businesses stay afloat. I urge the Governor to similarly examine the state’s budget to help our job creators through this very challenging time.

94th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

Illinois lawmakers should honor their commitments to employees and properly fund the pensions. The Fair Tax will help with that. Other graduated tax plans will also need to be considered. The flat tax has impoverished Illinois government for decades, and it will take some time to address that issue and put Illinois on a sound financial footing. Illinois taxpayers deserve a well-run and financially stable state government, and long-term fiscal health will be a significant legislative priority for me.

I support a graduated tax, both the Fair Tax and future graduated tax plans. Middle class taxpayers can easily be protected from future hikes by the legislature simply deciding to do so, by placing a fair amount of the tax burden on upper class taxpayers. It’s not hard, in theory, to protect the middle class – what’s hard is convincing legislators who are being bankrolled by wealthy interests to protect the middle class.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

They want jobs with good pay and good benefits, affordable health care, affordable and easily available child care, and well-funded and affordable education.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Jobs – supporting small business creation and growth by reducing state regulations. Supporting unions in providing collective bargaining rights for employees. Transparency and accountability – Illinois state government has an unfortunate and well-earned reputation for corruption and abuse of power. I will actively pursue robust transparency and accountability measures so state government will be more responsibly run – fiscally and ethically – and therefore better represent the will of Illinois citizens.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Better pay and benefits are what draw people out of Illinois, so better pay and benefits will keep them here. I am personally familiar with this issue, as I had to leave Illinois when I enlisted and served active duty in the Navy due to the lack of economic opportunity in rural Illinois. We don’t need any more $10/hour part-time jobs with no benefits. We need jobs that provide a thriving wage and excellent paid leave, at a minimum. I’ve spent much of my life working low-wage jobs and living paycheck-to-paycheck, including now, and I know what people in my position need to support themselves. The working class produces the wealth in Illinois, and they need to start getting their fair share of that wealth – enjoying financial stability, excellent and reliable education and child care, and affordable health care. A stable and well-paid working class also provides a reliable tax base for funding state and local government services.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

To the extent that his remaining in his state government positions will compromise the investigations, then he should be temporarily removed from those positions until the investigations are complete.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

Independent, bipartisan citizen oversight boards, with broad access to state records (transparency), and with the authority to enact disciplinary measures for violations of ethical standards (accountability). Voters should not have to wait until the next election to address the unethical conduct of an elected official.

This would also be an excellent ethics reform proposal for state agencies as well. A board would be appointed for each state agency and would be able to receive and investigate complaints at their discretion. As a state employee I am unfortunately very familiar with how little transparency and accountability exists in the conduct of state business by state agencies. That needs to change too.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

Illinois’ excellent overall performance in managing the coronavirus pandemic is a direct reflection of Governor Pritzker’s outstanding leadership in this crisis. My primary concerns are the conservative areas of the state, like IL-94, where many citizens are ignoring common-sense disease-control guidelines and thereby driving up the infection rate. My suggestion would be for the governor’s administration to reach out to the state and local Republican leadership in these areas of concern and request their support. The pandemic issue has been so dangerously and needlessly politicized, though, that I suspect such an effort would not be successful, since the driving factor behind the politicization is at the national level, and state and local Republican leadership see no benefit in acting in the best interest of Illinois citizens – even though getting the disease under control would lead to re-opening up the Illinois economy much sooner. Republicans are not conducting themselves as if getting the pandemic under control makes economic sense, when all of the available evidence shows that it does.

95th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

First, we need to make the full pension payments. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past as Pritzker has proposed. Then, we need to fully implement the already-passed tier 3 benefits so that new hires are moved to a hybrid system that includes 401k-style benefits. That just makes sense financially for taxpayers, and it makes sense financially for the modern workforce that changes jobs more frequently and wants more control over their retirement. Furthermore, for future pension reforms, everyone must be at the table, including labor and those who are impacted by pension reform.

I voted against the graduated income tax constitutional amendment because I believe that we should not be making it easier for lawmakers to increase income taxes and grow state government. I also believe the flat income tax is one of the last competitive advantages in our tax code, depending on the rate, because it applies to everyone, not just particular segments of the population.

Democrats pushing this new tax are being disingenuous about what rates their spending proposals necessitate and what the current proposal will actually pay for. Democrats pushing this idea have promised billions of new spending, while also promising to pay down old bills, unfunded pension debt, fully fund education and more. With the rates they have proposed, they aren’t even close to paying for everything they are promising. The only way they will do that is by pushing those higher rates closer and closer to the middle class.

Middle-class taxpayers can be protected from future tax hikes by increasing the vote threshold required to raise an existing tax or levy a new tax, making it more difficult for lawmakers to secure enough votes to pass a tax increase. I am a co-sponsor of HJRCA 34, which would require a ? vote in both chambers of the General Assembly to levy a new tax or increase an existing tax.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

I hear from constituents on issues of policy and on issues where we can help them with constituent services. First, on policy, the top issues I hear about can be broadly categorized as the needs for fiscal discipline and ethics reforms. That is why those have been two issues I have focused on throughout my time in the legislature. On issues of constituent services, right now the top two issues are unemployment and issues getting FOID cards. For both of these topics we have seen complete failure by these agencies to fix the system wide issues. That’s why I have called for structural reforms, hearings, and audits for these agencies. Government agencies should be responsive to our constituents especially when it comes to unemployment during this pandemic or an issue with a constitutional right like carrying and owning a firearm. It is a shame that so many people are unable to get answers and must turn to their local legislative office for assistance.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

The top two priorities I hear from constituents are my top priorities. I will continue to push for meaningful ethics reforms and fiscal discipline. I’m proud to be a leader on ethics reform. While I was chair of the legislative ethics commission, we finally appointed a permanent LIG and worked through the backlog of ethics complaints. Illinois needs redistricting reform so politicians aren’t choosing their own constituents. We need common sense reforms like banning legislators from also serving as lobbyists. Our LIG should be given more independence, and in order for our LIG to be able to do her job, we need a stronger ethics act to enforce. We need stronger conflict of interest limitations. We need more transparency in areas like campaign finance and legislative statements of economic interest. On fiscal discipline – the fiscal reality of Illinois is not pretty. And the situation is never going to be resolved unless politicians are truly honest about our finances. The Governor recently asked for agencies to find 5% cuts to implement, however these 5% cuts from state agencies do little to slow the appetite for spending in state government and does not get us on the road to fiscal discipline. No quick fix will suffice. It requires a complete attitude shift. I’ve been pushing for this shift toward fiscal discipline for years and I will continue to fight for true fiscal discipline if elected.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

The top three things are educational opportunities, career opportunities, and internet access. In a world right now where people are finding out that more jobs can be done from home than we thought, this provides a unique opportunity for rural communities. People who grew up or want to live in small towns may have the opportunity to work remotely for businesses who are located in larger cities. In order for this to happen though, we must have access to fast internet. Investment in internet access is crucial for these job opportunities and for educational opportunities. Additionally, we have great programs called CEO programs in the counties I represent that introduce high school seniors to the entrepreneurship opportunities, and great careers that are available here. These programs have the goal of keeping younger generations here to invest in and improve our communities. I believe, building on programs like these and existing job training programs is a great start to keep our residents here and build new businesses here.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

The Speaker should resign and candidates for the legislature should be asked whether they pledge to vote for someone other than Madigan for Speaker. I will not vote for Madigan. Voters deserve to know where candidates stand. If I were a democrat, I would also call for his resignation as chair of DPI – however – they get to decide who is leading their party. Unfortunately, they are sticking with him. The Illinois House cannot continue to operate under this perpetual cloud of corruption. The special investigative committee which was initiated by Leader Durkin is a good step if the majority party continues to refuse to hold the Speaker accountable. Additionally, stronger ethics reforms should be passed and the legislature should formally enact leadership term limits to ensure that there will never again be a Speaker of the House who can operate as Madigan has over the past decades.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

I don’t think any single ethics reform is going to solve all of the issues Illinois faces. A good place to start is to enact some of the reforms our current and previous Legislative Inspectors General have proposed. Our LIG should be given more independence, and in order for our LIG to be able to do her job, we need a stronger ethics act to enforce which includes adding stronger conflict of interest limitations.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

What has been missing from the entire coronavirus pandemic response has been broad input and true accountability. I believe the Governor’s go-it-alone approach is unconstitutional and, frankly, makes the pandemic response more political and polarized rather than effective. This pandemic is too important and dangerous to mess up – that’s why from the beginning I have called for true legislative input. I’ve called for hearings on processes like unemployment that have been a failure. I’ve called for accountability for the billions of taxpayer dollars being spent. And, I’ve led legislative efforts to plead with the governor’s office for common sense changes to the response like targeted regionalization and support for childcare. What is clear is that we can’t let governing by executive order happen again which is why the legislature should pass a bill I’m co-sponsoring, HB 5780, to require formal legislative input after 30 days into a disaster like this. My advice to the Governor is to call us back to legislative session and seek formal input from the legislature.

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

Step one is for our elected representatives and lawmakers to work together for the betterment of our state as a whole, acknowledging that somewhere in between fashioned optimism and partisan cynicism there must exist a middle ground reality that can be found with compromise from all parties. We must acknowledge that any short-term gain cannot come at the expense of long-term speculation. In short we cannot, and have not been able, to kick the can down the road leaving this situation for future generations to tackle. We have a responsibility to honor the privileges and obligations we have made, while simultaneously establishing a fair and equitable path forward for new employees and the tax-payer alike. We also have a responsibility to cut spending appropriately across the board, allowing state agencies first to spearhead their own budget cuts, while balancing immediate needs.

Yes I support this idea, and I believe that middle-class taxpayers can be protected from future hikes through measures that codify brackets and demand a bipartisan review to take place at set times in the future, wherein the factual findings are presented to the people of Illinois. Any further measure, be it an amendment to the brackets or outright tax increase, should also require the vote of the people.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

I hear time and time again the feeling that Illinois lawmakers have lost sight of their responsibility to represent their entire district, not just those who they agree with or the party they are supported by. Trust is a huge factor in this, and it’s a notion I believe we are all wanting to see brought back: the ability to trust those we have elected to work for all of us, not just their own party and especially not just their own special interests. Furthermore, tackling our pension issue, finding a way to advance and support the economic future of our state, the future of rural education and healthcare options, and quite frankly, the registration cost for a trailer all come up in conversation. Concerns are multifaceted, from the daunting issues to the everyday anxieties, the thread that runs through all of this is the priority of electing a representative who can be trusted.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Working to revitalize rural economies is a top priority. Finding comprehensive ways to maintain the jobs already in-district while expanding new ones is a must. Second, but not any less important, is supporting and expanding mental healthcare resources in rural communities, and specifically resources for our Veteran community. Barriers to access programming for those in need must be brought down, and fully supporting and enabling rural mental and behavioral health providers who are already living and working in the 95th is important for the long-term future of our entire health.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Creating tax relief and/or stimulus for small and rural businesses who already face a mountain of burden is important to keep the businesses we have alive and running. Shaping a future where residents can see themselves living safely, comfortably, and healthy in Illinois is important to keep residents from leaving. This includes supporting education, healthcare, and job longevity well beyond our own careers, but for our children and their children also. There’s a million reasons why we all decide to “plant roots” somewhere; I want us all to believe we can do that in rural Illinois without compromising any of those ideals and values that make the American dream worth living.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

Speaker Madigan deserves the same due process, and should be afforded the same rights, as any citizen of our great nation. With that said, the highest offices of leadership must be beyond suspicion and reproach. The unfolding federal investigation will assuredly provide a clear picture of the situation, and trusting our law enforcement and legal professionals to do their job unencumbered by partisan politics is critical. If found guilty, Speaker Madigan will need to face the consequences and their full measure; if not, the people of his district have every right to vote for whom they believe will best serve them. As for the position of Speaker of the House, I do believe it is time to allow new leadership to move our state forward.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

Leadership position term limits.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

Gov. Pritzker, by all accounts, has relied upon the advice of leading experts and medical professionals, entrusting some of the best within our state to provide sound, scientific facts to guide the management of this global pandemic as it hit Illinois. Our state, as a whole, is in a position of security because of this leadership and reliance upon medical facts and not partisan fears. With that said, I acknowledge some sincere concerns: It cannot be ignored that enforcing the stay-at-home order had huge impacts on the economy of our state. This reality had to be balanced with the health and safety of our fellow citizens, and the long-lasting impacts for years to come cannot be downplayed. It is my sincere belief that decisions were made with the effort to keep the health and safety of all Illinois residents at the forefront of this pandemic. Any advice would be to continue to rely on the knowledge and wisdom of healthcare providers and scientists over and against fear, but do so with a regional approach that enables our citizens, and our legislature, to make smart choices for themselves, while continuing to provide direct economic support to small businesses.

96th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

Illinois lawmakers need to pass HJRCA0021, which would pave the way to allow reforms that can save the Illinois pension system. We need to address the fixed 3% cost of living adjustment, include teachers and State University employees in social security and establish a new system for new enrollees similar to Wisconsin public retirement system.

I support the progressive income tax, and believe that we can protect the middle class by introducing legislation to cap future tax rate increases on Illinoisians making 200% of the median Illinois income or less.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Opportunity. We’ve seen unemployment rates above 30% in parts of the 96th. We need to incentivize the creation of new businesses that don’t just provide jobs but actually provide quality employment.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Defunding politics. We need to remove corporate cash through intensive campaign finance reform in order to restore the voice for the people of Illinois. Police reform- We need to end qualified immunity on a state level, end our participation in the Federal 1033 program and return past dispersements, as well as mandate body cameras for all law enforcement officers in Illinois including enforceable penalties for turning them off or tampering.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

We need an increase in not just jobs but quality employment if we want our residents to stay in Illinois. In turn, higher quality employment would increase spending and naturally incentivize business to not only stay but expand.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

Mike Madigan needs to step down as speaker pending the conclusion of the federal investigation. The people of Illinois cannot trust him to advocate for their best interests when it has been shown that people around him have taken advantage of his position.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

Pending Federal action on citizens united, we need to limit corporate campaign contributions to the same level as an individual. currently an individual in Illinois can donate $5,800 while corporate PACs can contribute nearly ten times that

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

His response has kept Illinois safe, however stricter mask mandates enacted with the help of legislators could have helped prevent the second surge that we are seeing. My advice would be not to be concerned with the people judging your commitment to keep the people of Illinois safe. This is a generational event and the true success in the measures that you an act may not be known for years, but their effects will be obvious.

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

We’ll have to do some serious negotiations with Unions representing state workers in order to protect provisions of those contracts regarding their pension benefits while at the same time trying to fund them in a way that doesn’t bankrupt the State. I suggest protecting the current employees while changing the retirement provisions for any and all new hires effective 1/1/21. Since new employees actually end up funding the pensions of older employees, this will take a lot of thought and preparation. A maximum limit on annual pension payouts to individuals could also be set in the $250,000 range. Annual COLA increases for anyone collecting over $250,000 should be stopped. For pensioners earning less than $250,000 COLA should be tied to the same rate as Social Security.

I do not support the graduated tax as proposed. There is no way to control what the Legislature will do in the future. Under this proposal, if they can’t agree to a balanced budget, all they have to do is drop the ceiling to collect more tax revenue by enlarging the pool of people that they draw from. This could happen annually. It also leaves pensioners open to having their previously untaxed benefits taxed. That could really hurt our senior citizens. This is not the time to raise taxes on any of our citizens without the Legislature having a concrete plan to reduce wasteful spending. We need to prioritize all of the State’s spending and delete those projects that aren’t absolutely necessary.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Prioritizing spending, pension reform and enacting strong ethics reforms. They seem to be appalled at the corruption that has been recently exposed regarding Public Official A and ComEd. They feel that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Reduction of unneeded spending and serious ethics reform including term limits.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Make Illinois a more business friendly environment by erasing redundant regulations, adjusting Workman’s Compensation regulations and properly fund education to lower property taxes of homeowners and businesses.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

He should voluntarily step down from his position as Speaker of the House. Our elected leaders are to be held to a higher standard and until this investigation is completed Mr. Madigan should relinquish his position as Leader.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

Term limits of four years on all leadership positions in the House of Representatives.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

Initial reaction to an unknown health emergency was proper in it’s intent to keep us from overwhelming hospitals and medical supplies. His continued extensions of his original E.O. with out the advice and consent of the General Assembly has undermined the credibility of our State government. His continued escalation of policing through the use of threats and intimidation has caused many businesses to fail and if continued will decimate our entire small business climate.

100th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

The Illinois State Constitution mandates that workers be provided the retirement they lawfully contributed to. We must elect officials who will fight to properly fund these systems that have been neglected for far too long.

Yes! Make the wealthiest 3% of Illinoisans pay their fair share of taxes to relieve the tax burden from the working class. Those middle class and low-income workers want a WAGE increase. A tax break won’t help the 40% of U.S. households living a single paycheck away from poverty. Just pay workers more!

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Constituents, including me, want healthcare! Medicaid needs expanded to all youth as well as any other Illinoisans lacking decent healthcare.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Covered 19 has shown the massive inequalities in healthcare, education and jobs. Medicaid must be expanded to all Illinoisans. Improve fiberoptic infrastructure in every residence, school, college, business and hospital during in-home learning, working from home, and telehealth. Paychecks need increased to $20/hr by 2030 with paid sick leave for every worker. Passing all three initiatives would tremendously help during this tumultuous time.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Invest in new technology! Solar installer and wind turbine technician are two of the fastest growing jobs in the US. Fiberoptic infrastructure and information technology are very important to advance a community into the future.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

I am whole-heartedly against corruption from any party, however our justice system is innocent until proven guilty. It is imperative that we require due process to be acknowledged in every case. An officeholder should uphold that position with the upmost regard at all times, so any violation of a law that lawmaker swore to protect, shall not be tolerated in any instance.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

Remove the lobbyist, PAC and corporate corrupting influence of money in the political system. The people need government and elected officials that will stand up and fight for all its citizens.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

The gubernatorial Executive Orders definitely saved lives over the lack of any coherent national response. Pritzker, as well as all governors, must highly prioritize ALL correctional facilities, especially where massive outbreaks across the United States are concentrated.

102nd District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

We can’t keep pushing these problems off into the future to deal with, because ultimately it is the retirees who have worked hard and paid into the system that suffer because of our state’s mismanaged budget priorities. The Illinois General Assembly is going to have to make some tough decisions in the coming months and years, and honestly, I don’t have all the answers. What I do know is that we need to devote money in the budget to pay down our pension liabilities and debts. Illinois can save money by reducing Medicaid costs through requiring private insurance to cover in-home care for seniors and people with disabilities. I’m also proposing an immediate 10% legislative pay cut while we deal with the serious economic damages caused by this pandemic and shutdown. We can limit agency spending growth, and we need to go after the corruption that costs Illinois taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

Yes I do. I will fight to ensure that the middle class is not bearing the brunt of our tax burden and that those who have benefitted the most from our society will contribute to the system so everyone has a chance to prosper like they do.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

The number one issue I hear concerning Illinoisans is the cost, quality, and accessibility of health care, especially in an underserved district like 102. We cannot keep electing career politicians who have no intention or interest in working to lower the cost of prescription drugs or bring investment to spur hospital development in the area. My father took his life because of the incredible burden of medical debt – I know how detrimental these situations can be. We need young new leaders with personal experience who are fighting to make sure that families get the care they deserve without having to come home and worry about the bill.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

We need leaders who have long-term goals for the families they represent. If elected, revitalizing my district will be a priority on day one, with good-paying jobs in new industry markets, access to proper healthcare, and quality education. Secondly, we can no longer sit by and allow special interests to dictate, through corrupt politicians, what goes on in the state of Illinois. Eliminating wasteful spending and state corruption through ethics reform is a critical step in the fight to get Illinois back to working for the people.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

One way a Representative of District 102 can help fix this problem without punishing existing industries is to make it easier for farmers to grow and businesses to process hemp. We need to make sure that these big infrastructure deals we’re signing off on will actually bring money and jobs back to the areas of Illinois that are most in need.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

If the allegations are true, then Speaker Madigan should resign from his leadership position. His voters should decide whether he keeps his seat.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

Fair maps (end partisan gerrymandering). We need an independent commission within the State Board of Elections to draw our districts so career politicians can’t draw themselves a safe district every 10 years and push out the voters they disagree with. Fair maps would force politicians to actually compete for their seats and would leave it to voters to judge whether their incumbents have been accountable and transparent.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

His performance was better than many other Governors, but without actually containing the virus, we have essentially postponed the inevitable. We need to extend the rent moratorium, delay evictions and foreclosures, keep the water and lights on, and keep workers paid, otherwise we will have a wave of homeless and financially desperate people placing an enormous burden on the state. Mask requirements must be enforced, otherwise we extend this hell and lose more lives, which hits everyone financially through the loss of state revenue. We need to focus on making sure a COVID diagnosis will not push individuals and families into medical debt for treatment and care, which should be covered.

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

Illinois pension systems are some of the worst funded in the nation. One of the biggest problems with our pension systems is there is no shared risk. What governs pension payments and COLAs in Illinois is statute – not actuarial tables. Recipients are guaranteed compounding COLAs on top of the pensions they are entitled to receive. There is no “we are in this together” approach and so the cost of pensions are out of control.

We need structural – not cosmetic – changes to get the situation under control. First and foremost, we need a Constitutional Amendment to give the Legislature the statutory authority needed to implement the reforms we need. This was done in Arizona. It can be done here in Illinois.

Other reforms include eliminating compounding COLAs and going to simple COLAs, capping the maximum amount of total pension funds a person can receive and incentivizing employees to move from a defined benefit retirement to a defined contribution system.

About 25 cents of every dollar of state revenue goes to fund pensions. This is not sustainable. We need reforms and we need them now.

The only way to protect middle class taxpayers is for voters to defeat the progressive income tax on Nov. 3rd.

The rates being advertised are not part of the actual language to change the Constitution which means the rates are subject to change. The people pushing the Progressive Income tax are the same ones who have continuously pushed for tax increases in Illinois. The only thing we can trust tax hikers to do is raise taxes. Illinois residents would be well-served to reject the Progressive Income tax.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

I hear a lot about taxes in Illinois and the concern about far-left policies being forced on my constituents. Residents of the 102nd District are tired of politicians trying to punish honest gun owners for the violent crimes committed in Chicago. There is a disconnect between rural residents and the City of Chicago. The disconnect is real and the more radical left legislation is signed into law – the worse the divide becomes. My constituents want legislators who will stand up for their values and defend their way of life.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Beyond the macro issues of ethics reform, pension reform and economic policies, one of the issues I am working on at the local level is putting long-term plans in place to improve the facilities at Wolf Creek State Park and Eagle Creek State Park. Years of neglect have taken a toll on these parks. If we are going to have state parks in Illinois, we should take care of them. I believe the solution is some sort of public/private partnership. It is my hope to make some progress on this. Additionally, I will continue my efforts on the Chicago separation initiative that is continuing to gain momentum.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

We need to bring jobs and opportunities back to Illinois. The Land of Lincoln lost 50,000 residents last year and we are likely going to lose two Congressional seats in the upcoming Census. We must reverse these trends. The way we accomplish this is through spending reforms to lower the cost of government which will allow us to provide real tax relief. Surrounding states like Wisconsin and Indiana are in much better shape financially because their state leaders have put the brakes on spending and implemented policies to attract jobs and opportunities. We can and should do the same here in Illinois.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

Speaker Madigan has ruled Illinois long enough. First elected to the House in 1971, Madigan has served as Speaker of the House for all but two years since 1983. It is time for our state to finally rid itself of the corruption and abuse of power that has been the hallmark of Madigan’s tenure as Speaker of the House.

The ComEd saga proves beyond a shadow of doubt that Speaker Madigan is corrupt. In recent months, several of Madigan’s top male lieutenants have been forced to resign due to allegations of acting inappropriately with some of their female colleagues. One by one individuals close to Madigan have fallen on the sword to protect his regime. How many more of these abuses of power are we going to allow let stand without doing anything about it?

It is time for him to resign his House seat. Illinois will always be mired in corruption and shady dealings as long as Michael Madigan remains Speaker of the House. I also urge the FBI to freeze his campaign funds until a complete investigation is done to determine there were no ethical violations in the acquisition of these funds.

It is time to close the book on corruption in Illinois politics once and for all. It is time for Speaker Madigan to resign.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

The culture of corruption is more than just bad actors. If we are going to change Springfield – we need structural reforms. We need to take steps such as enacting term limits and ending COLA’s for legislators.

We need structural changes in the way the House and Senate are run to give the minority party the opportunity to have their bills considered. We must enact reforms that will prevent the abuse of power in Illinois.

Some specific reforms include:

HB 4421 – Ends COLAs for legislative and executive officers and appointees.

HR 588 – Requires that if a bill has five bipartisan sponsors the bill must be discharged from Rules and called for a vote in committee.

HJRCA 44 – Places term limits on State Representatives and State Senators by limiting the time served in each chamber to 12 years.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

The whole point of shutting down our economy was to flatten the curve. According to an article from the Hill, flattening the curve was necessary because the “nation’s health care system has a fixed capacity of the number of people it can treat per day, which is marked by a straight line on the graph. A higher curve would likely exceed that capacity, meaning that people would be left waiting for days to be seen and treated by medical professionals. The flatter the curve, the more likely it is to fall under that maximum capacity, allowing each patient access to the resources they need. We shut down to prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed and we have accomplished that goal. It is time to reopen Illinois and it is time for our governor to stop demeaning the office by making outrageous statements implying that people who dare to disagree with him and his lack of leadership somehow want people to die. Instead of locking down healthy people and stopping them from going to work to provide for their families – we should focus on protecting the most vulnerable in our society. More than half the deaths in Illinois come from nursing homes. We need to do a better job of keeping them safe.

103rd District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

The first thing we need to do is pass the Fair Tax Act. Then we need to put a program in place to pay the bill this state owes to its workers. Illinois citizens work hard to earn their pensions and for most, it’s a financial security blanket. No worker should fear poverty after retirement.

I am a fierce supporter of the Fair Tax Act because it’s a simple solution to a problem we shouldn’t have. The more money someone makes, the more they pitch in to make society a better place. For decades the rich have been getting richer and the poor have been getting poorer. If we don’t pass this amendment, we risk losing the middle class altogether. The way I see it, we can’t afford to protect the middle class without the Fair Tax Act.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Constituent Services is one of the most important parts of my job. My district office hears from constituents non-stop. The top five issues we’re currently helping with are COVID-19 response (unemployment), housing insecurity, poverty, gun control, and criminal justice reform.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

If you send me back to Springfield as your Representative, I will continue to fight for you. My first order of business this fall session would be to pass bold widespread COVID-19 Response that ensures our government works for and protects everyone. My policy agenda is pretty consistent when it comes to criminal justice reform, but 2020 has shown us just how much work we have ahead of us when dismantling systemic racism. We don’t just need reform, we need to re-imagine what our criminal justice system looks like. I’m dedicated to developing policy change that puts community building before the penal system. We need policy change that ends mass incarceration, that ends cash bail, and that shifts funding and resources to improving the lives of the hard-working individuals and families that make up the majority of this state.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

While Illinois may be experiencing a population decrease, I’m happy to report that the 103rd District is growing. However, if there is a reason people leave this district, it’s housing. So much of our local government has become a rubber stamp factory for luxury apartment developers that charge rent prices that far exceed the average salary in the district. If we want to keep growing, we need to redefine what the term “affordable housing” is.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

On Friday, July 17, 2020, I learned of the investigation report by the US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois involving an allegedly criminal relationship between Speaker Madigan and ComEd. I believe these are very serious charges, and the contents of the deferred prosecution agreement are very concerning. If the charges are true, any and all involved should resign. I will be monitoring subsequent developments and work diligently to put measures in place to prevent these kinds of situations from happening. It is incredible to me that while Black communities across the state fight for basic rights and equality, powerful men think they can play dangerous games with billions of dollars.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

I currently have two ethics bills in the House. HB4041 requires legislators to declare a conflict of interest before taking action on a legislative matter. HB4943 Requires governmental entities to implement ethics training programs and harassment and discrimination prevention training programs to be completed, at least annually, by all officers and employees of the governmental entity. My ethics agenda is grounded in the concept of due process. Any ethics legislation that foregoes due process sets a dangerous precedent.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

I think Gov. Pritzker has been doing a great job with a near-impossible task. If we zoom out a bit and really appreciate the task at hand, we can remember that Gov. Rauner spent four years gutting all of our government agencies only to leave Pritzker with mountains of debt and understaffed agencies just before a pandemic. While there are legitimate concerns about how IDES is handling unemployment claims, I can confidently say that Gov. Pritzker has listened to the science, put public health first, and has taken every best step possible. My colleagues and I have given him advice regarding free testing statewide and increased testing attention to communities of color as we are disproportionately affected by this virus. At every turn, Gov. Pritzker listened and acted. And for that, I am grateful.

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

I believe we can take back control of the pension problem, and restore some fiscal responsibility to the state.

Illinois pension problems are the greatest challenge now and tomorrow. It is no secret that Illinois has the worst pension crisis in the nation. Other core government functions suffer—such as funding protecting children from abuse—and our economic growth is slowed causing people to leave the State in droves. We will only have 40 cents of every dollar promised to retirees if current laws do not change. We must act to put the State back on track.

That said, we made promises to public sector workers. As a Libertarian, I believe in always honoring contracts, which is why I support Mazzochi’s constitutional amendment that protects existing earned benefits while cutting future benefits. And I am not alone: a recent poll showed that 51% of Illinoisans also support the amendment.

But there is more that can be done legislatively to alleviate the pension problem. I would support legislation that: 1) increases the funding target from 90% to 100%, 2) applies a pensionable salary cap at $100,000, and 3) replaces compounding benefit increases with inflation adjusted cost-of-living increases.

For Illinoisans who are unfamiliar with the dire state of the pension system here in the State, I encourage them to read the excellent report titled “Illinois Forward: A 5-Year Plan for Balanced Budgets, Declining Debt And Tax Relief” by the Illinois Policy Institute.

I do not support the “Fair Tax”. There is nothing fair about a graduated income tax. Fairness is treating people equally, which is why I support a flat income tax. Governor Pritzer and Speaker Madigan want the constitutional amendment so they can write blank checks against the future of Illinoisans. They have demonstrated clearly that they have a spending problem. I have no trust that the so-called “Fair Tax” rates will not increase in the future as our financial prospects become more dire.

I will vote against any graduated tax, while also voting to balance the budget and restore fiscal responsibility to the State.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

One topic comes up again and again: Taxes. When I was out petitioning, when I am out canvassing, when I go to speaking events, the one thing on all Illinoisans’ minds is the current tax burden. Property taxes are too high. Income taxes are too high. People struggle to pay their mortgages as a result. People cannot save enough to buy a house in the first place. People struggle to put food on the table. And I sympathize. That is why, besides fairer, more transparent government, taxes are one of my primary planks. The top priorities of lawmakers in Springfield is not to be what is best for their constituents, rather it is enriching themselves and maintaining their power. I feel that real life situations of the middle and lower class offer views unforeseen by these wealthy, as these classes of people make up the vast majority of the population. This is why I support fair district maps, term limits, and lower taxes.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

My top two priorities are to draft fair, unbiased legislative district maps in Illinois and pass legislation to diminish the House Speaker’s power. House Representatives elected in 2020 have the honor and duty of redistricting in response to the 2020 Federal Census. This is an opportunity to bring representation to the people. Our State government does not work because over 60% of State legislative races are unopposed. The source of this problem is the biased district maps that favor either the Republicans or Democrats. Unfortunately, party bosses are not interested in changing this, as it maintains their relative power. As a consequence, the parties do not nominate their best candidates, rather they nominate party loyalists. In 2016, a Fair Map amendment was passed in the legislature with an overwhelming majority. The incumbent in my district was 1 of 7 votes against the amendment. I will work with representatives in both parties to get fair, unbiased legislative district maps in Illinois. Another way to bring representation to the people is to actually bring bills to the floor of the House. Many good bills are reported out of Committee each year, but are never voted on. Unfortunately, these bills die because the Speaker of the House has the power to prevent them from floor vote. I would work to pass legislation that ensures bills recommended by Committee are given their fair time on the floor, so that legislation once again works for The People, rather than the interests of the politically connected.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Again I come back to taxes: income, property, and corporate. People leaving the state rank the high taxes as the number one issue in determining their move. Small businesses are unable to start, grow, and survive in the current climate. Large companies are reevaluating their operations in the state. I constantly read about the diaspora of good, hard-working, and industrious citizens from the state. Take Jimmy John’s as an example. In 2013 the company moved its licensing division to Florida. The company cited taxes as the primary reason. And while the headquarters will remain in the State “for the meantime” after the recent sale, I expect it is next. This is just one of many: General Mills left, Mondelez International left, Butterball LLC left. Without good jobs, people will not want to stay, exacerbating the State’s economic problems. I will put forward legislation to reduce taxes while addressing the deficit.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

While the investigation is ongoing and I will reserve my final judgement, it looks fairly damning of Speaker Madigan to me. Based on what we know, Madigan worked closely with ComEd lobbyists and was overly favorable to legislation affecting the company in return for jobs and favors for political associates in addition to more than $1.3 million in bribes. The worst aspect of the whole situation is that ComEd was allowed to directly hurt nearly 9 million Illinoisans by hiking the rates for customers by $150 million. If this is indeed true, Speaker Madigan must step down.

But this is beside the point: Speaker Madigan should step down as Speaker of the House, resign his position in the House, and resign as Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. The fact is, he has been a politician far too long, has far too much control, led the charge in creating the pension and budget crisis in the State, and is not responsive to the citizens. My campaign is all about bringing power back to The People, and I believe politicians that are not responsive and not working for The People should resign.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

Term limits. Incumbency allows special interest groups to take advantage through lobbying, bribery and political favors. Lifelong politicians forget what it is like to be a normal working class person. Integrity diminishes the longer politicians are in office. I am not running to represent myself or my family. I want to be the voice of The People. I believe The People need more voices, which is why I will introduce legislation to impose term limits on all State Congressional and elected Executive offices.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

COVID-19 is a real problem. The disease has caused immeasurable harm to the State and our People. However, the way Governor Priztker has handled the pandemic stamps all over people’s rights. He has acted as an autocrat and an authoritarian. Businesses and people need to take the responsibility for themselves. Businesses should be able to decide for themselves whether masks are required in their establishments. And patrons need to respect their wishes. I believe in the goodness of people and that they will make the right decisions. I do not agree with authoritarian government rule.

105th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

I continue to support the consideration model for pension reform as a way to reduce liability in a way that is fair to taxpayers and members of the pension systems.

There is no reason to raise taxes on Illinoisans. Our state does not have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem. If we work towards balanced budgets that cut back on the waste in government we would not be having this conversation.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

We always hear about the need for decent fiscal management in Illinois but right now in my district the pressing need for ethics reform is the top issue I hear from my constituents.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Ethics reform needs to be enacted immediately if we want to restore any faith in Illinois government. Also the state needs to get serious about its budgetary situation and realize the true cost of the pandemic and what that will mean for our state’s revenue.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

The number one thing we can do as government is control property taxes. Local government reforms and eliminating mandates will help reduce property taxes which is one of the main reasons I hear from constituents as to why they are fed up with Illinois.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

How the Speaker can effectively govern is called into question now more than ever. He is innocent until proven guilty, however he should be including in his decisions what is best for Illinois. If any charges are brought forth, he should resign.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

A more open and detailed statement of economic interest, modeled after the current judicial version, for elected officials across the state would help bring transparency to all levels of government and help hold officials accountable.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

No one runs for office expecting to have to manage government during a pandemic, it is a thankless and unforgiving task. However, the Governor decided to dictate instead of govern, cutting the General Assembly out of all of the processes and procedures his agencies were undertaking during the pandemic. The House Republican caucus put together numerous plans and suggestions regarding reopening the economy, unfortunately nearly all were dismissed. I hope that going forward the Governor respects the other branches of government and works with business leaders in a more collaborative process.

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

Just like most of Illinois’ financial struggles, unfunded pensions must be faced head-on. Some issues, like this one, deserve to be non-partisan. No; there isn’t an easy solution. Our state cannot keep using band-aids to solve our problems; we need long-term solutions. To solve this issue, I would support a full-package, non-partisan bill that gives back to local government employees. Due to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people have already lost their jobs, homes, and savings. This is not a time to allow lawmakers to ignore such an important issue that affects so many Illinoisians.

The fair tax bill has been consistently misconstrued by the top 3%, which has had a trickle-down effect on many people within the other 97% of us. We have been told that it will cause Illinoisans to face even higher taxes than we have experienced before, but here are the facts. Fair tax has been created and implemented by 33 other states to give back to the working class. The fair tax will lower taxes of the middle class and those that disproportionately face financial strain because of race, gender, sexuality, and generational poverty.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, our state has been facing an economic crisis for years. My constituents are concerned about legislatures budgeting capabilities and feel their needs aren’t being recognized by the state. We need to pay off our massive debt for the good of Illinoisans. Now that we are facing the economic effects of COVID-19, we must get our house in order. We are worried about people leaving the state because of our economic state, and I believe we need a full-package plan to recover; short term solutions just aren’t enough anymore.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

As I have said and will say again, the recovery of COVID-19 for small businesses, restaurants, and low-income communities is my priority entering office. We must face unemployment and debt head-on in order to bounce-back from the pandemic. Additionally, I feel that social justice must be priority in our government because of the changes in our communities. The younger generations no longer tolerate systemic racism and must use our power as policymakers to bring justice to all Illinoisans.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

My campaign slogan is RISE105. I am running in the 105th district, and I believe that the way to Revive Illinois is by Strengthening all parts of our communities (including municipalities, small businesses, etc.) and Energizing our constituents to use their voice in local and state government.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

As this is currently under investigation, he must be presumed innocent until proven guilty. If he is found guilty, he should be removed from his position for unethical reasons. However, he should be treated just like any other member of the office is treated in a courtroom, and given a fair trial. Just like the impeachment of Donald Trump, he could not be stripped of his duties unless he was found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

I believe that placing members of the public on the legislative ethics commission, instead of just legislature. A third party will create a more accountable environment that encourages the legislature to make ethical choices and removes the unethical from office.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

A pandemic of this magnitude is something no one has experienced before. I believe that the Governor handled the situation as best he could, attempting to balance human lives and preventing economic turmoil. More importantly, I believe that the COVID-19 pandemic will serve as a lesson of preparedness for the future.

107th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

The first step toward solving the fiscal problems has to be passage of the Graduated Tax amendment. Just passing it doesn’t solve all the problems, but not passing it is much worse, because the economic pain is passed down to the middle and lower classes. This approach has the potential to put a drag on the economy. Specific to the pension, I believe there are hybrid pension ideas that are beneficial to both the pensioner and the state. I hear politicians on the right demanding a move to 401k style retirement plans for all state employees and I hear groups on the other side demanding we stay with 100% defined benefit plans. Someone has to lead these two sides into a discussion where common ground can be found.I also wonder about the feasibility of selling WWII style bonds. Patriotism is often thought of at a national level, but I believe many Illinoisans to be patriotic about our state. My thought is that citizens could purchase long-term bonds from the state. Citizens would benefit from a decent guaranteed interest rate and the state would benefit from the cash infusion as well as a lower interest rate than the 7% interest they are currently paying on overdue bills.

I do support passage of the Graduated Tax Amendment because it actually IS the way to avoid a middle class tax increase. The Graduated Tax Amendment does nothing to change the vote required to pass a tax increase or decrease.But if the Graduated Tax does not pass, it almost certainly means that the flat tax will increase on the middle class as well as the upper class. Such an increase runs a risk of economic slowdown and I believe is an unjust approach to taxation.One proposal which I think should be considered after passage of the Graduated Tax would be a super majority vote of some level to approve tax increases. How much of a super majority should be part of the discussion.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

What I hear from the folks in my district is that they are tired of the divisiveness. Our current representative proposes removing Chicago from the State of Illinois as a solution to our problems. He hosts single-issue rallies that are geared toward his core supporters. My opponent often times votes as a super minority of a party that’s already a super minority. What I propose, and have found a lot of support for, is my Community Classroom initiative. I pledge to host weekly town-hall style forums throughout the district, where local experts on each side of a particular issue can make their case for or against upcoming legislation. I would strive to have viewpoints from all sides involved. Constituents can attend and participate. In addition, I would be able to relay my reasoning behind recent votes taken. While we will never all completely agree, with the Community Classroom we can all move forward together, more informed, and with a better understanding of the issues we face.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Legislators simply have to address the rising cost of health care and prescription medicine. My opponent voted no on SB 667, the bi-partisan bill that capped insulin prices. I would have voted yes on SB 667 and I support finding other ways to control prescription drug prices. A second priority for me is to try and work towards a more just system of taxes and fees. If the Graduated Tax Amendment passes, I support measures to roll back or at least ameliorate many of the regressive fees that were passed during the last session. I believe the $50 increase in license plate registration is particularly hurtful to low and middle income earners. If votes are not there to repeal, then I propose making the license plate fee, tax deductible on Illinois taxes for lower and middle class income earners. It’s my view that passage of the Graduated Tax is also step one in fixing the terribly out of kilter property tax system in Illinois. This unfortunately is not a simple fix. The property tax system became skewed over a generation and so it will take several years to unskew it.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

It is my observation that the real issue of population loss began when former Governor Bruce Rauner spoke so poorly of the state he was elected to govern. Then when it became clear that Governor Rauner’s agenda included underfunding the regional universities, young folks clearly got the message that leadership didn’t want them here. The fear of Eastern Illinois University closing during the Rauner years caused many college age Illinoisans to leave the state. Under Governor Pritzker, the turnaround has begun. The governor has taken a can-do approach to governing the state and I hear renewed interest from my advisees in staying closer to home and attending EIU.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

I’m a believer that in America, you’re innocent until proven guilty. If Speaker Madigan is found guilty, then obviously he needs to go. Has the Speaker overstayed his usefulness and become the poster boy for term limits? Very possibly, but it’s a different issue than whether someone under criminal investigation should step aside simply because they’re under investigation. If there is an indictment of Speaker Madigan, then my calculus changes, depending on what is specifically charged. It’s possible that legal charges make leadership simply unworkable.Regarding the leadership of the Democratic Party, it is my view that political parties operate largely as public relations organizations and that new leadership for the party is long overdue. My supporters would like to see a Democratic Party of Illinois with a 102 county strategy. So I would be encouraging a change in Democratic Party leadership regardless of any investigation.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

I believe that in order to truly reform Illinois, we need to restructure how we govern. I advocate repealing the 1980 Cutback Amendment and returning to three-member House districts. This action would lead to the election of downstate Democrats as well as Chicago Republicans and would have a moderating effect on each of the party caucuses. I also believe it would greatly reduce the power of party leaders to control their caucuses. The three-member districts were first created in the 1870 Illinois Constitution as an intentional response to the bitter partisanship that plagued Illinois in the post-Civil War era. Such an intentional response is needed today as well. I believe that in moderating each party, there would be less incentive for corrupt activities and a return to the bipartisan approach that served us so well from 1870 to 1980.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

I think the governor’s approach undoubtedly saved lives and for that he is to be commended. Illinois was among the few states that followed federal guidelines and this approach worked to reduce COVID numbers and keep the outbreak in check. It was after politicians such as my opponent encouraged people to violate the guidelines that COVID numbers in our region began climbing. One statement my opponent has made with which I agree, is that Illinois is not a one-size fits all state. I believe the initial response of Gov. Pritzker to COVID 19 didn’t take this into account. It’s possible that the shutdowns this spring might have been better rolled out regionally. Unfortunately, our elected leaders had already developed a sour relationship with the governor by the time COVID arrived and thus they were unable to have a civil conversation that could have led to a more workable solution. My concern is that if we continue to be without an elected Democratic voice from our region of the state, the bickering between the legislators and the governor will continue, much to the detriment of our area. I believe this area would greatly benefit from at least one elected voice to work with the majority party, and the governor. It’s my belief that such an approach last March could have helped the situation.

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

We need bold solutions to the pension crisis in Illinois. Ignoring Illinois’ pension problems won’t make them go away. I am one of the few legislators that wanted to be on the pension committee when I got to the GA. I know that we can never lower property taxes, properly fund education, invest in critical infrastructure or provide a safety net to those in need without first reforming our pension system.I have partnered with a fellow Rep on a plan that would secure working class pensions, cut out the excessive abuse at the top and put us on a path to sustainability. * Tie COLA to CPI to Ensure Growth does not outpace our ability to pay HB3860 * Cap Maximum Amount of Total of All Public Pensions at $132K (max contribution of social security) to eliminate abuse & ensure taxpayers and working-class pensioners are protected HB3859 * 1 Year Raise in Retirement Age for All Pensioners HB3868 * Create the Tier 3 defined contribution plan for all new employees HB3919

Going to a progressive income tax structure in Illinois is a bad idea. This is a typical non-solution Springfield solution. We can not continue to come back to taxpayers and expect them to continue to prop up unsustainable government. We never hear about real spending reform, only tax increases.

They campaign that this is only a tax increase on the rich. What it really does ins make the same politicians that have made this mess and are beholden to the same special interests even more powerful-that is not a good idea.

IL is in a fiscal death spiral. What are the chances that IL politician come back in a couple of years and say we are in a fiscal crisis (we are in a perpetual fiscal crisis) and say we have no choice but to raise taxes on working people because that is where the share of the money is.

We need structural reforms to reduce spending. We need a spending cap that ties the growth of government to a rolling average of economic growth. Hardworking families can’t outspend their incomes. Why should we allow this irresponsible behavior from our government?

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

Property taxes, corruption, lack of influence and understanding about how Chicago-centric policies often have severe unintended consequences on our part of the state. One thing I have noticed in Springfield is that if you are not part of a big corporate conglomerate or union, there is not very many people carrying your message. The vast majority of the folks in our area are neither.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Put in place the strongest anti-corruption and pro-transparency safeguards in the country and reforming spending to a level that is sustainable by dealing with our primary cost driver-the pension system. Standing pat on these issues is no longer an option.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

My district is overwhelmingly a working-class district and the people in the 107th District feel forgotten and betrayed by our state leaders and the organizations that are funding these leaders. Big money special interests take from working class people and give to politicians in order to buy influence to maintain the status quo. All of this is done to prop up an unsustainable system that has failed before and will continue to fail the very people they are supposed to be protecting. We need to change course and stop looking out for the special interests and focus on making Illinois better for EVERYONE. One way we can bring Middle class jobs Back is through Smart Deregulation. Specifically, we need to: * Re-Tailor our regulatory Policies to benefit working class wages & new opportunities instead of just legislating to benefit the trial lawyers & special interests * Take advantage of our ability to be an Energy Producer and Exporter * Create a robust all of the above Energy Plan to utilize our vast Natural Resources to put people to work on Solar, Wind, Coal, Oil, and Gas. Taking these steps will revitalize the economy in my district and stop the mass exodus of people from Illinois.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

It is time for Speaker Madigan to resign. I am encouraged that some Democrats are stepping up and calling for his resignation, but we need more Democrats to take a stand. Not only do they need to call for his resignation, but they also need to stop taking his money. The reality is that we have not had one party rule in Illinois – we have had one-man rule. Madigan has ruled Illinois long enough. If we are going to change the culture of corruption, we must change the leadership in the House. But just changing the leadership will not solve the underlying issues. We need real anit-corruption safeguards in place to ensure transparency and accountability no matter who is in leadership.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

I have sponsored what I call the Public Servant Trust and Accountability Act that is intended to restore trust and credibility to the legislature. The Public Servant Trust and Accountability Act also include the following legislation:

– HB4810: Creates an independent and aggressive Legislative Inspector General’s Office.

– HB4811: Modifies the law so that no member of the General Assembly may engage in lobbying in the General Assembly or unit of local government. Defines lobbyists and bans them from the general assembly.

– HB4812: Forces legislators to choose between public service and personal profit by strengthening the conflict of interest laws and demanding recusals.

– HB5370: Creates one of the strongest, most detailed, and most transparent economic disclosures in the country.

– HB4808: Provides accountability for agencies that ignore FOIA requests. By creating a form of punishment ($7,500 out of their budgets) these agencies should be much more transparent and accountable to the people they represent.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

I have been very vocal in my criticisms of the Governor and his handling of the pandemic. Very little of our response to the virus has been targeted to those who we know by the numbers are vulnerable to becoming critically ill or dying. The lack of this targeted approach has left long term care (LTC) facilities exposed. Over half of our deaths are in this population statewide and nearly 75% of the deaths downstate are in LTC’s. The policies are way too proactively restrictive to the general population and way too reactive on the vulnerable populations. To this day, the state of IL does not have mobile testing units that can turn around same day testing for LTC’s in hotspot areas. So much of the response to this virus has been fueled by partisan politics which has not been helpful. About half the deaths in Illinois due to COVID-19 were at LTC’s. We could have prevented many of these deaths if we had prioritized the most vulnerable instead of focusing so much on contact tracing and backlogging testing labs with tests from so many people that are young, asymptomatic and not in critical risk categories. Just recently, I called on the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Governor to protect long-term care facilities in Effingham County given the rise of cases in the County. Nearly 75 percent of the COVID-19 deaths in the Southern and Central regions come from long-term care facilities. Protecting the elderly populations in these facilities is where our primary focus should be. We need targeted testing at long term care facilities, and we need quicker turnaround on the tests. I have made a request to the Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngorzi Ezike and Governor Pritzker urging their temporary assistance to better protect our long-term care facilities in Effingham County. We need to protect our elderly population.

109th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

Twenty-five cents of every dollar the state receives in revenue goes to pay for pensions. The pension crisis is making it extremely difficult for the state to fund other, necessary parts of government. The Governor and the Democrat majority believe that a tax increase is the solution. The reality is that sending more money to Springfield is only going to lead more spending.

I suggest three simple steps we can take to begin to solve this crisis.

1: We need a Constitutional Amendment. States like Arizona have given their Legislature the ability to fix their pension problems through a Constitutional Amendment. We can do the same in Illinois. Voters need to be allowed to vote on this because it is taxpayer money at stake.

Step 2: End Legislative Pensions

Many legislators are opting out of the legislative pension system. Let’s keep our obligations to current retirees but get rid of it moving forward. We don’t need a pension for a part time job.

Step 3: Move from compounding COLAs to simple COLAs. The compounding COLAs are contributing to the pension problem in a big way. Ending compounding COLAs would dramatically reduce our pension liability.

No. I oppose the progressive income tax. The graduated income tax is code for massive tax increase and that is the last thing Illinois needs right now. Illinois has the highest combination of state and local taxes in the nation. When you combine a graduated income tax with all the other taxes Illinois residents pay such as the second highest property taxes in the nation, a graduated income tax would do irreparable harm to our state.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

The voters I talk to want to see more jobs coming to Illinois. I also hear a lot about the taxes in Illinois. Voters are also concerned that the Democrats in Springfield refuse to try to understand the views of rural residents in Illinois on issues like abortion and the 2nd Amendment. We have a lot of guns in the 109th District and do not have anything close to the violence that exists in the City of Chicago. Guns are not the problem. People are tired of their voice and their beliefs being ignored by Chicago Democrats.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Many of the communities in my district are on the Illinois/Indiana border. There are people who regularly leave Illinois to buy gas, to shop and even dine out. There is no compelling reason for a business to locate in Illinois when they can still get a lot of Illinois business traffic while locating in Indiana where the taxes are much lower. My focus will be on lowering taxes in Illinois and making Illinois more business friendly. I grew up in a small business household. My parents are entrepreneurs and instilled in me at a young age, hard work and perseverance. In my family, I am the oldest of five, and we all had to do our part to make ends meet. We must make Illinois a destination for jobs and opportunities otherwise we continue to see a mass exodus to states like Indiana. Lowering taxes, reducing the state’s regulatory burden, and taking steps to reduce the cost of doing business in Illinois such as addressing the state’s workers’ compensation laws are ways, we can make Illinois more business friendly.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

One of the first things we need to do is keep young people in Illinois. Despite spending more on state aid than any surrounding state, public college tuition is soaring in Illinois. Other states run more efficient colleges and undercut our tuition. They also offer more scholarships, and mail acceptance letters months in a timelier fashion than schools in Illinois do. When these students leave, they often do not come back. When we lose a new graduate, we lose a lifetime of community investment – not just tax revenue! We also need to look at ways to lower the cost of employment in Illinois. The minimum wage increase is hurting communities in districts like mine. What is the incentive for businesses to stay in Illinois when moving a few miles away to Indiana can dramatically reduce their costs? We need meaningful business reforms in Illinois.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

There is no question Speaker Madigan should resign. He should as Speaker. He should resign his seat in the House, and he should step away from the Democrat Party of Illinois. We are never going to end the culture of corruption in Illinois as long Michael Madigan remains Speaker of the House.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

There are a number of good reform ideas already on the table, but sadly the very people who are making these reforms so necessary are the very ones preventing these ideas from ever being considered. I have and will continue to push for the meaningful ethics reforms we need once elected to office. One reform I support is House Bill 4810. This bill creates an independent and aggressive Legislative Inspector General’s Office. We need a truly independent Legislative Inspector General who does not have to ask permission to act from the very people the office is set up to investigate. In order to be more effective, the Legislative Inspector General must truly be independent.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

First, I think the politicization of this virus has been very harmful to the country. What we need is facts and real information about the nature of this virus and unfortunately every piece of information we get is filtered through the prism of politics. We need the truth about this virus even if it goes against our worldview. Second, I think that the lockdown of our economy was not the right response. I never understood why we locked down healthy people but did little to protect our nursing homes and assisted living facilities. About half of the deaths in Illinois have been from nursing homes. We should have focused on nursing homes and less on locking down our economy and shutting down churches. The only advice I would give the Governor is to keep moving forward in terms of opening up our economy. Illinois businesses cannot afford another lockdown of our economy.

110th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

I believe that police officers who are convicted of a felony should be ineligible for their pensions. This alone won’t address the pension crisis Illinois faces so we must do more. We should work toward a three step plan that 1. provides benefits to new employees which is both fair and financially responsible. 2. Reform pension benefits for existing participants that reduces the state’s liabilities in a fair manner. These first two are more “pay as you go” mindsets that are dangerous to Illinois’s finances. So the third step we must face is dealing with the debt that is left from old pensions that are being collected but still not funded.

I support the graduated tax. I believe the graduated tax that we will be voting on in November does protect middle class taxpayers as only the top 3% of income earners in the state of Illinois will see a tax increase.

I do believe middle class taxpayers can be protected from future hikes, too, because I don’t believe the General Assembly would vote yes on a tax hike that would impact the middle class of Illinois. If I am elected, I will never vote “yes” on a bill that would raise the tax on the middle class OR retirement income.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

When I am out canvassing and campaigning, I often hear the issue of corruption, Mike Madigan, and term limits. I know that corruption is in Illinois politics and has been for decades. I believe, like many of my constituents, that term limits can help address this corruption. If we implement term limits on Illinois lawmakers, we can start seeing more representation in Springfield that looks like the constituents that they represent instead of the same political machine decade after decade. I also hear the issue of infrastructure come up a lot, especially internet access. None of the counties in my district meet or exceed the average broadband coverage of Illinois as a whole. One county, Cumberland, actually falls below 50% coverage. I would fight for some of the $45 billion capital bill to be allocated to District 110 so that we can begin expanding broadband access to the corners of the district that have too often been forgotten or left behind.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

1. Term limits on the General Assembly for the reasons mentioned above and

2. Climate change/green energy jobs in Illinois. We must stop relying on Congress to take action on climate change. Over 50% of Congress accepts campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry and we can’t take on the industry that contributes to climate change if we actively take money from them. That is why I believe we need to act as a state to take action on climate change and bring with it many high paying jobs. We need to convert all public schools in Illinois to 100% renewables by 2030. This will allow us to educate the children, students, and future of Illinois hands-on on climate change and the need to move away from fossil fuels. When we do that, we also need to invest in high school “green” vocational tracks that prepares students for the high paying green energy jobs of the future without the need to go to college and take out tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. It’s a win-win for students and the environment.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

I believe bringing high paying jobs and lowering taxes for the poor and middle class is key to not only keeping residents and businesses in Illinois, but also bringing more people INTO Illinois. We can bring high paying jobs into Illinois by addressing the climate crisis and bringing green jobs into Illinois. We cannot do that by continuing to rely on a dying industry, fossil fuels. Students are leaving the state, too, and we can keep them by addressing climate change the same way. We also need to lower the tax rate for the poor and middle class so that those individuals won’t seek out lower taxed states, and the same is true for business.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

He should resign from Speaker of the House and Illinois Democratic Party Chair until the Com-Ed investigation is over. If he is found guilty of any wrongdoing, he should be removed from his office.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

I think term limits is the ultimate goal to increase accountability. We also need to look at campaign finance and think of ways to decrease dark money influence in politics. One way I believe this can be done is to move toward public funding of elections and public matching of funds for candidates who pledge to only accept small dollar donations. This will allow candidates to spend more time talking to voters and less time calling wealthy out-of-state donors.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

I think Pritzker is doing a great job of listening to medical professionals and science about what we can do to mitigate the spread of the virus. The only concerns I have is that the rules and mandates seem to change day by day. I know that a virus that we have never seen before is unpredictable, but more consistency would be nice, especially when dealing with schools. Several schools in District 110 have mentioned receiving conflicting recommendations from different government agencies, and if they were on the same page, that would help keep information consistent. That would also be my advice to him; make sure mandates and regulations are consistent.

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

We need long term solutions to the pension crisis. Short-term, Band-Aid solutions have failed to adequately solve the problems we are facing. We need real reform and we need it now.

The first step is to ask the voters to approve a Constitutional Amendment to give the Legislature the authority to enact the reforms we need. The courts have made it clear that absent a change in our Constitution, the Legislature has limited options in terms of enacting serious reforms.

Having said that, there are some reforms we can enact. For starters, we should eliminate the Legislative pension and lead by example. We should also look at using simple COLAs for retirees rather than compounded COLAs and/or we should look at implementing a 401(K) style plan for new hires. Whatever course of action we take, we need to make real pension reform a high priority.

I oppose the Governor’s progressive income tax. If Illinois residents approve the Governor’s progressive income tax hike scheme, there is no end in sight to how high our taxes will go. Every state that has a progressive income tax ends up raising taxes on middle class families. Sure, the rhetoric sounds great. Tax the wealthiest Illinois residents. Make them pay!

But the reality of a progressive income tax is that over time every income tax bracket ends up seeing tax increases over time. It is easy for career politicians to raise one income tax bracket one year and focus on another bracket the next year. It is much harder to raise everyone’s taxes all at once than it is to raise just some taxpayers’ taxes one income bracket at a time.

Giving more of our hard-earned money to Springfield has only achieved one result – more spending. The last thing we need to do is give career politicians in Springfield more of our money to spend. We must stand firm and oppose the Progressive Income Tax.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

I think voters in the 110th District are tired of far-left legislators from Chicago pushing their radical agenda onto the rest of the state. The constant assault on our 2nd Amendment rights and the radical bills requiring people who are morally opposed to abortion to pay for abortions with their taxpayers are direct assaults on the values so many in the 110th District hold. Unfortunately, too many are voting with their feet and leaving Illinois because they are tired of the radicalism coming from Chicago politicians.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

My focus will be on lowering taxes and creating jobs. The only way we can legitimately lower taxes is to reduce spending. One of the reasons I voted against Gov. Pritzker’s bloated budget is because of the massive increase in spending contained in his budget. We must get spending under control. We also must root out the culture of corruption in Springfield. The influence peddling and insider dealing in Springfield makes it difficult to attract new jobs and opportunities to Illinois. Many of the economic problems we face in Illinois could be solved with the addition of more jobs and one way we can make Illinois more attractive to potential employers is to root out corruption.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Much of the 110th District is near the Indiana border. The best thing Illinois can do to prevent businesses from leaving Illinois for Indiana is to at a minimum regionalize the minimum wage increase. The minimum wage hike, the Governor pushed through is already hurting many of the businesses in the 110th District and it is only going to get worse the closer we get to the $15 per hour threshold. Many people in the 110th District already go to Indiana to shop and eat out. There is little keeping businesses in Illinois. Businesses know they can lower costs by locating in Indiana and they can bring many of their Illinois customers with them. We need to change the antibusiness climate in Illinois, and we need to do it soon or communities along Illinois’ borders will continue to lose businesses to surrounding states.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

It is not like the ComEd scandal is the first time House Speaker Michael Madigan has come under fire for unethical conduct. Several members of his staff have had to resign as a result of Me-Too allegations. Madigan has also come under fire for using his position to land property tax clients for his law firm. Now, he is under fire for his involvement in the ComEd scandal.

He needs to resign his position as Speaker. He needs to resign his House seat and he needs to resign as head of the Democrat Party. He has been there long enough. The fact that he has not taken any steps to remove himself from public life with all of the controversy surrounding him tells everything we need to know about the culture of corruption in Illinois.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

It is time to do more than just talk about ethics reform. We need to end the revolving door that allows legislators to leave office one day and become lobbyists the next. We need to strengthen the Legislative Inspector General position to make that office a truly independent one. We also need to expand the financial impact statements for anyone running for office to ensure that legislators are not using their positions to profit financially.

The bottom line is we need to enact real ethics reforms and we need to do it sooner than later.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

The biggest problem I have with the Governor is his unwillingness to listen to legislators about the state’s response to the virus. He has consistently pushed for one-size fits all solutions to the coronavirus pandemic. Many legislators even some in his own party have objected to his decision to eliminate fall high school sports. Surrounding states have found ways to safely play sports. We should be able to do the same here in Illinois. Unfortunately, the Governor has no interest in listening to parents, student athletes and lawmakers who might have a different point of view. More than half of the people who have died from COVID-19 in Illinois were in nursing homes. Instead of being fixated on regulating and controlling the lives of healthy people, the Governor should have focused on saving the lives of our elderly population that is by far and away the most vulnerable. Governor Pritzker has destroyed the Illinois economy and failed to protect the people most at risk to COVID-19. His leadership has been a disaster.

111th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

As a CPA and auditor, it is difficult for me to watch pensions consume more and more of our state’s budget and reduce the amount available for services for our most vulnerable. It is critical for legislators to stop borrowing and spending, and get serious about reexamining the spending priorities of our state. Even as COVID ravaged our economy, Democratic legislators continued their tone deaf and irresponsible ways, voting for a budget that spends more than ever.

Structural reform must take place, and I support multiple potential solutions. I would support the consideration model touted by both Republicans and Democrats, and also would support a constitutional amendment that is fair to both the state and pension participants.

I do not support changing the Constitution from its current flat tax to a graduated income tax. Illinoisans already suffer under a tremendous overall tax burden, and additional increases only encourage more families and businesses to leave the state. Not only are there no protections for middle class families in the graduated income tax proposal, but even our State Treasurer has admitted it also opens the door for a tax on retirement income, which I am strongly against.

Springfield politicians raised the income tax twice in recent years, yet it has done nothing to get spending under control or to a place where Illinois can pay its bills on time. Now, those same politicians are asking taxpayers to make it easier to raise taxes by altering Illinois’ Constitution. As a Foster Township Trustee, I cut our township’s tax levy by 20%, and that’s the experience I’ll bring to Springfield.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

As I meet voters from Alton to Granite City, citizens are most concerned with the high tax burden in our state. The 111th district is a border district with Missouri, so residents here see firsthand how policies coming out of Springfield can hinder economic growth and force families to flee to neighboring states. Sky-high property taxes and increased income taxes have overburdened our middle-class families and seniors with fixed incomes. Democratic legislators like my opponent serve on pointless task forces and talk about reform, but in the end accomplish no tangible results. We must do better, and elect effective advocates for our district and region.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

My top two legislative priorities are ethics reform and reducing Illinois’ overall tax burden. Ethics reforms must be enacted to end the rampant corruption in Springfield. Amid investigations, indictments, and arrests, Illinoisans deserve better representation from officials who act in the public interest, not self-interest. We need leaders who speak out about wrongdoing, regardless of party and who do not accept tainted funds from corrupt sources. Another priority is to reduce the tax burden on Illinois families. As a CPA and auditor, I understand how to identify spending priorities and root out waste, fraud, and abuse of tax dollars. I will put that experience to work in Springfield by examining the state budget and acting as a fiscal watchdog for the residents of our district. I will never vote for legislative pay increases or irresponsible borrowing that only sinks our state deeper into debt and despair.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

As a border district, it is critically important to enact economic policies that bring quality jobs here, and reform the property tax system to make living in Illinois more affordable. It is not enough to speak about these issues – we must enact real reforms to our tax systems and ethics rules to give residents and job creators the confidence they need in state government to grow and thrive. In addition, legislators must continue to fund education, including k-12 and higher education (colleges, universities, and trade schools) while preserving local control of educational decisions. As a daughter and sister to teachers, I understand what challenging jobs educators have, especially under COVID restrictions. We must provide opportunity for all students to pursue their dreams and provide an environment in our state that attracts them to stay and raise their families here.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

Michael Madigan should immediately resign from the House of Representatives and as Chairman of the Democratic Party. For nearly 40 years, Speaker Madigan has used his power to raise taxes and enrich himself and his allies while blocking needed reforms. Then, he spends tainted funds on Democratic candidates for state representative, like Monica Bristow. As a result, Illinois Democratic candidates and representatives refuse to speak out against Madigan, even as he is under investigation for bribery, and his closest allies are under investigation, indictment, and even arrest for pay-to-play, ghost payrolling, sexual harassment, and even covering up a rape. We must have reform, and that starts with electing new representatives to the House who are not afraid to speak out against these egregious wrongdoings.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

When state corruption is as out of control as it currently seems, it is difficult to choose only one item. However, I know from my work in accounting that one critical component to identifying conflicts of interest is adequate disclosure. The forms required of legislators and senior state employees should be strengthened to include much more detailed information about income and investments. With the public and media able to access accurate information, citizens can be more informed about potential corruption or conflicts.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

Governor Pritzker should work with state legislators and local officials on policies that work for all areas of the state. All businesses must be allowed an even playing field while remaining safe. We must provide every option for them to remain open and keep employees working so our economy does not further deteriorate. In addition, the Governor must fix the IDES system so unemployed residents can get relief. It is unacceptable for families to go months without a paycheck because the system does not work. We must all hold the Governor responsible for his agencies and their failures to help people who are unemployed by no fault of their own.

113th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

First, we need to amend the state constitution to allow changes to pensions, without changes to the constitution all other reform wouldn’t come close to solving the problems we currently face. Second, all new employees should be on a 401(k) system that current employees can opt into. Third, we need to reform current participant benefits. The age of retirement should be increased for all employees to 67 and we need to do away with the guaranteed 3% cost of living adjustment, which should be replaced with a true CPI adjustment with a maximum of 3%. Then finally, lawmakers must address state debt and stop spending money. We don’t have a problem with revenue in this state, it’s a problem with rampant government spending which leads to funds, especially pension funds, being raided to pay for various pet projects. Springfield’s solution has only ever been to increase taxes which has only resulted in thousands of Illinoisans leaving the state for states with lower taxes and making the pension crisis worse. These aren’t easy solutions, but they are what is needed to fix these issues instead of just kicking the can down the road.

I do not support changing the flat income tax to a graduated tax. There is no guarantee that taxes on the middle class would not increase. With current state spending, it is almost a guarantee that the middle class will suffer with even higher taxes. The issue isn’t revenue, it’s rampant government spending.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

The issue I hear the most is property tax relief. Every year brings about even more property tax hikes along with increases in taxes such as the doubled gas tax. Many residents are opting to move out of state because we get promised relief with no action from those currently elected.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

I have three top priorities: lowering taxes, Illinois foster care reform, and placing restrictions on government to limit its size and power in people’s lives. Illinois has some of the highest taxes in the country. I oppose the ‘fair tax’ and I propose a 1% property tax cap. To reduce taxes, we must reduce government spending and we need to hold our elected officials more accountable. Illinois has a culture of corruption that is enabled by unlimited terms. I propose term limits for all elected officials, no more than two terms. Finally, we must address our state’s failing foster care and adoption systems. Illinois has 17,000 children in foster care. 39% of them will go to four or more homes while in care. Many children will age out of the system entirely due to laws on the books that allow cases to be strung along even if the best interest of the child is to terminate parental rights. We suffer from a lack of foster parents which is due to a high barrier to entry as a foster or adoptive parent and a lack of trauma informed training to help foster parents better help the children in their care. I propose putting policies in place that make is easier to become a foster or adoptive parent, updating current required training to be more trauma informed, and changing current laws that allow cases to drag on when they shouldn’t be.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

Stop taxing them to death. Those leaving Illinois cite high taxes as their number one reason why they are moving elsewhere. Businesses pack up and leave for the same reasons. Reduce taxes across the board and get government out of people’s lives.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

No, he should resign from all positions immediately. Whether or not he is guilty he has the appearance of violating the public’s trust in him as a State Representative. The longer he remains in office and his position as Speaker of the House the more it becomes apparent that he is only serving himself and not his constituents or the people of Illinois.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

Ban lobbying altogether. Elected officials should be beholden to their constituents in their districts and not from some corporation looking to wield government as a weapon to enrich themselves.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

I think Governor Pritzker, along with all other health officials, had and do have really good intentions in protecting the public from a serious disease, especially in the beginning of this pandemic when we didn’t have a lot of information. My concern is that now we have a much better understanding of this disease and how it works and what happened was vastly different than what everyone thought it would be. But the Governor has not adjusted his approach or handling of the disease. We started out at two weeks to flatten curve which then turned into eradicating something we will forever have to deal with. During this period, the Governor unilaterally shut down small businesses, allowed major retailers to stay open, and put a lot of people out of work. His handling has been largely inconsistent with all the advice of the experts he claims he is following. So, while I believe he started out with great intentions he never adjusted his heavy-handed approach considering new information and his actions will inevitably cause more harm than intended. My advice to the Governor would be to admit that things are as bad as we all feared and adjust the approach in handling the disease. Continue to protect the most vulnerable, continue providing testing for those concerned, ease up on the mask mandates, and start letting people get back to work and to their lives.

115th District

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

I favor the progressive income tax and the proposed LaSalle Street tax. I think the reforms should be limited to those entering the system anew (so that is a very long-term solution), with the exception of “double dippers” and others receiving over 150K per year directly from the state. Tax revenue can be increased by setting the state on a positive economic course and growing the economy and population.

I support the progressive tax and I am committed to protecting middle class tax payers from increases.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

We are over-taxed and education is not being funded at a level that enables us to compete with neighboring states. The young people are leaving the state and businesses are relocating to neighboring states. The state is not business-friendly, and is corrupt, inefficient, and too centered on Chicago politics. People want honest, efficient government. Everyone hates Mike Madigan and thinks he should retire.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

Tax reform and better education funding; transportation development and healthcare for everyone would be close behind.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

We have to lower taxes, especially reforming the Workman’s Comp requirements and property taxes. Our current policies encourage small businesses to under-employ workers. We have to get behind public education as we once did, at all levels. We must find a way to end the cronyism and corruption. The office of the Secretary of State has been well-administered for some years and should be used as a model for administering other branches of state government.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

It doesn’t matter about the investigation. He has clearly stayed too long and that has been true for ten years. He should retire. Service in elective office to one’s state, or nation, or local government should not be a career. It is for “amateurs” in the real sense of that word –those who do it for love, not for profit, power, or advantage. I will donate every penny (above real expenses) of my state salary to charitable organizations, and I will not serve more than two terms.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

I am quite familiar, as a state employee, with the current state ethics laws, since I have to be trained and tested on them every year. The problem with our current system is that it is reactive –we wait until someone does something wrong and only then make a rule against it– and it is not guided by any thorough understanding of what “ethics” is or means. I am a specialist in ethics. I would advocate a broader understanding of the relation between ethics and morality, not just ethics and legality. We want morally good government, not just legally accountable government.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

He has done pretty well. He must stand up to pressure from uninformed people who try to politicize our public health. Obviously he has to balance our economic health and our physical health, but they are related. Thinking long-term instead of giving in to short-term pressure/criticism is very important. He has done ok, but is not as strong and resolute as some other governors.

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Illinois continues down the path of unfunded pension liabilities with no easy solutions in sight. What should Illinois lawmakers do about it?

The first thing the Legislature must do is make pensions a top priority. Ignoring the problem is not going to make it go away. Currently about 25 percent of all state revenue goes to funding pensions. This is not sustainable. We need a Constitutional Amendment to give lawmakers the authority they need to fix our broken pensions systems.

I am committed to making sure current retirees are protected but the Legislature needs the Constitutional authority to make some changes to the retirement benefits afforded to current state employees.

I am opposed to the progressive income tax. The promised tax rates are not set in stone. These rates most definitely will change. The end result of the Governor’s progressive income tax will be a massive tax increase for middle class families. It is not the fault of taxpayers in Illinois that career politicians have mismanaged the state budget. The problem in Illinois is not that taxpayers are not paying enough taxes – the problem is that career politicians are spending too much. We have tax increases in 2011, 2017 and 2019 and yet our budget is far worse today than it was a year ago, three years ago and nine years ago. The problem is not the amount of taxes paid. The problem is the amount career politicians have spent.

Tell us what you hear most from constituents. What is their top priority of lawmakers in Springfield?

What I hear from voters in the 115th District is that our taxes too high. Voters want lower taxes – particularly property tax relief. I also hear a lot about corruption. Voters are tired of the culture of corruption in Springfield. They are tired of the influence peddling and pay to play politics that have dominated Illinois for far too long. The confidence in our state government is shattered.

What is, or would be, your top two priorities if elected?

My focus would be on job creation. We need to make Illinois more business friendly. A lot of our budget problems could be solved by simply bringing more jobs and opportunities to our state. Given the shut down of our economy due to the pandemic – it is even more important to focus on the economy. We also must address ethics reform. The people are losing confidence that their government is working for them. They are tired of the scandals and tired of insiders being taken care of while most of the state is struggling to pay bills and stay afloat financially. It is time to stop talking about ethics reforms and finally act on what we know needs to be done.

What can be done in your district to keep residents and businesses from leaving Illinois?

First, we need to continue to move forward in the reopening of our economy. We need to get back to where we were before the shutdown of our economy. We must keep moving forward. I will work with the Governor to ensure that our region continues to stay open. Second, we need to look at ways locally to attract jobs and opportunities. I will work with local mayors and community officials to do what we can at the local level to make our region more attractive to prospective employers. I will be the advocate our region needs to keep the jobs we have and recruit new businesses.

Due to an unfolding federal investigation, should Michael Madigan remain in his positions in state government? Which ones? Why or why not?

Speaker Madigan needs to resign. Even Democrats are starting to call for his resignation. For far too long, Illinois has had what is essentially one-man rule. This is wrong and it is time for Speaker Madigan to resign.

What is one ethics reform proposal you think would make a difference to keep elected officials more accountable and transparent?

One of the most significant reforms we need is HB 4809 which bans legislators from being lobbyists for three years after leaving the General Assembly. There are 33 states with revolving door laws. Illinois needs to be the next state to adopt this common-sense reform. Ending the revolving door would be a significant step in the right direction. It is a reform that would definitely have bipartisan support if lawmakers were given an opportunity to vote on it.

Please evaluate the job Gov. J.B. Priztker has done managing the coronavirus pandemic. What concerns do you have? What advice would you give him?

More than half of the deaths in Illinois have come from nursing homes. We knew early on that older people were more at risk than younger people. Why didn’t we do more to protect our seniors? Moving forward, we need to do a better job of protecting the most vulnerable and focus less on locking down younger, less vulnerable people. We also need to keep moving forward in reopening the economy. We need our businesses to come back.

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8 questions for candidates running for the…

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8 questions for candidates running for the Illinois House in districts outside the Chicago area

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