ISSUES

Tax Relief

Illinois currently ranks in at the seventh highest tax burden in the United States, and many citizens feel as if they're getting a raw deal. The issue lies in the fact that Illinois' income tax structure levies a flat tax which treats all income the same, meaning that the state is required to raise income taxes equally across the board regardless of tax bracket. 60% of Illinoisans have already voted in favor of a tax system that prioritizes the working class, and it's time we heard their voices.

With our budgets becoming increasingly bloated, and Illinoisans in dire need of relief, the answer is simple: we must work towards a system where the wealthy pay their fair share. By retooling our state constitution to favor a tiered income tax or implementing luxury and wealth taxes, we can provide legislators the tools they need to balance the budget and meet our responsibilities to those in need while also lessening the tax burden on families.

Implementing a weight-distance based tax on freight would allow us to repair our roads while also lowering or eliminating the gas tax entirely. This would effectively shift the tax burden from the working class onto businesses, and allow us to counteract the disproportionate damage to roads caused by larger vehicles like semis.

Education

The fact that Illinois has one of the lowest educational ROI (return on investment) scores in America should worry any concerned citizen. We're paying a large amount of money to give every student a great education, and sometimes we aren't receiving the results that our children deserve. Children are going hungry, teachers aren't receiving the support they deserve, and our state is suffering as a result.

We need to continue working with educational experts to continue making improvements in public education, and oppose school voucher systems that would send taxpayer dollars to for-profit private schools. We should also be providing more support to our teachers, families, and students through the implementation of universal school breakfast and lunch to ensure no child goes hungry in our schools, and creating a more equitable environment for our educators and students.

Healthcare

Illinois has always offered some of the best healthcare in the country through our major cities and hospitals, though rural healthcare has fallen by the wayside in recent years as a result of federal and state-level factors. We've additionally become a healthcare destination in recent years due to our abortion protections, strong relationship with Planned Parenthood, and protection of gender affirming care.

Moving to protect Medicaid, Medicare, and other healthcare programs should always be our first priority. The fact of the matter is that healthcare is a human right, and we cannot rest until every Illinoisan is able to see a doctor as needed. With Roe v. Wade now overturned, it's more important than ever to continue protecting the right for a woman to choose and strengthening our relationship with Planned Parenthood. On a similar front, we're seeing a nationwide war on gender affirming care which spells disaster for Illinoisans of all stripes, and we should do everything in our power to legally protect and educate the public on these life-saving treatments.

Honest Government

Illinois has been plagued with corruption for far too long, and it's about time that we did something about it. Using the mistakes of the past to create a better future, we should be moving quickly to pass term limits for positions of leadership in the state legislature while also making changes to the benefit and pension structure for all legislators. With Illinois having the most units of government in the entire country, we should be exploring options to simplify state government while also preserving stability and saving taxpayers money.

With the passing of Public Act 103-0562, felons are no longer eligible to hold state-created offices in Illinois - while I support the overall thrust of this policy, we've already seen unintended consequences right here in District 71 with Orion's recent issues involving their Mayoral election. I support reworking current state law to strike non-violent drug offenses from Public Act 103-0562, which would allow them to serve in public office following the completion of their sentences.

Gerrymandering has had an unprecedented effect on Illinois politics, and should come to an end as soon as possible. Through the adoption of legislation creating a statewide independent redistricting committee, we can ensure that the voters pick their representatives, instead of representatives picking their voters. The implementation of ranked-choice voting should also be explored, to ensure that third parties have a place in our democracy and our voters can rest easy knowing they have the opportunity to vote their conscience.

Technology

Technology impacts our lives more than it ever has, and trends are showing that isn't going to slow down anytime soon. From computers in cars and tractors to generative AI, a new dawn is quickly arriving where technology is leaking into every aspect of public life. It's the responsibility of any good government to protect the rights of our consumers in the face of tech giants, and passing reasonable limits on big tech should be an active priority of our legislature.

Generative AI not only steals from artists, but it has the potential to rapidly exceed our current understanding of computer science. Steps should be taken to regulate the AI field, while also allowing us to harness this new technology's potential for good. The mass-harvesting of data and artwork should not be legal, and we should implement protections for artists from generative AI.

Right-to-repair laws are a common-sense measure that ensure when you make a purchase, you actually own what you're buying and can modify it as you see fit. From tractors to smartphones, many manufacturers currently lock repair capabilities behind proprietary software only accessible to the original dealer, requiring consumers to enter costly predatory transactions to have their property serviced when they could have easily resolved their problems themselves. A statewide right-to-repair law would mean that consumers are offered legal protections from this predatory industry practice, and allow them to fully enjoy their own belongings.

Law and Order

Having been the victim of violent crimes myself, I take justice for victims especially seriously. Too many families in our state are afraid to go to sleep at night, and too many of our children have seen justice dashed right before their very eyes.

I support stricter penalties and sentencing guidelines for all sex crimes, with an emphasis on those involving victims under the age of eighteen. Additionally, we should further empower judges to hold violent criminals in pre-trial detention, as outlined in the Safe-T Act. Too many judges are allowing repeat offenders, flight risks, and violent criminals out of pre-trial detention, and we should be doing everything in our power to encourage them to take public safety seriously in this regard.

Environment

With unprecedented federal cuts to the National Weather Service, our meteorologists and citizens are being left in the dark by the federal government when it comes to natural weather disasters. If you want to see the impacts of climate change and environmental irresponsibility, look out your window. Flooding and severe weather are becoming more impactful and commonplace every year, and our state needs to be prepared to meet the environmental challenges of tomorrow.

While we should be raising our voices in protest of federal cuts to weather services, we should also be paying close attention to what we can do here at home to combat future severe weather events. Through public awareness, weatherization programs, and constructing preventative measures such as flood walls, we can help prevent damage to structures and utilities before they ever happen.

Outside of the area of severe weather, we should continue meeting our commitment to recreation by improving existing state parks and camping infrastructure across the state. Every Illinoisan deserves the chance to revel in the beauty of our state, and that includes the next generation.

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