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Michael R. Glenn, Nokomis

Chase Wilhelm is the clear choice for our Illinois State Representative in the 95th District.

I have gotten to know Chase well.  As an Army chaplain, he served honorably in Afghanistan and now serves in the reserves.

The current representative serves on the Legislative Ethics Commission that blocks the public from any information on crooked behavior that they vote to prevent from going forward.  Chase Wilhelm is a PhD chaplain who has the highest ethics and will work hard to bring ethics reform to Illinois.

Regardless of which party one normally favors, Chase Wilhelm is the candidate who will work for reform, and not block reform.  Please vote for Chase Wilhelm for Illinois State Representative.

By:  IL Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Deputy Majority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives Jehan Gordon-Booth

What is the antidote to the spike in violence, pandemic health crisis, and urgent calls for justice and safety in communities across Illinois, including Chicago and Peoria?

The remedy does not reside in the militarization of our law enforcement agencies or overinvestment in measures of surveillance and punishment. These tactics have proven ineffective and unreliable.

The best way to respond in this moment and prioritize public safety is to invest in communities—especially communities of color most harmed by concentrated violence and COVID-19.

A report in the Chicago Tribune shows how decades of disinvestment in Chicago’s Black and Latino neighborhoods—across housing, education, health, and more—have left communities vulnerable to the very crises we are facing today. Moreover, the authors note that the wealth gap causing many racial disparities during the pandemic is not an accident: countless policy decisions are responsible.

To meet this moment, the neighborhoods disproportionately suffering and long facing underinvestment, need the resources to keep them safe and healthy right now. This can be achieved with the recognition that public safety is not just about responding to violence after the fact. Fostering health and wellness—with good schools, access to health services, trauma recovery, and economic stability – is critical to preventing violence.

That’s why we recently lent our support to the Illinois Coalition for Shared Safety, a new initiative led in part by the Alliance for Safety and Justice, to persuade Illinois’ state government to use almost $20 million of Department of Justice stimulus funds to make investments in communities that are most harmed and least served.

While most jurisdictions used these stimulus funds solely to support operations of their criminal justice systems, Illinois used them to create opportunities for community-based organizations to provide direct assistance to people and communities most impacted by COVID-19.

This work is part of a larger strategy that we have championed in Illinois. In 2017, for example, we sponsored the Neighborhood Safety Act which has helped reduce Illinois’ prison population by 18,000 people – from a high of 49,000 to 31,000 people currently in the system. The Neighborhood Safety Act has also supported the implementation of Trauma Recovery Centers, an evidence-based model that is proven to help highly victimized, but underserved victims of crime. Thanks to this work and coupled with the efforts of the Alliance for Safety and Justice, Illinois will soon have Trauma Recovery Centers in Chicago, Springfield, Rockford, Peoria, Lake County, and Chicago. In 2020, Illinois increased its investments in violence prevention and trauma recovery services by $10 million, and to ensure that our work in informed by the community, the Attorney General’s office convened a series of town halls, bringing together victim service providers throughout the state in the areas of sexual assault prevention, domestic violence prevention, and community violence prevention. Through these town halls, our partners clearly articulated a need to move from a reality of safety for a few to a vision of shared safety for all.

According to a recent nationwide survey, community organizations providing emergency support have been stretched to the brink under the pandemic. Increased demand and strains have made it harder than ever to provide services that make neighborhoods safer, yet these services are the local pillars of health and safety.

On Chicago’s south and west side, for example—where taxpayers have spent more than $1.3 billion to jail people from four neighborhoods over five years—programs that provide employment, interventions, and support for people at high risk of violence have proven track records of success. Yet even in good times, community-based violence prevention programs are not funded at the scale required to achieve the best safety outcomes and often operate on a shoestring.

We hope that the example we have set in Illinois’ new approach to public safety funding will contribute to a larger re-imagining of safety in America.

We must begin to understand, measure, and address safety beyond the criminal justice system and recognize that preventing violence is more effective than reacting to it. By investing in the core health and safety needs of communities, and focusing on violence prevention, we can create shared safety.

Written By: IL Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Deputy Majority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives Jehan Gordon-Booth

Democratic candidate Scott Stoll is campaigning to win Illinois’ 93rd District away from incumbent Norine Hammond, who wants to keep her seat so she can fight for the state to reduce its budget, push for ethics reform and ensure education is a priority.

“It’s important to concentrate on ethics reformation,” Hammond said. “Ethics reform has to be a priority in Springfield.”

With Illinois carrying $7 billion in debt, Hammond believes the way the state is handling its budget is awful.

“We’re one notch above junk,” Hammond said of the state’s credit rating.

Hammond, who first was elected in 2010, said representatives had the ability years ago to sit down and go through the budget.

“Four years ago we sat down and went through it line by line and, by the end of the day, we had a balanced budget,” she said.

But those days are gone, she said.

“There’s not enough time now” to study the proposed budget before a vote, Hammond said. “It’s not right.”

Hammond believes the state needs to cut its spending so its debt doesn’t continue to grow.

“As a General Assembly, we need to examine our priorities,” she said. “We have to sit down and prioritize.”

Hammond also advocates for making sure all levels of education are funded and able to help people to prosper.

Stoll, a Rushville alderman, wants affordable healthcare available to everyone, lower prescription drug costs, economic growth and, as a father, making sure all levels of education are properly funded.

“No one is taking away private insurance,” Stoll said, adding that he just wants health insurance to be available for all.

Working in the pharmaceutical industry, Stoll said he believes lobbyists pushing for healthcare are pushing for profit rather than the care itself.

“It’s hard for me to see patients need life-sustaining medications and not being able to get them,” he said. “We need lower-cost options for people and I think there’s a lot of room for improvement … healthcare is a huge part of everything.”

Since being elected alderman, Stoll created Rushville’s economic development program to help businesses keep their doors open and thrive in the local economy, an effort that has taken on heightened importance amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have a lot of smart, young people here and we want them to stay here,” Stoll said.

Understanding that farming is a large part of what Illinois offers, Stoll said smaller, “mom and pop” businesses are just as important.

“I know we’re built on agriculture, but we have our towns, too. We haven’t really seen much on Main Street,” he said, adding that he would like to push for more incubator programs for small businesses. “I want to provide support to start businesses or support businesses being able to hire.”

With Chicago being the state’s largest city, Stoll wants to make sure government’s focus remains balanced throughout the state, he said.

“We need to keep focus on downstate,” he said, explaining that he saw too many small businesses being denied COVID-19 relief money. “A majority of the stores got denied because they’re considered essential, but business is low and they still need to pay employees; they struggle quite a bit.”

7 of Decatur’s most historic homes

Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

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Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

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Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

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POLO – Seth Wiggins, Democratic candidate for the 90th House District, is touring historic sites in the area and meeting with community members.

He recently was at the William Burns House in Polo and will be at the Black Hawk Statue in Oregon at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Illinois taxes and the future of nuclear power are major issues in two northern Illinois legislative races. 

These topics were part of the discussion at a recent League of Women Voters virtual forum in DeKalb. The most prominent candidates were those competing in the race for the 70th and 90th Districts of the Illinois House of Representatives.

The 70th  District encompasses parts of DeKalb, Kane and Boone Counties. It’s currently represented by Republican incumbent Jeff Keicher. He’s being challenged by Democrat Paul Stoddard. The stances of these two candidates vary greatly when it comes to the graduated income tax. 

Currently, Illinois has a flat income tax, where residents pays the same percentage regardless of how much money they earn. A proposed constitutional amendment would allow this percentage to scale based on income. Stoddard said the current system is unequal when it comes to total tax burden. 

“It turns out that the lower classes are paying the largest percentage of their income in taxes," he said. "12.4% or so is the estimate I’ve seen. The middle class is about 9.4% and the upper classes are about 7.4%.”

Stoddard supports the amendment as a matter of equity. 

“It gives us the flexibility to start talking about how to adjust our tax structure to be fair to everybody," Stoddard said. "Not just tax the rich, but how can we gain more revenue necessary to cut people’s property taxes.” 

Many local governments rely on high property taxes to finance schools and other local services. Stoddard hopes better state funding can counter this.

Keicher is against the amendment. He criticized the plan as lacking specificity.

“Our governor has introduced a budget that  is $7 billion in the hole," Keicher said. "This plan raises $3.6 billion. We have a shortfall that we haven’t accounted for where that money and revenue is going to come from.” 

He’s also skeptical of how the money would actually be allocated.

"It comes down to legislator trust, and I do not trust the current legislature to spend judiciously with other people’s money.”

Meanwhile, in the 90th District, Republican incumbent Tom Demmer is facing a challenge from Democrat Seth Wiggins. This area encompasses parts of DeKalb, Lee, LaSalle and Ogle Counties.  

A major economic issue in this race is the future of the Byron Nuclear Generating Station. The power plant’s parent company, Exelon, announced in August its intention to shut down Byron in the fall of next year. The plant is licensed to operate for at least another 20 years, but Exelon says there are revenue shortfalls.

Demmer and Wiggins both agree that the Byron nuclear plant should remain open, to preserve jobs in the area and as an important source of energy. Demmer explained. 

“I think we need to take advantage of the geographic location we have, the natural resources that are around, and embrace a nuclear, wind, carbon-free future to provide electricity and help fight climate change.” 

Wiggins largely agrees, but said he also wanted to address the economic factors going against nuclear power. He cites an assessment from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

“One of the reasons the president of IBEW has set forth as leading to that decision is the non-economical value of nuclear power when compared to fossil fuels.”

In a separate discussion on cutting the state budget, Wiggins suggested cutting state subsidies to coal and other fossil fuels.

So if we can not subsidize those and take less state dollars and re-appropriate them to underserved areas, I think that would be favorable in my opinion.” 

Keicher, Stoddard, Demmer and Wiggins will face off over the seats in their respective districts in the General Election on November 3rd.

The Rockford Register Star’s election coverage is based on what community members have told us they want to hear the candidates talking about as they compete for votes. (Go to https://ift.tt/30utsnL to see more about our public-powered coverage agenda.)

Today, candidates in the 67th Illinois House District answer a series of questions concerning issues that voters tell us are uppermost in their thinking this year. The candidates are Maurice West II, the Democratic incumbent, and Kathie Hansen, the Republican challenger.

We’re asking the same questions of candidates in other races and will publish their answers in coming days. Candidates also have the opportunity to discuss other issues that are high priorities for them. The candidates’ answers have been lightly edited.

Maurice West II, Democrat

How do you propose to incorporate mental health professionals into the way we police our communities?

Incorporating mental health professionals into the way we police must be a priority throughout our state and the city of Rockford. It begins with mental health advocates and associations coming to the table and developing relationships with law enforcement. Second, it requires the reallocation of police funds with the prioritization and cooperation of police unions. It is also important to educate the community on the importance of 21st century policing methods. We can no longer rely on police and our jails to serve as therapists. Incorporating mental health professionals is known to reduce recidivism, empowering law enforcement to focus their time on keeping communities safe from criminal behavior and building up relationships within the communities they serve.

What do you propose to do to improve the cultural competence of law enforcement?

Short-term action and long-term investments are both necessary to improve the cultural competence of law enforcement. Concerning short-term action, the community must be involved in both the training and accountability of those sworn to serve and protect the public. Our law enforcement officers are fully funded by taxpayers; thus, taxpayers should have a say in how things are implemented within our police departments. Short-term actions include: a community oversight board that has subpoena power, crisis intervention training for law enforcement officers (a bill I am working on) and training programs where advocates and experts train officers on culturally and socially relevant topics. Long-term investments include: intentional recruiting efforts towards people of color, women, and other minority groups and increased community involvement for officers (with specific focus on youth). Though we are living in times of divisiveness, we must come together to better promote the role of law enforcement in society. As more people FROM the community strive to become officers, they will reflect and represent the communities in which they serve.

What is your plan to reform law enforcement to ensure that officers are held accountable for misconduct and to make police disciplinary records transparent to the public?

My primary focus when it comes to police reform is community empowerment. My official statement where I discuss this in detail can be found at mauricewest.com/empowerment. Furthermore, I have both filed and supported legislation that promotes accountability amongst law enforcement and empowers the community I serve as state representative. I’m currently working on a bill that prohibits the destruction of any law enforcement complaints, investigations, and/or adjudication of misconduct. The way it stands now, these records are only kept four years.

How do you propose to safely reenergize the local economy amid the coronavirus pandemic?

It is a top priority to ensure that the lives of all Illinoisans are safe from this virus. However, it is also a top priority to provide relief for our business sector, especially our small business owners. Because no one predicted this virus, it is imperative the state adapts to ease the burden created by the pandemic. I believe we must make it a point to reallocate portions of revenue Illinois generates toward the budget shortfalls throughout Illinois. I will address this by working with the governor’s administration to create a legislative order that will appropriate funds for that purpose. Percentages of revenue that comes from cannabis, gaming and the Fair Tax need to focus on providing COVID relief for businesses and municipalities.

How do you propose to restore a shared sense of responsibility for the common good?

Again, for my constituents, I refer you to my statement concerning community empowerment (mauricewest.com/empowerment). As a leader, it is my responsibility to build bridges during times of division, instead of adding fuel to the fire, and extinguish discord through sound reasoning and thought. As State Representative, it is important my constituents know their voice is heard and I weigh their ideas on values that unite the district and unify our city. My focus isn’t partisan based, but service based upon honesty, responsiveness and compassion for our community.

Discuss one or two other issues that are high priorities for you and how you would address them in office.

Decreasing the skills gap will remain a top priority of mine for my second term. I brought over $2M to our district for this endeavor and it’s important to keep that money coming year by year for our community. Second, making strides for a statewide deferred prosecution program that provides second chances for nonviolent offenders so they can positively contribute to society. I’ve heard many stories from great people that are yet jumping hurdles due to poor decisions made decades ago. We need to focus on restorative justice rather than punitive justice.

Kathie Joe Hansen, Republican

How do you propose to incorporate mental health professionals into the way we police our communities?

I read the story in the Register Star about the co-responder concept that would embed mental health professionals with police officers on domestic violence calls and other calls where situations could be defused. I am supportive of this idea if the person who made the 911 call is considered first in any of these situations.

What do you propose to do to improve the cultural competence of law enforcement?

I think there needs to be more engagement between police officers and the community. There should be more interaction other than just calls for service. Real community policing would include discussions between citizens and police officers so that an environment of understanding is created.

What is your plan to reform law enforcement to ensure that officers are held accountable for misconduct and to make police disciplinary records transparent to the public?

I am comfortable with the current system of internal and external reviews. I do not support making disciplinary records public unless by court order. I do support making supervisors accountable for situations like the one in Minneapolis where a police officer could patrol the streets despite 19 issues on his employment file. This was clearly a management issue when an individual officer with a record like that can interact with the public.

How do you propose to safely reenergize the local economy amid the coronavirus pandemic?

There needs to be a more aggressive effort to open our economy safely. This whole issue has been mishandled from top to bottom. The “science” has been nowhere near established and it has led to decisions being made that are causing more problems. We cannot ask businesses to just shut down and restaurants cannot survive on 25% occupancy.

How do you propose to restore a shared sense of responsibility for the common good?

This is a difficult question because it implies that there is some universal loss of a “shared sense of responsibility for the common good.” Those of us who were raised to understand our responsibilities to community have done so in many ways such as serving in the military, of which I proudly served. Others serve their community by feeding the poor, helping their neighbor, coaching a sports team, and many other ways. I see these types of things happening all the time.

Discuss one or two other issues that are high priorities for you and how you would address them in office.

In Illinois we need to get a handle on our budget issues and hold the line on taxes rather than raising them. We have lost population and jobs to other states that do not have the tax levels that we have here in Illinois. The lost population and jobs have been a severe blow to our state economy and cannot be sustained.

My greatest concern is the tilt of the state politics toward extreme liberal positions like redistribution of wealth and a series of social issue agendas that have brought us taxpayer paid for abortions and other policy positions that are not shared by a large majority of our population.

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