NORMAL (25News Now) – Two women are on the ballot to represent the 91st Illinois House District, which covers parts of Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, and McLean counties.
Democrat Sharon Chung is the incumbent who was elected for the first time to the Illinois House in 2022. She’s a former McLean County Board member.
Republican Desi Anderson is a small business owner who unsuccessfully ran against Democrat Sen. Dave Koehler in 2022.
Business and Wages
Chung said she supports pro-worker policies like the state’s increasing minimum wage. In 2025, the hourly wage for workers ages 18 and older will rise to $15.
“We are trying to see what we can do every day to keep down costs for people. Whether that’s in terms of us eliminating the grocery tax, capping insulin prices at $35, or even for [policies I’ve worked on],” Chung said. “One of the first bills I passed in 2023 was to make it that insurance companies would cover medically necessary hearing aids.”
Chung and Anderson were asked about finding a balance between higher wages and the viability of small businesses.
In a 25News Special Report in July, dozens of small business owners in central Illinois said rising minimum wages, high corporate and business taxes, mandated paid leave and inflation have made running a business in Illinois too expensive.
Chung said she personally had not heard these concerns from small business owners.
Anderson, a small business owner herself, said the issue of matching the cost of living with wages is complex.
Anderson said that these pro-worker policies don’t represent what small employers need, while it is great for minimum wage-earning workers.
With big corporations leaving Illinois over the past decade, Anderson said the burden falls on small employers.
She believes the state needs to create incentives for owners to invest in Illinois because neighboring states have lower tax rates and are more business friendly.
“When you’ve got the option to look at your finances and say, ’You know what? I could drive three hours east, west or south and be in a different state and have a different financial outcome after a 10-year investment in a business,‘” Anderson said. ”How do you keep good talent here?”
Crime and the Safe-T Act
Chung supports the law that ended cash bail in the Illinois courts.
Anderson wants to renegotiate and repeal the controversial SAFE-T Act and have agencies like the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association involved in these discussions.
In Sept. 2023, cash bail was eliminated, forcing judges to decide whether to hold a defendant in jail before trial.
Many prosecutors, sheriffs, and police chiefs across central Illinois have criticized the law, including the chance that someone let go before trial could commit other crimes.
“At the end of the day, if a criminal is released, what are we telling the victims?” Anderson said. “For me, that is important that we make sure that we continue to advocate for our victims, especially in a place where they feel the most vulnerable.”
Other stances
Chung said she’s pro-union, advocates for women’s rights, including their choice to have an abortion. She also backs tax credits to encourage private developers to build affordable housing.
Anderson said she wants the state to impose fewer regulations county and other local governments. She wants to remove Illinois’ status as a sanctuary state for undocumented immigrants, and she wants more support for law enforcement.
Chung said she will try to get the Family Farm Preservation Act signed into law next term. It’s an effort from Chung and Sen. Koehler to give tax breaks for heirs to family farms.
“When somebody passes away who owns a family farm, if their heirs or family members want to take over the farm, they are on the hook for paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in estate tax,” Chung said. “So, even though they’re land rich, they’re cash poor, there’s not very much in terms of liquid assets.”
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CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WMBD) — After losing a Senate seat in 2022, Republican Desi Anderson is running against incumbent Sharon Chung (D) to represent the 91st District in the Illinois House of Representatives.
State Representative Chung said two years is not enough to get everything on her agenda done. She said she’s proud of the work she’s done thus far concerning the state’s fiscal health.
"We’ve had nine straight credit upgrades, we’ve put money into our rainy day fund, we are paying back our bills on time," said Chung. "That’s something I’m really proud of that we’ve been able to come out of that."
Protect, preserve and promote are Anderson’s priorities. Support for first responders, veterans, union workers, tradesmen and small businesses are just some of the items falling under her three priorities.
"That’s all coming from just being a mom, small business owner and being involved with my community," said Anderson. "For me it’s just always important that we continue to protect our small businesses and making sure we have an advocate for them. You see a lot of the unfunded mandates coming out of Springfield and it becomes burdensome."
Chung is working to keep healthcare costs down and focusing on women’s rights and reproductive rights.
"One thing that’s really important, we’ve seen all throughout the nation, is reproductive rights, women’s rights," said Chung. "Those sorts of things are really important to me, just personally, as being a woman and mother of daughters. We’re going to see what we can do to sort of ensure that those rights stay here in our state."
Both candidates are building off momentum this election cycle to achieve victory at the polls.
"You know I’m feeling good again, like I said I have my record that I’m proud of, that I’m running on," said Chung.
"Someone, a republican or democrat is going to win this seat and my hope and my message has always been is make sure that we’re advocating for all and not just a specific group and that’s my goal, is making sure everyone has a seat at the table," said Anderson.
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Two years ago, one of the most shocking electoral surprises came in the Metro East, when unknown, underfunded Millstadt chiropractor Kevin Schmidt defeated incumbent Rep. LaToya Greenwood in the traditionally Democratic, East St. Louis-based district once represented by Black Democrat stalwarts like Wyvetter Younge.
But Greenwood learned quickly in 2022 that a remap that made the district less East St. Louis-based and included more rural areas in St. Clair County.
Greenwood, who admits she was “shocked” by the result two years ago, says it showed population loss in East St. Louis and “historically low” Black turnout hurt her two years ago.
“There were some areas that I had probably could have done a better job in the connection (with voters),” she said. “I had done a lot of policy work, legislative work, had brought money back to my district, but possibly the meeting and greeting with my constituents was maybe a piece that was lacking. I don’t know.”
Schmidt, 42, of Millstadt, says the way Democrats drew the district in 2021 made the seat far more winnable for Republicans.
“I knew the new lines. I know the demographics here. I know how people think and vote,” he said. “I was not surprised. The people in Springfield are out of touch They’re the ones who were surprised.”
Greenwood, 50, is attempting to make a comeback with significant spending from House Democrats, making the race one of the most likely pickups for Democrats in November.
“This district is still a winnable district,” Greenwood said.
State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, shakes hands at a recent community event. She is running for a second term to represent the 91st District in the Illinois House.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Desi Anderson, a Republican from Carlock, pauses for a photo while working the campaign trail recently in Bloomington-Normal. Anderson is challenging state Rep. Sharon Chung in the November election.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
BLOOMINGTON — Voters in the 91st House District will choose whether to send incumbent state Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, back to Springfield for a second term or give a second look to Republican challenger Desi Anderson, who lost a state Senate bid two years ago.
Chung, elected in 2022, is the first Korean American to serve in the Illinois General Assembly. She previously served for four years on the McLean County Board and is a trained musician who plays the violin and viola.
Anderson, who lives in Carlock, owns the The Hesed House wedding venue in Heyworth with her husband, Nick. A native of Bulgaria of Roma background, Anderson was abandoned as a baby and grew up in an orphanage until adopted by an American family at age 7.
In 2022, Anderson unsuccessfully challenged state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, losing 58% to 42% in the 46th Senate District, which includes the entirety of the 91st House District.
The district covers the urban core of Bloomington-Normal to the suburbs of Peoria. In all, it picks up portions of McLean, Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties. It leans Democratic, but is competitive. Chung defeated Normal City Councilman Scott Preston by just 4.5 percentage points in 2022.
"Who would have ever thought — people have said this — in the 91st district, you would have two female minorities running? That’s what makes America great," Anderson told The Pantagraph in an interview. "We’ve got the opportunity to strive to be whatever we want to … and follow our passion wherever that might take you."
Anderson and Chung are similar in that their backgrounds are unlike most who have represented Central Illinois in the state legislature in the past. But on the substantive issues facing the district and the state, the candidates are offering significant contrasts to one another.
Though both cite cost of living as a top issue that needs to be addressed, Chung emphasized her support for preserving and increasing access to reproductive health care, an issue that’s been at the forefront since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Anderson, on the other hand, steered toward issues related to crime and immigration.
Chung said she hopes to "continue to fund things at the state level" in order to keep local taxes flat or possibly be lowered. She said this includes supporting more funding for K-12 education under the state’s evidence-based funding formula and more money to municipalities through the Local Government Distributive Fund.
"We’re trying to do things best as we can at the state to sort of keep those things down," Chung told The Pantagraph in an interview. "So, we eliminated the grocery tax, we capped the price of insulin at $35. Those sorts of things I think really do make an impact."
Chung voted for both the state’s 2024 and 2025 budgets, though in the latter case, she also voted against an associated bill that was necessary to raise the revenue needed to bring the budget into balance.
She explained that there were "a lot of great things in that budget," such as more funding for schools, infrastructure and economic development, but the revenue was "a bit of a struggle" since it included a series of tax increases.
It did, however, include a Chung-backed tax credit for Illinois companies engaged in musical productions and employing Illinois musicians.
Another issue Chung has emphasized in her paid advertising is her pro-abortion rights record. While Illinois has among the most liberal reproductive healthcare laws in the country, she said "things can change in a couple of election cycles."
"We could go to possibly not having a Democratic governor or not having a supermajority if things just don’t go our way," Chung said. "And so that’s why I think that message has been so strong. People have seen how detrimental some of these anti anti-abortion laws have been really affecting women all throughout the country, and we don’t want that happening here."
Anderson would not directly answer whether she supports or opposes abortion rights, simply calling it "a settled issue."
Republican Desi Anderson, right, then a candidate for Illinois Senate, smiles at then-gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey as he shakes hands during a 2022 campaign event in Bloomington. Anderson is now running against state Rep. Sharon Chung for a seat in the Illinois House.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
"Gosh, no. It’s already settled. To think I would have that much influence, I mean, what an honor, right? I’m just a single individual," Anderson said. "I think in Illinois, it’s been settled. I don’t think that’s a concern for folks just because we’re in the superminority, folks," she said, referring to Republicans’ position in the Illinois General Assembly.
"People know that. People know the Republicans don’t have a single vote right now if they wanted to pass legislation."
Anderson said she would focus on addressing the cost of living, seek to lower property tax bills and find ways to support small businesses. She did not offer specific policy proposals to achieve those goals, however.
But she was clear in the first legislative act she would seek: the repeal of the SAFE-T Act, the landmark criminal justice reform law that, among other actions, ended cash bail in Illinois and mandated that all police officers in the state wear body cameras by 2025.
She also cited immigration as an issue, disagreeing with the nearly $640 million spent in last year’s state budget and the $182 million included in the current year’s budget to deal with the influx of migrants.
"Every state has now become a border state," Anderson said. "It’s not just our southern states that are seeing the influx."
She said that she would seek to repeal the Trust Act, the law signed by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2017 that generally prohibits state and local law enforcement from participating in federal immigration enforcement.
"So it makes their jobs harder, right?" Anderson said of the current law. "So if McLean County is facing a crime with an illegal immigrant, Bloomington police can’t pick up the phone and tell ICE the status of that case."
Beyond the specific political issues, Chung touted the benefits of incumbency. She said she is "proud" of what she has been able to accomplish the past couple of years in Springfield, adding that "being in the party of the supermajority, that means that we get maybe a little more attention."
State Rep. Sharon Chung of Bloomington talks with fellow Democrats U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen of Moline and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin during a 2023 news conference at Connect Transit’s facility in Bloomington.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
As one example, Chung said she was able to secure $250,000 for a 2,500-foot expansion of Bloomington nonprofit Project Oz’s Front Street facility. The group provides services for homeless youth.
This came out of what’s known as "member initiative" funds. These are funds in the state budget allocated to members of the Democratic supermajority in the legislature to spend on projects within their districts.
"We have a big concentration of Democratic caucus members that are up in the Chicagoland area," Chung said. "I’m one of the few folks that are from downstate, and it’s my commitment to be a really strong advocate for our needs here and to make sure that needs up in Chicago aren’t going to take away from the needs that we have here."
In that same vein, Chung has taken the lead on legislation aiming to shield farm families from some of the financial burden of state estate taxes. The proposal would raise the threshold from $4 million to $6 million. Farms valued above that would also be exempt the first $6 million in estate taxes.
The measure ultimately was not included in the massive revenue package signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker earlier this year, but Chung said she was able to get "a lot of really good attention on that issue."
"They know that they have a fierce advocate in me, that I’ve been really fighting for them and fighting for family farms," Chung said. "It’s a huge part of our economy here in Illinois. And that’s another thing that I’m really trying to get done this next year."
If elected, Anderson acknowledges that her party’s superminority status in the House — unlikely to change — would limit her influence.
However, Anderson argued that belonging to the dominant legislative party does not necessarily make for an effective legislator. She used Chung’s stalled estate tax reform effort as an example of the incumbent not delivering for her district.
"This year, you have the estate tax bill that did not pass," Anderson said. "What did pass for the farming community is the airport tax authority. So in Carlock, where I live, those farmers now have to pay that tax increase on their land. Where my business exists, those folks had to pay for that tax increase."
Anderson is referring to legislation, sponsored by Chung and signed into law by Pritzker in 2023, that expanded the tax base for Central Illinois Regional Airport from Bloomington-Normal to all of McLean County. The effect, essentially, is lower airport tax bills for Twin Cities residents but a new tax for those who live in rural portions of the county.
On building back Republican influence in Springfield, Anderson said "we’ve got to start somewhere" while casting herself as "an independent thinker" who can work with Democrats.
Chung served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, pledging her support to her party’s presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Anderson, asked multiple times, would not say whether she planned to vote for the Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump.
"I’m gonna vote for whoever I think is the best candidate, and I’m not voting for Harris," Anderson said.
Asked if that meant she could vote for somebody other than Trump, Anderson observed, "Well, I mean, I think RFK is still on the ballot in Illinois," referring to independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr.
Asked why she would not confirm whether or not she planned to vote for her party’s presidential nominee, Anderson said, "because nobody cares."
"I have zero influence at the national level," Anderson said. "No one in D.C. has ever heard of my name. Nobody at the local level really cares."
Chung has a strong lead in fundraising, having collected more than $814,000 in contributions since July from the House Democratic campaign arm, labor unions and other groups. Pritzker donated $50,000 to her on Oct. 8, according to campaign finance reports.
Anderson has brought in more than $271,000 since July, mostly from the Illinois Republican Party and Illinois House GOP campaign arm.
The election is Nov. 5. Early and mail-in voting are underway now.
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – A meeting involving area leaders and organizations addresses federal and state efforts to lower prescription drug costs.
A main talking point was establishing a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) in Illinois. This is the fifth in a series of Town Halls scheduled across the state.
No matter age, race, or gender, this affects everyone. Leaders say that stateliners facing high prescription costs may be forced to choose between medications and other daily necessities.
Advocates from Citizen Action/Illinois, the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, AFSCME Retirees, the Committee to Protect Health Care, the Small Business Advocacy Council, and AARP, hosted the meeting.
Director of Citizen Action/Illinois Anusha Thotakura says, “What they would do is review the costs of really expensive medications and set upper payment limits or reasonable rates for Illinoisans to pay. This would apply across the entire supply chain it would affect what you pay at the pharmacy counter. How much you pay for your insurance and everyone else. The goal is to make sure more people have access to the medication they need.”
US Congressman Eric Sorensen, Representative Maurice West, Dr. Ram Krishnamoorthi, and Anusha Thotakura, Director of Citizen Action/Illinois were on the panel.
State Rep. Maurice West (D-IL 67) says, “People are making decisions of choosing their medicine over food and their medicine over lights. Why can’t we have both? You are in the land of the free, home of the brave you should be able to have both."
Community members were also able to share their experiences in affording their prescription drugs and ask questions.
Democrat Heidi Henry, of Marseilles, says that if elected as the 75th District State Representative, she would focus on improving rural healthcare.
Henry says people in the district are having to travel farther and farther for care.
Henry says the State of Illinois needs to do more to hold hospital systems accountable for fulfilling promises made to residents when they close or reduce their services.
She also advocates for separating education funding from property taxes.
Henry operates a horse farm, which focuses on various forms of therapy for veterans.
84th District State Representative Stephanie Kifowit was honored by the Illinois Association of County Veterans Assistance Commissions (IACVAC) with the 2024 Legislator of the Year Award. The award was presented during an awards banquet hosted by the IACVAC in East Peoria.
Kifowit says she was deeply honored to receive the award, especially as she is one of only a few members of the General Assembly who are military veterans. She says she was proud to see many of the veterans’ bills she worked on pass the Assembly and become laws this year.
Some of those bills include addressing the language of the honorable discharge status for veterans on property tax exemption paperwork, the property tax cliff for disabled veterans, recognizing the Space Force as a branch of the military, and a veterans’ labor poster. Kifowit says she will continue to pursue veteran-related legislation to help provide veterans with the recognition and benefits they deserve.
The IACVAC oversees veterans assistance commissions across the state and serves veterans and their dependents.
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (WAND) – State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, has filed a resolution calling on the Illinois Department of Corrections calling for them to improve access for families with loved ones buried at the Lincoln Developmental Center Cemetery.
The cemetery shares ground with Logan Correctional Center.
“Families need access to the places where their loved ones have been laid to rest so they can honor and celebrate their lives,” Stuart said. “When a cemetery is located on the site of a correctional facility, that is absolutely a situation that needs to be navigated carefully to ensure safety and accountability, but it shouldn’t be the case that the cemetery is effectively off-limits to the families of those interred there.”
The cemetery was associated with a state facility for the developmentally disabled which operated from 1877 until 2002 under several names. The cemetery is the final resting place for some residents whose families were not able to privately bury their loved ones for a variety of reasons.
When the Lincoln Correctional Center closed in 2002, IDOC became responsible for the cemetery.
Stuart said that with the prison expansion it became difficult or even impossible for visitors to access the cemetery.
"IDOC has never created a procedure for cemetery access, forcing family and friends of those interred there to wrangle with prison officials, none of whom was primarily responsible for the cemetery, for clearance to visit gravesites," she said.
Stuart’s House Resolution 907 calls on IDOC to develop a standard policy and set of guidelines that are available so that family members and researchers can easily access the site and for IDOC to consider access to the site when future renovations or improvements to the Logan Correctional Center take place.
“Prison security and public safety are important, but so is the ability of Illinois families to visit the resting places of their loved ones,” Stuart said. “It’s time for members of the public to have reasonable access to Lincoln Developmental Center Cemetery without undue hassle or runaround.”
Working for Illinois Caucus 