Fresh ideas for changing Springfield’s old business as usual

As a new State Representative, I have not been in Springfield long, but I am already working to change "business as usual."

Fighting Corruption

I want to transform the politics of the past by passing a new law imposing mandatory jail time for serious government ethics violations and stripping public pensions from officials who commit crimes in office.

Restoring Fiscal Accountability

As a small business owner, I believe the state needs to account for every dime it spends and am fighting to require the state to budget for outcomes and eliminate wasteful spending.

Planning for the Future

I am also using my experience as owner of an architectural firm specializing in environmentally friendly design to push for the development of green technologies, including renewable energy and advanced manufacturing, that will create jobs and lessen our dependence on foreign oil.

Creating Jobs

As a business owner myself, I feel it is unacceptable for corporations to take tax breaks and move jobs out of Illinois to foreign countries. I will fight for a law that requires businesses that move jobs out of state to refund the tax breaks they received and I support rewarding businesses that create and retain good-paying jobs.

Opposing Pay Hikes for Lawmakers

I’m sure a lot of my colleagues weren’t happy with me when I supported a pay cut for lawmakers. I am disgusted that high-ranking government officials are getting pay raises while so many Illinois residents are unemployed or working fewer hours. I will fight to roll back all state government employee pay raises from the last year and put a limit on the pay for high-level staff.

Moving Past the Ryan-Blagojevich Era

To purge the state of Ryan and Blagojevich cronies and eliminate sweetheart deals and special favors for insiders and campaign contributors, I want to require all state contracts to be re-bid and awarded to the lowest responsible bidder and all government appointees to be reconfirmed or removed from office.

I believe that government officials should be held accountable for their actions. I support a Constitutional Amendment that would give voters the power to remove elected officials in the middle of a term through recall elections.

Reforming Public Pensions

The current pension system is not financially sustainable and puts too great a burden on our state budget. For this reason, I voted for major pension reform for all new employees, including state legislators, to save the state billions of dollars. We need to eliminate any abuses to the state employee pension system, cut any gold-plated plans that take advantage of taxpayers, while making sure we contribute timely payments to our pension obligations versus deferring or borrowing.

Improving Health Care

I am supporting legislation that would force insurance companies to spend more on patient care and less on executive salaries and bonuses.

In response to attacks, rapes, and murders of nursing home patients, I supported new reforms that will keep the elderly safe by increasing staff, mandating criminal background checks for nursing home employees, and requiring dangerous residents to be housed separately.

Strengthening Human Services

I am disgusted that high-ranking government officials are getting pay raises while the state is making cuts to education and human services. I will fight to roll back all state government employee pay raises from the last year and put a limit on pay for high-level staff.

I chose to serve on the House Committees on Aging, Disability Services and Human Service Appropriations to help ensure vital services are available to our most vulnerable residents. I am working to reform the budgeting process to budget for outcomes to help reduce wasteful spending and to ensure more funding is available for essential services.

Protecting Women’s Health

I am opposed to any attempts to repeal laws requiring insurance companies to cover lifesaving breast cancer screenings for all women and support providing additional testing and monitoring for women with a family history of ovarian cancer.