Third, Raja will push for campaign finance reforms that enables more citizens to participate in our democracy. He will advocate for increased public financing of elections, and broader access to our public airwaves for credible candidates.
Source: 2016 Illinois House campaign website RajaForCongress.com
Nov 8, 2016
Bruce Rauner:
Pursue devolution to control costs
To create true long-term property tax relief for our taxpayers, we've got to give local governments a way to control costs. Some have said local control is impossible, and yet many in this
Chamber have embraced it before, voting repeatedly to give Chicago more control in its contracting and collective bargaining rules. We should not force other mayors and school boards to come to Springfield to beg for more control.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Illinois legislature
Jan 27, 2016
Bruce Rauner:
Term limits need to be voted on
The people of Illinois deserve the chance to vote on term limits.
The state Supreme Court made it clear that it takes legislative action to put term limits on the ballot. This is the year to make that happen.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Illinois legislature
Jan 27, 2016
Napoleon Harris:
Automatic voter registration when getting driving license
Senator Harris co-sponsored legislation SB2134: Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that each person applying at a driver services facility for a driver's license or permit, a corrected driver's license or permit, an
Illinois identification card or a corrected Illinois identification card shall be notified that the person shall be registered (rather than may apply to register) to vote, and if his or her address has changed,
his or her voter registration information shall be updated (rather than may be transferred upon application) to the new address within this State. Provides that the person may decline to register to
vote and the employee or the Secretary of State shall not transmit the person's information to the applicable election authority.
Source: VoteSmart synopsis of 2015-2016 Illinois voting record
May 18, 2015
Bruce Rauner:
Reduce lobbyist influence; push for term limits
Illinois has one of the most expensive state governments in America, yet we have the worst run government bar none. Why?Illinois has been completely taken over by special interest groups that get money from government. The lobbyists write the bills
for special interests, the career politicians in both parties let it happen--and we, the taxpayers, get left with the bill. It's time to make government work for us, not the other way around.
I'm not interested in a political career and don't need
money from the special interests. As governor, I will take them on directly and bring accountability back to state government. To do that, we can:- Push for term limits. No governor should be allowed to serve for more than 8 years, and the legislature
should be term limited as well.
- Allow state workers to choose whether they want to join a government employees union, instead of being forced to do so.
- Control spending, because bigger government means more corruption.
Source: 2014 Illinois Gubernatorial campaign website BruceRauner.com
Nov 4, 2014
Sharon Hansen:
Photo ID for voting
Question topic: People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Hansen: Strongly Disagree
Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Illinois Senate race
Sep 30, 2014
Napoleon Harris:
Allow voter registration on Election Day or at early voting
HB 105 Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration: Bill Passed Senate (39 - 17); Napoleon Harris voted Yea Highlights: - Extends the grace period for voter registration through Election Day
- Authorizes an individual to cast a provisional ballot
if that individual registered to vote during the grace period.
- Authorizes a "qualified" individual to register to vote or submit a change of address form at an early voting polling place
- Extends the early voting period for the 2014 general election
through the second day before Election Day
- Exempts an individual who votes early during the 2014 general election from being required to present an identification card in order to vote
- Requires an election authority that has universities in its
jurisdiction to conduct in-person absentee voting on Election Day in a "high-traffic" location on campus
- Requires an early voting polling place to remain open at least 9:00 A.M. until 7:00 P.M. beginning 8 days before Election Day
Source: VoteSmart synopsis of 2014 Illinois voting records
May 30, 2014
Doug Truax:
Political class fails to put interests of taxpayers first
Doug Truax lashed out at state Sen. Jim Oberweis' "yes" vote on Tuesday's landmark pension reform bill. "Illinois is the worst run state in America due to a political class--largely Democrats--that consistently fails to put the interests of everyday
taxpayers first," Truax said in a statement. "My opponent, Jim Oberweis, knows this but voted anyway in favor of a tepid pension reform bill that is likely to result in further tax increases and a continued stagnant economy. Every other financial 'fix'
passed in Springfield the past decade has harmed taxpayers. Mr. Oberweis needs to explain why he so easily voted with the status quo that never solves problems but rather transfers them to the next generation."Oberweis voted in favor of the measure
that promises to ultimately save the state $160 billion. In his remarks from the Illinois Senate floor, Oberweis said the bill wasn't true reform--but it was the best that Illinois was going to get right now.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times on 2014 Illinois Senate race
Dec 4, 2013
Pat Quinn:
Online voter registration and no party in primary voting
In our Illinois, we embrace the voices and the votes of all people. Our democracy is strongest when more voters raise their voices at the ballot box. That's why Illinois should join 15 other states in making voter registration available online.
We must move our election process into the 21st century. And while we're at it, let's pass a long overdue law to allow voters to participate in primary elections without having to publicly declare their party affiliation.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
Pat Quinn:
Enact power of petition to recall a corrupt governor
In our Illinois, government belongs to the people, not to the office holders. Citizens should be able at all times to trust their elected officials. Four years ago, Illinois was the Wild West of campaign fundraising. We had a corrupt governor removed
from office and headed to prison, and another already in prison, both for fundraising abuses. This was not our Illinois. So we changed it. We passed a strong ethics code for office holders and public employees. For the first time in history, we enacted
campaign contribution limits.And we gave the people of Illinois the ability to use the power of petition to recall a corrupt governor. But we have more work to do.
In 1976, I led a petition drive to ban conflict of interest voting in the General
Assembly. 635,158 voters signed this petition--the greatest number of signatures ever gathered on a single petition in Illinois history. Silence about conflict of interest voting wasn't our Illinois then, and it's not our Illinois now. We can do better.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
Andrea Zopp:
Voter ID laws are intended to limit the Black vote
Black voter apathy is simply wrong in light of our history and the current attacks across the country on our right to vote. Let's start with our history. Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, African Americans across the country, but particularly in
the South, were systematically prevented from exercising their right to vote. My own grandfather who lived in Mississippi was told that in order to vote he had to recite the Bill of Rights to the Constitution from memory.
History repeats itself.
We entered this election season with voter ID and other types of voter suppression laws in 17 states that could deprive an estimated 700,000 young people of color the right to vote. Across the country, but particularly in critical swing states like
Florida, Virginia and Ohio, efforts are underway to limit the Black vote.
If Black votes mean nothing, if African Americans have no political power, no ability to influence or effect government, why are people so intent on preventing us from voting?
Source: Huffington Post column by Zopp for 2016 Illinois Senate race
Oct 12, 2012
Pat Quinn:
Limits on campaign contributions and much more disclosure
Obviously, the events that preceded my Oath of Office shook the confidence of the people of Illinois. So we went about the task: we enacted strong standards with respect to procurement and contracts. We reformed the behavior; we enacted strong ethic
standards for lobbyists as well as state employees. We enacted a campaign finance reform law that I did sign, that is for the first time a chance to have limits on campaign contributions in the State of Illinois and much more disclosure and openness
with respect to money and politics. I think that's a great achievement.
I think we do need in Illinois, what I would call, an ethics initiative that we would put into our constitution that would give voters at every level of government - whether it
be the local level, or county level, or the state level - the power to petition and binding referendum to enact binding ethical standards and campaign finance rules that the people feel are appropriate for all of us who are elected representatives.
Source: Illinois 2010 State of the State Address
Jan 13, 2010
Alexi Giannoulias:
Public election financing reduces special interest influence
Alexi will take bold action to clean up our campaign process & to ensure that Congress is committed to citizens, not its largest campaign contributors:- Alexi is the first US Senate candidate in Illinois history to refuse campaign contributions fro
federal lobbyists & corporate PACs.
- Alexi supports making government more transparent. He firmly believes that an open government will help restore the public's trust in elected officials & make it easier for taxpayers to hold leaders accountable.
- Alexi would spearhead the effort to create a public "contracts and influence" database, to track campaign contributions made by government contractors and the services they provide.
- Alexi will work to dramatically increase lobbyist disclosure
requirements.
- Across the country, states and local governments have implemented publicly financed campaigns. Public financing of elections limits runaway spending and reduces the influence of special interest money in the campaign process.
Source: 2010 Senate campaign website, AlexiForIllinois.com, "Issues"
Dec 25, 2009
Alexi Giannoulias:
Wasteful programs go hand-in-hand with campaign contributors
Our campaign finance system is broken. While the campaign coffers of D.C. politicians are flush with corporate cash, Americans have seen their health care costs double, and their jobs shipped overseas. It's the most open secret in Washington: pay-to-play
politics, sweetheart deals and wasteful programs often go hand-in-hand with deep-pocketed campaign contributors. Alexi's very first action as Illinois State Treasurer was to sign the strongest ethics order in state government.
Source: 2010 Senate campaign website, AlexiForIllinois.com, "Issues"
Dec 25, 2009
Alan Keyes:
Reinstate that state legislatures elect US Senators
Q: [to Keyes]: You’ve publicly endorsed the repeal of the 17th Amendment, which gives individual voters rather than the state legislature the right to choose their US Senators. I’m just wondering how you reconcile your claim to empower voters when you
would disenfranchise them in your own Senate race.KEYES: Senators were originally chosen by the state legislatures for the simple reason that the US Senate was supposed to represent the state government as sovereign entities. Our laws in
Illinois are passed by the state legislature. Are the people disenfranchised in the passing of these laws? I don’t think so.
OBAMA: I think [Illinois citizens] should be voting, not state legislatures. I teach constitutional law at the University of
Chicago and I understand that’s how the constitution was framed. It also prohibited anyone but white, male property owners from voting. That’s why we had amendments. It’s a funny way to empower people to take their vote away.
Source: Illinois Senate Debate #3: Barack Obama vs. Alan Keyes
Oct 21, 2004
Barack Obama:
Electing US Senators empowers people: keep 17th Amendment
Q: [to Keyes]: You’ve publicly endorsed the repeal of the 17th Amendment, which gives individual voters rather than the state legislature the right to choose their US Senators. Doesn’t that disenfranchise people?KEYES: Senators were originally chosen
by the state legislatures for the simple reason that the US Senate was supposed to represent the state government as sovereign entities. Our laws in Illinois are passed by the state legislature. Are the people disenfranchised in the passing of these laws
I don’t think so.
OBAMA: Listen, I love my colleagues in the state legislature but I think [Illinois citizens] should be voting, not state legislatures. I have a little understanding about our constitution because I teach constitutional law at the
University of Chicago and I understand that’s how the constitution was framed. It also prohibited anyone but white, male property owners from voting. That’s why we had amendments. It’s a funny way to empower people to take their vote away.
Source: Illinois Senate Debate #3: Barack Obama vs. Alan Keyes
Oct 21, 2004
Mike Bost:
No political contributions from the gambling industry
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?A: Yes.
Q: Do you support banning political contributions from the gambling industry?
A: Yes.
Source: 2000 Illinois National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 2000
Page last updated: Feb 13, 2018