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Published in Crystal Lake, Illinois, USA, by Shaw Media.
Illinois State Senator - 26th District
Voting will take place Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Winners in this race will be elected for a term of 2 years.
Watch video of these candidates by visiting their personal profiles.
Click a question below to display the candidates' answers to that question.
Do you support a plan to shift responsibility for teacher pensions from the state to local school districts? What is your plan for pension reform?
Should part-time state legislators, state representatives and senators, receive pensions? Explain.
What do you think about the Medicaid reform package passed by the General Assembly in May?
Should the General Assembly repeal the massive income tax increase approved in January 2011? Explain.
What kinds of gambling expansion or contraction do you support?
Outside of jobs and taxes, what are the one or two top issues in your district, and what will you do in Springfield to address those issues?
Grade Gov. Pat Quinn’s job performance. What has he done well? Where has he failed?
Republican | Lake Barrington
We need fundamental reform of our pension system and we should show leadership by starting with the legislative pensions (for elected representatives and senators) by eliminating double dipping, capping pension payments, reducing the annual cost of living adjustments (COLA’s), and increasing the retirement age. Once the legislators have reformed themselves, they would have more strength to ask other groups to participate in reform. It is unfair to shift pension costs to suburban school districts. The legislature created the pension crisis by failing to meet its funding obligations. Shifting pension cost to suburban school districts will burden homeowners already paying exorbitant property taxes. However, if a local school district chooses to increase benefits for its employees above what the state mandates - and if they purposely manipulate the pension system (i.e. salary sweeteners / bumps shortly before retirement) - then it seems appropriate for them to cover the increased costs. As the minority spokesperson for the Senate Pension & Investments Committee, I have been a very vocal advocate fighting for fair and constitutionally accurate pension reforms since the day I took office.
Amanda Howland | Profile not yet approved
Democrat | Unincorporated Lake Zurich
Candidate has not yet answered question.
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