chicagosun-times--2020-09-07--Jeanette Ward, Illinois Senate 25th District Republican nominee profile

Political/civic background : I served for four years on the largest elected school board in Illinois ( U-46 ) .
During my term , I fought for many of the issues for which my constituents elected me to represent them , such as opposing the deconstruction of biological differences between men and women in access to private spaces and sports participation , better curriculum that avoids the presentation of one side of an issue as opposed to a full discussion of ideas to promote critical thinking , and strongly opposing a fellow board member who stated that the American Flag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who set a poor example of citizenship for our students ) .
I also firmly opposed tax increases and voted no on every increasing budget and tax levy .
I am also an elected Precinct Committeeman in Wayne Township .
The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board sent nominees for the Illinois Senate a list of questions to find out their views on a range of important issues facing the state of Illinois and their districts .
Jeanette Ward submitted the following responses : The COVID-19 pandemic has hammered the finances of Illinois .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion budget shortfall in this fiscal year .
What should be done ?
Please be specific .
The governor was constitutionally outside his authority to continue to declare a disaster starting April 7 .
The legislature should have been called into session and should have partnered with businesses to form a plan to open safely .
STOP shutting businesses down and implementing policies by fiat that destroy livelihoods , which also destroy tax revenue .
Spending in non-essential areas has to be significantly curtailed during difficult revenue times .
Federal CARES money toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gap .
What grade — “ A ” to “ F ” — would you give Gov .
J.B. Pritzker for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic ?
Please explain .
What , if anything , should he have done differently ?
Without consulting the people ’ s legislature and giving taxpayers a voice in these decisions via local representation , Governor Pritzker has failed to be a consensus-building Leader .
He has implemented rules by Executive Order that defy common sense and are not fairly applied across the board .
Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Depot but only 50 people attend a church service ?
Why could a family of four drive to the local lake , but only two of them get in the same boat ?
Why could you buy flowers from a crowded Wal-Mart , but your local florist is shuttered closed ?
In the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis , legislatures in some states have taken up the issue of police reform .
Should Illinois do the same ?
If so , what would that look like ?
Law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it needs to be defended .
Union rules need to be reformed , so that rogue officers guilty of mistreating people , regardless of their color , are not prevented from being properly brought to justice .
Should the Legislature pass a law requiring all law enforcement officers to wear body cameras ?
Why or why not ?
Yes .
Body cameras provide transparency to the public and protection to honest police .
By having a complete record of all interactions with police , citizens and law enforcement are on equal footing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fail .
But turning off a camera would not be allowed .
Federal prosecutors have revealed a comprehensive scheme of bribery , ghost jobs and favoritism in subcontracting by ComEd to influence the actions of House Speaker Michael Madigan .
Who ’ s to blame ?
What ethics reforms should follow ?
Should Madigan resign ?
Karina Villa took approximately $ 1.44 million in campaign contributions from committees controlled by Michael Madigan .
She should donate that money to charity , AND call for Michael Madigan ’ s resignation , and yes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scandal broke , several weeks ago , she has remained silent .
Ethics reform should not allow an Illinois Speaker of the House to also serve as his state ’ s party chairman , legislators should not be voting in areas where they have a conflict of interest , and the Inspector General should not need permission from the Legislature to begin an investigation .
Jeanette Ward submitted the following responses before the March primary : Please tell us about your civic work in the last two years , whether it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have done in other ways to improve your community .
For the last four years , I represented the community as an unpaid School Board member for the largest elected school board in Illinois ( U-46 ) .
As I stated above , during my term , I fought for many of the issues for which my constituents elected me to represent them , such as opposing the deconstruction of biological differences between men and women in access to private spaces and sports participation , better curriculum that avoids the presentation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a full discussion of ideas to promote critical thinking , strongly opposing a fellow board member who stated that the American Flag was nothing more than toilet paper ( who set a poor example of citizenship for our students ) , fiscal oversight of taxpayers ’ money , and the first charter school in the district offering parents educational choice .
Please list three concerns that are specific to your district , such as a project that should be undertaken or a state policy related to an important local issue that should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Illinois has anywhere from $ 137 billion to $ 250 billion , depending upon the rating agency , in unfunded pension liability .
While we must keep our promises to those who are near retirement age , we must also change our defined benefit system to a defined contribution system and ensure that double and triple dipping is ended .
This will require an amendment to the Illinois Constitution to repeal the pension protection clause .
It is the only way we can begin to pull our state back from the brink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Reproductive Health Act : Illinois Senate District 25 residents do not support allowing abortion for all nine months of pregnancy – even those who support abortion want reasonable restrictions .
3 .
Ethics Reform : Effective ethics reform in Illinois should include restrictions on state legislators or former state legislators becoming lobbyists , expansion of the Economic Interest statement to disclose theirs and their family member ’ s financial involvements , allowing the Inspector General to act independently from the panel of state legislators from whom it must currently seek approval to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recuse themselves from votes for which they have a conflict of interest .
What are your other top legislative priorities ?
What is your position on Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s proposed graduated income tax ?
Please explain .
The “ fair tax ” is anything but “ fair ” and gives the legislature a blank check to raise taxes on families who are already leaving Illinois in record numbers .
Illinois doesn ’ t have a revenue problem .
Illinois has a spending problem .
Illinois continues to struggle financially , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tops $ 6 billion .
In addition to a progressive state income tax — or in lieu of such a tax — what should the state do to pay its bills , meet its pension obligations and fund core services such as higher education ?
Illinois does not have a revenue problem ; it has a spending problem .
Pension reform is the number one fiscal necessity as it currently consumes a quarter of the budget .
Medicaid reform is the next largest financial component and it also must be reformed in accordance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Making Illinois business and family-friendly by reducing the tax burden and decreasing onerous regulation will bring jobs and growth to our economy and doing so will result in increased revenue since more businesses and families will be able to afford to live here .
Should Illinois consider taxing the retirement incomes of its very wealthiest residents , as most states do ?
And your argument is ?
No .
If Illinois can not reform the pension system , additional taxes on all residents will only grow .
Bear in mind that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the ground and can easily move out of Illinois .
It wouldn ’ t take many of them moving away to deepen the financial crisis in our state .
What can Illinois do to improve its elementary and high schools ?
Implement school choice .
Competition will improve outcomes and engage parents in decision-making .
Additionally , consolidation of some school districts can improve costs , particularly districts containing separate High School and Elementary Districts that cover the same area .
Legislation requiring that at least 60 % of every state-supplied education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies , books and technology and not to middle and upper management should be implemented .
Mass shootings and gun violence plague America .
What can or should the Legislature do , if anything , to address this problem in Illinois ?
Illinois already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country which need more enforcement .
Obviously , gun control is not working since Chicago has some of the highest gun violence in the country and the most restrictive gun laws .
Punishing law abiding citizens with more laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defend themselves and their 2nd Amendment Constitutional right is wrong .
We must look at this issue from a different perspective .
We must strengthen families , promote a culture of life , bring vibrancy to our economy for people to find purpose in work , and so much more .
Do you favor or oppose term limits for any elected official in Illinois ?
Please explain .
I favor term limits .
There should also be term limits for how long any given official can serve as Speaker or Senate Leader .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start .
Everybody says gerrymandering is bad , but the party in power in every state — Democrats in Illinois — resist doing anything about it .
Or do we have that wrong ?
What should be done ?
The Fair Maps initiative which gathered over 800,000 signatures , twice , in Illinois only to be struck down by the Illinois Supreme Court was a tragic injustice .
As the minority opinion alluded to , it isn ’ t right for the people to be denied an amendment to their own Constitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose their representatives , not the other way around .
Fair Maps should be implemented .
The U.S. attorney ’ s office in Chicago is investigating possible official corruption by state and local officials .
This prompted the Legislature to pass an ethics reform measure to amend the Lobbyist Registration Act ( SB 1639 ) .
It was signed into law in December .
What ’ s your take on this and what more should be done ?
Although SB 1639 requires additional disclosure from lobbyists and makes it publicly available , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As I stated above , effective ethics reform in Illinois should include restrictions on state legislators or former state legislators becoming lobbyists , expansion of the Economic Interest statement to disclose theirs and their family member ’ s financial involvements , allowing the Inspector General to act independently from the panel of state legislators from whom it must currently seek approval to open investigations , and requirements that legislators recuse themselves from votes for which they have a conflict of interest .
When people use the internet and wireless devices , companies collect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information is sold to other companies , which can use it to track our movements or invade our privacy in other ways .
When companies share this data , we also face a greater risk of identity theft .
What should the Legislature do , if anything ?
While this issue needs to be addressed at the Federal Level , since it impacts inter-state commerce , Illinois should grant protections to its citizens like the European General Data Protection regulations ( GDPR ) .
We must expand our thinking regarding 4th Amendment protections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ houses , papers and effects , to our personal digital data .
The number of Illinois public high school graduates who enroll in out-of-state universities continues to climb .
What can Illinois do to make its state universities more attractive to Illinois high school students ?
Reform the exorbitant pay and retirement benefits in the UI system to reduce tuition costs .
Prioritize enrollment slots for Illinois residents first .
Reduce the overall tax burden on our residents , young and old , so they won ’ t be in such a hurry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top legislative priority with respect to the environment ?
4th Generation Nuclear power is the one of the cleanest , safest energy sources available .
Expanding nuclear power would reduce emissions and increase affordable energy , far more than wind farms , which cost more to build and maintain than the energy they produce .
However , in light of the potential corruption issues at Exelon and ComEd , a more competitive environment for providing nuclear power with smaller reactors must be implemented .
What historical figure from Illinois , other than Abraham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Abe ) , do you most admire or draw inspiration from ?
Please explain .
Henry Hyde , who served as Illinois ’ Representative in Congress in the 6th district , from 1975-2007 , because he introduced legislation prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortion .
What ’ s your favorite TV , streaming or web-based show of all time .
Why ?
I enjoy “ Call the Midwife ” ( BBC ) because of my background as a doula , assisting laboring women in the birthing process and defending parental freedom ( with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for parents of newborns .

Candidate profile
Jeanette Ward
Running for: Illinois Senate District 25
Political party affiliation: Republican
Political/civic background: I served for four years on the largest elected school board in Illinois (U-46). During my term, I fought for many of the issues for which my constituents elected me to represent them, such as opposing the deconstruction of biological differences between men and women in access to private spaces and sports participation, better curriculum that avoids the presentation of one side of an issue as opposed to a full discussion of ideas to promote critical thinking, and strongly opposing a fellow board member who stated that the American Flag was nothing more than toilet paper (who set a poor example of citizenship for our students). I also firmly opposed tax increases and voted no on every increasing budget and tax levy. I am also an elected Precinct Committeeman in Wayne Township.
Occupation: Product Manager for an International Chemical Company
Education: B.S. Environmental Resource Management, 1995, Pennsylvania State University.
M.S. Environmental Science and Health, Option Environmental Chemistry, 1997, University of Nevada - Reno.
M.B.A., 2003, Northern Illinois University
Campaign website: jeanette4senate.com
Facebook: @jeanette4senate
Twitter: @jeanette4senate
Instagram: @jeanette4senate
Election Guide - Full Guide 2020 Election Voting Guide This article is part of our Illinois 2020 election voting guide. Click here to see more.
The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board sent nominees for the Illinois Senate a list of questions to find out their views on a range of important issues facing the state of Illinois and their districts. Jeanette Ward submitted the following responses:
The COVID-19 pandemic has hammered the finances of Illinois. The state is staring at a $6.2 billion budget shortfall in this fiscal year. What should be done? Please be specific.
The governor was constitutionally outside his authority to continue to declare a disaster starting April 7. The legislature should have been called into session and should have partnered with businesses to form a plan to open safely. STOP shutting businesses down and implementing policies by fiat that destroy livelihoods, which also destroy tax revenue. Spending in non-essential areas has to be significantly curtailed during difficult revenue times. Federal CARES money toward essential government services has bridged some of the gap.
What grade — “A” to “F” — would you give Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic? Please explain. What, if anything, should he have done differently?
Without consulting the people’s legislature and giving taxpayers a voice in these decisions via local representation, Governor Pritzker has failed to be a consensus-building Leader. He has implemented rules by Executive Order that defy common sense and are not fairly applied across the board. Why could a large crowd converge on Home Depot but only 50 people attend a church service? Why could a family of four drive to the local lake, but only two of them get in the same boat? Why could you buy flowers from a crowded Wal-Mart, but your local florist is shuttered closed?
In the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, legislatures in some states have taken up the issue of police reform. Should Illinois do the same? If so, what would that look like?
Law enforcement does not need to be defunded; it needs to be defended. Union rules need to be reformed, so that rogue officers guilty of mistreating people, regardless of their color, are not prevented from being properly brought to justice.
Should the Legislature pass a law requiring all law enforcement officers to wear body cameras? Why or why not?
Yes. Body cameras provide transparency to the public and protection to honest police. By having a complete record of all interactions with police, citizens and law enforcement are on equal footing. No system is perfect. Cameras can fail. But turning off a camera would not be allowed.
Federal prosecutors have revealed a comprehensive scheme of bribery, ghost jobs and favoritism in subcontracting by ComEd to influence the actions of House Speaker Michael Madigan. Who’s to blame? What ethics reforms should follow? Should Madigan resign?
Karina Villa took approximately $1.44 million in campaign contributions from committees controlled by Michael Madigan. She should donate that money to charity, AND call for Michael Madigan’s resignation, and yes, he should resign. However, since the scandal broke, several weeks ago, she has remained silent.
Ethics reform should not allow an Illinois Speaker of the House to also serve as his state’s party chairman, legislators should not be voting in areas where they have a conflict of interest, and the Inspector General should not need permission from the Legislature to begin an investigation.
Jeanette Ward submitted the following responses before the March primary:
Please tell us about your civic work in the last two years, whether it’s legislation you have sponsored or work you have done in other ways to improve your community.
For the last four years, I represented the community as an unpaid School Board member for the largest elected school board in Illinois (U-46). As I stated above, during my term, I fought for many of the issues for which my constituents elected me to represent them, such as opposing the deconstruction of biological differences between men and women in access to private spaces and sports participation, better curriculum that avoids the presentation of one side of an issue as opposed to a full discussion of ideas to promote critical thinking, strongly opposing a fellow board member who stated that the American Flag was nothing more than toilet paper (who set a poor example of citizenship for our students), fiscal oversight of taxpayers’ money, and the first charter school in the district offering parents educational choice.
Please list three concerns that are specific to your district, such as a project that should be undertaken or a state policy related to an important local issue that should be revised.
1. Pension Reform: Illinois has anywhere from $137 billion to $250 billion, depending upon the rating agency, in unfunded pension liability. While we must keep our promises to those who are near retirement age, we must also change our defined benefit system to a defined contribution system and ensure that double and triple dipping is ended. This will require an amendment to the Illinois Constitution to repeal the pension protection clause. It is the only way we can begin to pull our state back from the brink of financial insolvency.
2. Repeal the Reproductive Health Act: Illinois Senate District 25 residents do not support allowing abortion for all nine months of pregnancy – even those who support abortion want reasonable restrictions.
3. Ethics Reform: Effective ethics reform in Illinois should include restrictions on state legislators or former state legislators becoming lobbyists, expansion of the Economic Interest statement to disclose theirs and their family member’s financial involvements, allowing the Inspector General to act independently from the panel of state legislators from whom it must currently seek approval to open investigations, and requirements that legislators recuse themselves from votes for which they have a conflict of interest.
What are your other top legislative priorities?
Term limits, fair maps, 2nd Amendment Protections, Parental Freedom (School Choice); and promoting a culture of life.
What is your position on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed graduated income tax? Please explain.
The “fair tax” is anything but “fair” and gives the legislature a blank check to raise taxes on families who are already leaving Illinois in record numbers. Illinois doesn’t have a revenue problem. Illinois has a spending problem.
Illinois continues to struggle financially, with a backlog of unpaid bills that tops $6 billion. In addition to a progressive state income tax — or in lieu of such a tax — what should the state do to pay its bills, meet its pension obligations and fund core services such as higher education?
Illinois does not have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem. Pension reform is the number one fiscal necessity as it currently consumes a quarter of the budget. Medicaid reform is the next largest financial component and it also must be reformed in accordance with the recommendations of past task forces. Making Illinois business and family-friendly by reducing the tax burden and decreasing onerous regulation will bring jobs and growth to our economy and doing so will result in increased revenue since more businesses and families will be able to afford to live here.
Should Illinois consider taxing the retirement incomes of its very wealthiest residents, as most states do? And your argument is?
No. If Illinois cannot reform the pension system, additional taxes on all residents will only grow. Bear in mind that the “wealthiest residents” are not bolted to the ground and can easily move out of Illinois. It wouldn’t take many of them moving away to deepen the financial crisis in our state.
What can Illinois do to improve its elementary and high schools?
Implement school choice. Competition will improve outcomes and engage parents in decision-making. Additionally, consolidation of some school districts can improve costs, particularly districts containing separate High School and Elementary Districts that cover the same area. Legislation requiring that at least 60% of every state-supplied education dollar go directly to teachers, classroom supplies, books and technology and not to middle and upper management should be implemented.
Mass shootings and gun violence plague America. What can or should the Legislature do, if anything, to address this problem in Illinois?
Illinois already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country which need more enforcement. Obviously, gun control is not working since Chicago has some of the highest gun violence in the country and the most restrictive gun laws. Punishing law abiding citizens with more laws that infringe on their natural right to defend themselves and their 2nd Amendment Constitutional right is wrong. We must look at this issue from a different perspective. We must strengthen families, promote a culture of life, bring vibrancy to our economy for people to find purpose in work, and so much more.
Do you favor or oppose term limits for any elected official in Illinois? Please explain.
I favor term limits. There should also be term limits for how long any given official can serve as Speaker or Senate Leader. Eight years might be a good place to start.
Everybody says gerrymandering is bad, but the party in power in every state — Democrats in Illinois — resist doing anything about it. Or do we have that wrong? What should be done?
The Fair Maps initiative which gathered over 800,000 signatures, twice, in Illinois only to be struck down by the Illinois Supreme Court was a tragic injustice. As the minority opinion alluded to, it isn’t right for the people to be denied an amendment to their own Constitution. The people have a right to choose their representatives, not the other way around. Fair Maps should be implemented.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago is investigating possible official corruption by state and local officials. This prompted the Legislature to pass an ethics reform measure to amend the Lobbyist Registration Act (SB 1639). It was signed into law in December. What’s your take on this and what more should be done?
Although SB 1639 requires additional disclosure from lobbyists and makes it publicly available, it doesn’t go far enough. As I stated above, effective ethics reform in Illinois should include restrictions on state legislators or former state legislators becoming lobbyists, expansion of the Economic Interest statement to disclose theirs and their family member’s financial involvements, allowing the Inspector General to act independently from the panel of state legislators from whom it must currently seek approval to open investigations, and requirements that legislators recuse themselves from votes for which they have a conflict of interest.
When people use the internet and wireless devices, companies collect data about us. Oftentimes, the information is sold to other companies, which can use it to track our movements or invade our privacy in other ways. When companies share this data, we also face a greater risk of identity theft. What should the Legislature do, if anything?
While this issue needs to be addressed at the Federal Level, since it impacts inter-state commerce, Illinois should grant protections to its citizens like the European General Data Protection regulations (GDPR). We must expand our thinking regarding 4th Amendment protections of being secure in our persons, houses, papers and effects, to our personal digital data.
The number of Illinois public high school graduates who enroll in out-of-state universities continues to climb. What can Illinois do to make its state universities more attractive to Illinois high school students?
Reform the exorbitant pay and retirement benefits in the UI system to reduce tuition costs. Prioritize enrollment slots for Illinois residents first. Reduce the overall tax burden on our residents, young and old, so they won’t be in such a hurry to leave Illinois.
What is your top legislative priority with respect to the environment?
4th Generation Nuclear power is the one of the cleanest, safest energy sources available. Expanding nuclear power would reduce emissions and increase affordable energy, far more than wind farms, which cost more to build and maintain than the energy they produce. However, in light of the potential corruption issues at Exelon and ComEd, a more competitive environment for providing nuclear power with smaller reactors must be implemented.
What historical figure from Illinois, other than Abraham Lincoln (because everybody’s big on Abe), do you most admire or draw inspiration from? Please explain.
Henry Hyde, who served as Illinois’ Representative in Congress in the 6th district, from 1975-2007, because he introduced legislation prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortion.
What’s your favorite TV, streaming or web-based show of all time. Why?
I enjoy “Call the Midwife” (BBC) because of my background as a doula, assisting laboring women in the birthing process and defending parental freedom (with respect to newborn procedures and vaccines) for parents of newborns.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-07--Anthony Beckman, Illinois Senate 10th District Republican nominee profile

Education : Bachelor ’ s Degree in History and a minor in Political Science The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board sent the nominees for Illinois Senate a list of questions to find out their views on a range of important issues facing the state of Illinois and their districts .
Anthony Beckman submitted the following responses : 1 .
The COVID-19 pandemic has hammered the finances of Illinois .
The state is staring at a $ 6.2 billion budget shortfall in this fiscal year .
What should be done ?
Please be specific .
The problem Illinois has is it always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses and people .
This contributes to the mass exodus from our state .
The solution is actually the opposite to this way of thinking .
Maybe the state should lower taxes on businesses , which would encourage companies to invest in the state and generate more tax revenue .
Especially after Pritzker hurt businesses during the entire Covid pandemic .
2 .
What grade — “ A ” to “ F ” — would you give Gov .
J.B. Pritzker for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic ?
Please explain .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done differently ?
I give Governor Pritzker an “ F ” .
I think he handled this very poorly by closing down businesses , churches , and schools in every county .
Like other blue state governors in New York , Pennsylvania , Michigan , New Jersey , and Virginia , Governor Pritzker , failed on his handling of nursing homes .
President Trump built the hospital at the McCormick Place and it was not even utilized .
Vulnerable patients , with Covid were being sent back into nursing homes from hospitals which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pritzker closed down places of worship , which violates our first amendment rights , but enabled rioters to loot , attack police officers , and destroy property .
He had no response to these horrific acts .
3 .
In the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis , legislatures in some states have taken up the issue of police reform .
Should Illinois do the same ?
If so , what would that look like ?
I do not agree with other blue states and blue cities with defunding or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have a bigger impact on communities and crime will spike even further .
In today ’ s environment , police officers have their hands tied ; leftist mayors , like Lori Lightfoot , demonize and call for police reform on a daily basis , but want the protection of police when her family and neighborhood are compromised .
The police actually need more funding and more manpower .
The CPD is 5,000 police officers short of what they should have ; other municipalities and cities are experiencing similar situations .
With this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for departments to recruit decent prospects to fill these vacancies .
Officers should receive more training and better equipment .
4 .
Should the Legislature pass a law requiring all law enforcement officers to wear body cameras ?
Why or why not ?
Yes , but it would not be feasible because body cameras do not always depict everything that is occurring during the officer ’ s calls for service .
Also , body cameras do not always work properly .
If body cameras caught every angle of interactions between police and subjects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem with body cameras .
This should be left to the discretion of each city and municipality to decide whether or not they want their police officers to wear body cameras .
5 .
Federal prosecutors have revealed a comprehensive scheme of bribery , ghost jobs and favoritism in subcontracting by ComEd to influence the actions of House Speaker Michael Madigan .
Who ’ s to blame ?
What ethics reforms should follow ?
Should Madigan resign ?
This corrupt practice has been taking place in Chicago politics for years .
The patronage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just start with ComEd .
Both the politicians who partake in these bribes , as well as the companies involved are to blame .
Madigan should resign ; but , if evidence determines that a crime was committed , he should be held accountable and indicted like anyone else .
For far too long , politicians believe they are above the law , like the Clintons and so many others .
The Chicago and Illinois Swamp has been crime ridden for decades .
It is time they are all held accountable for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about your civic work in the last two years , whether it ’ s legislation you have sponsored or work you have done in other ways to improve your community .
I have been a Police Officers for 18 years ; protecting my community is honorable in itself .
Additionally , I have coached little league baseball for the past four years and grammar school football for the past three years .
I am my police department ’ s Union President .
I served as a NIPAS SWAT Officer for eight years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ played minor league/semi-pro football for four years after college .
I also tried out for several professional football teams during this time .
I have had a life full of many different experiences and difficult hardships .
In August 2019 I was diagnosed with Leukemia and fought a long 11-month battle .
I am currently in complete molecular remission and winning the battle .
My last 28-day treatment was completed July 7th and I went back to full police duty on July 8th .
I have always been a fighter and fought for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nothing has been handed to me .
Now I am ready for my next fight , which if fighting for the people of Illinois and to make their lives better .
7 .
Please list three concerns that are specific to your district , such as a project that should be undertaken or a state policy related to an important local issue that should be revised .
There are many issues that exist in every area of our state , especially high taxes and the governor mandated shut down .
The first issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some of this is associated with the high taxes placed on businesses , which is forcing them to leave the state .
Another reason is the extreme restrictions placed by the governor during this time , which bankrupted businesses , and some will never resurrect .
The second issue is the low-income housing projects that local officials want ; the problem is this will lower the property values in some communities .
Another issue is extremely high property taxes , which are plaguing the entire state .
My district does not only include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Northwest suburbs .
The problems that exist in the city , might not exist in the suburbs and vice versa .
8 .
What are your other top legislative priorities ?
My top legislative concerns are fighting the unfair progressive income tax , getting better legislation that will fund the police , rather than defunding them like so many leftist Democrats are proposing .
Repealing the horrific late term abortion/infanticide law , which has nothing to do with Roe Vs. Wade and my opponent supports .
9 .
What is your position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed graduated income tax ?
Please explain .
Governor Pritzker spent $ 56 Million of his own money on a marketing campaign to promote this horrific bill .
We can only wonder what the governor is getting out of this by spending this much of his Daddy ’ s money .
I am totally opposed to the proposed graduated income tax , also known as the progressive income tax .
Giving the politicians of Springfield a blank check is the worst thing the people of the state can do .
The liberal Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that the middle class will not be affected by this amendment , which is a complete lie .
These politicians will have the ability to change the tax code at their whim .
Businesses will also be affected , which will force them to leave the state and more people will lose their jobs .
This will also spiral into many different directions .
Retirees will be taxed on their pensions and by year two of this debacle , the middle class will be affected because the dirty politicians in Springfield will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 .
Illinois continues to struggle financially , with a backlog of unpaid bills .
In addition to a progressive state income tax — or in lieu of such a tax — what should the state do to pay its bills , meet its pension obligations and fund core services such as higher education ?
First , CTU could pay a fairer amount into their pensions , like 9.75 % , instead of the measly 2 % , that was recently implemented .
Prior to this , they were paying nothing into their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capping pensions and limit people to collect only one pension , rather than multiple pensions .
There are way too many people in management positions making upwards of $ 400,000 - $ 500,000 and collecting on these large amounts .
Also , we do not need 50 aldermen in the city of Chicago .
New York is more than twice the size of Chicago and has fewer aldermen .
We need to start cutting the fat on big government spending .
11 .
Should Illinois consider taxing the retirement incomes of its very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
And your argument is ?
Illinois should not be taxing the retirement incomes on anyone .
The most prosperous states do not even have a state income tax .
12 .
What can Illinois do to improve its elementary and high schools ?
Illinois should first consider more school choice , giving parents the option to choose charter schools or private schools for their kids , rather than only public schools .
Schools should also remove politics from the equation of educating children and focus on teaching the skills that will help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to go back to the time when teachers were actually educating kids on History , Science , English , and Math and not their own political agenda .
We also need to get rid of common core Math because this has become a detriment to the Math skills of our youth .
Illinois recently passed a law that mandates all public schools teach the history of the LGBTQ community .
I do not have an issue with the LGBTQ community or anyone ’ s sexuality , but I strongly believe it does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school system , when our children are not even learning American history .
Being a History and Political Science major in college , I feel that students are missing the opportunity to learn from past events , which could play a big part in the present and the future .
13 .
Mass shootings and gun violence plague America .
What can or should the Legislature do , if anything , to address this problem in Illinois ?
I do not have a problem with background checks or people with mental illnesses not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real problem is with our judicial system .
They are weak in prosecuting criminals and repeat gun offenders and demonize people who obey the law and want to retain their second amendment rights .
Kim Foxx and the liberal judges should start prosecuting the criminals , instead of releasing them into society to commit more heinous crimes .
14 .
Do you favor or oppose term limits for any elected official in Illinois ?
Please explain .
I am in favor of term limits ; I believe individuals get stale and do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they ever did in the first place .
Politicians need to work hard for the people they represent and then get out of the way to allow someone else to continue the job .
Politics is not supposed to be a career .
Our founding Fathers did not envision it this way .
Many politicians oppose term limits because they are power hungry .
15 .
Everybody says gerrymandering is bad , but the party in power in every state — Democrats in Illinois — resist doing anything about it .
Or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be done ?
Gerrymandering is bad and also does benefit other states , but my concern is with the state of Illinois .
Politicians in Illinois say they are opposed to gerrymandering , but they all benefit from it ; the bottom line is they are all phonies and are afraid to oppose the Madigan ’ s strong hold .
In Illinois , gerrymandering mostly benefits the Democrat party ; I believe politicians should not be able to decide the make-up of their districts and constituents .
16 .
The U.S. attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible official corruption by state and local officials .
This prompted the Legislature to pass an ethics reform measure to amend the Lobbyist Registration Act ( SB 1639 ) .
It was signed into law in December .
What ’ s your take on this and what more should be done ?
I am pleased there are efforts to combat corruption in the state of Illinois .
17 .
When people use the internet and wireless devices , companies collect data about us .
Oftentimes , the information is sold to other companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our movements or invade our privacy in other ways .
When companies share this data , we also face a greater risk of identity theft .
What should the Legislature do , if anything ?
I completely oppose the internet and wireless devices and companies collecting data on our U.S. citizens ; this practice of collecting data to share gives companies and people the opportunity to steal someone ’ s identity .
I believe this matter should be addressed at the Federal level .
If there is something that could be done at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation that limits these practices .
18 .
The number of Illinois public high school graduates who enroll in out-of-state universities continues to climb .
What can Illinois do to make its state universities more attractive to Illinois high school students ?
Illinois students are getting more scholarships from out of state universities .
If Illinois wants to compete , they should offer more scholarships for both academics and sports .
19 .
What is your top legislative priority with respect to the environment ?
To continue President Trump ’ s clean energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fracking and drilling are important and vital to our economic superiority in the world .
We are placing enough restrictions and regulations on these practices which do not negatively impact our environment .
If we start listening to leftist lunatics like AOC and Bernie Sanders , on eliminating fracking , drilling , and fossil fuels , our country will be in economic ruins .
If we really care about clean air and pollution , we should call out India and the left ’ s ally , China on these issues , both of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dirty air .
20 .
What historical figure from Illinois , other than Abraham Lincoln ( because everybody ’ s big on Abe ) , do you most admire or draw inspiration from ?
Please explain .
There are two historical figures from Illinois that I admire : President Ronald Reagan , who was born in Dixon , Illinois and in my opinion , is the third greatest President in the United States , next to Abraham Lincoln and President Trump .
The second historical figure is Walter Payton ; I still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back of all time .
I played running back and tried to emulate Walter ’ s style of running .
Also , he was a genuinely good man who would be ashamed of the way athletes act today .
I was lucky enough to meet Walter on several occasions .
21 .
What ’ s your favorite TV , streaming or web-based show of all time .
Why ?
My favorite TV show growing up and even today , is Batman .
The billionaire , Bruce Wayne , who risks his wealth and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City , when he really did not need to do this .
Now we have President Trump who is also a billionaire , that put his exceptional life and wealth aside to fight for the American people , while losing a lot of money in the process .
We need more people in society to take risks and try to improve the lives of others .
If I am lucky enough and given the Lord ’ s blessing to be in government , I will be that individual fighting for the people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being trampled over .
The only thing is I am not a billionaire or an entitled millionaire , like my opponent .

Candidate profile
Anthony Beckman
Running for: Illinois 10th District State Senate
Political party affiliation:Conservative Republican
Political/civic background: Police Officer, Republican Norwood Park Township Committeeman, and Illinois 5th Congressional President Trump Delegate.
Occupation: Police Officer
Education:Bachelor’s Degree in History and a minor in Political Science
Campaign website:www.nwsgop.com
Facebook: Anthony Beckman for IL 10th District State Senate
Election Guide - Full Guide 2020 Election Voting Guide This article is part of our Illinois 2020 election voting guide. Click here to see more.
The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board sent the nominees for Illinois Senate a list of questions to find out their views on a range of important issues facing the state of Illinois and their districts. Anthony Beckman submitted the following responses:
1. The COVID-19 pandemic has hammered the finances of Illinois. The state is staring at a $6.2 billion budget shortfall in this fiscal year. What should be done? Please be specific.
The problem Illinois has is it always believes the solution to deficits is taxing businesses and people. This contributes to the mass exodus from our state. The solution is actually the opposite to this way of thinking. Maybe the state should lower taxes on businesses, which would encourage companies to invest in the state and generate more tax revenue. Especially after Pritzker hurt businesses during the entire Covid pandemic.
2. What grade — “A” to “F” — would you give Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic? Please explain. What, if anything, should he have done differently?
I give Governor Pritzker an “F”. I think he handled this very poorly by closing down businesses, churches, and schools in every county. Like other blue state governors in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey, and Virginia, Governor Pritzker, failed on his handling of nursing homes. President Trump built the hospital at the McCormick Place and it was not even utilized. Vulnerable patients, with Covid were being sent back into nursing homes from hospitals which infected very compromised individuals with comorbidities. Pritzker closed down places of worship, which violates our first amendment rights, but enabled rioters to loot, attack police officers, and destroy property. He had no response to these horrific acts.
3. In the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, legislatures in some states have taken up the issue of police reform. Should Illinois do the same? If so, what would that look like?
I do not agree with other blue states and blue cities with defunding or dismantling the police. Defunding the police will have a bigger impact on communities and crime will spike even further. In today’s environment, police officers have their hands tied; leftist mayors, like Lori Lightfoot, demonize and call for police reform on a daily basis, but want the protection of police when her family and neighborhood are compromised. The police actually need more funding and more manpower. The CPD is 5,000 police officers short of what they should have; other municipalities and cities are experiencing similar situations. With this onslaught on policing, it is hard for departments to recruit decent prospects to fill these vacancies. Officers should receive more training and better equipment.
4. Should the Legislature pass a law requiring all law enforcement officers to wear body cameras? Why or why not?
Yes, but it would not be feasible because body cameras do not always depict everything that is occurring during the officer’s calls for service. Also, body cameras do not always work properly. If body cameras caught every angle of interactions between police and subjects, then I would not have a problem with body cameras. This should be left to the discretion of each city and municipality to decide whether or not they want their police officers to wear body cameras.
5. Federal prosecutors have revealed a comprehensive scheme of bribery, ghost jobs and favoritism in subcontracting by ComEd to influence the actions of House Speaker Michael Madigan. Who’s to blame? What ethics reforms should follow? Should Madigan resign?
This corrupt practice has been taking place in Chicago politics for years. The patronage hiring and ghost payroll schemes did not just start with ComEd. Both the politicians who partake in these bribes, as well as the companies involved are to blame. Madigan should resign; but, if evidence determines that a crime was committed, he should be held accountable and indicted like anyone else. For far too long, politicians believe they are above the law, like the Clintons and so many others. The Chicago and Illinois Swamp has been crime ridden for decades. It is time they are all held accountable for their actions.
6. Please tell us about your civic work in the last two years, whether it’s legislation you have sponsored or work you have done in other ways to improve your community.
I have been a Police Officers for 18 years; protecting my community is honorable in itself. Additionally, I have coached little league baseball for the past four years and grammar school football for the past three years. I am my police department’s Union President. I served as a NIPAS SWAT Officer for eight years. Before becoming a Police Officer, I played minor league/semi-pro football for four years after college. I also tried out for several professional football teams during this time. I have had a life full of many different experiences and difficult hardships. In August 2019 I was diagnosed with Leukemia and fought a long 11-month battle. I am currently in complete molecular remission and winning the battle. My last 28-day treatment was completed July 7th and I went back to full police duty on July 8th. I have always been a fighter and fought for everything I have in my life. Nothing has been handed to me. Now I am ready for my next fight, which if fighting for the people of Illinois and to make their lives better.
7. Please list three concerns that are specific to your district, such as a project that should be undertaken or a state policy related to an important local issue that should be revised.
There are many issues that exist in every area of our state, especially high taxes and the governor mandated shut down. The first issue is we have many empty storefronts. Some of this is associated with the high taxes placed on businesses, which is forcing them to leave the state. Another reason is the extreme restrictions placed by the governor during this time, which bankrupted businesses, and some will never resurrect. The second issue is the low-income housing projects that local officials want; the problem is this will lower the property values in some communities. Another issue is extremely high property taxes, which are plaguing the entire state. My district does not only include Chicago. It also includes some of the Northwest suburbs. The problems that exist in the city, might not exist in the suburbs and vice versa.
8. What are your other top legislative priorities?
My top legislative concerns are fighting the unfair progressive income tax, getting better legislation that will fund the police, rather than defunding them like so many leftist Democrats are proposing. Repealing the horrific late term abortion/infanticide law, which has nothing to do with Roe Vs. Wade and my opponent supports.
9. What is your position on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed graduated income tax? Please explain.
Governor Pritzker spent $56 Million of his own money on a marketing campaign to promote this horrific bill. We can only wonder what the governor is getting out of this by spending this much of his Daddy’s money. I am totally opposed to the proposed graduated income tax, also known as the progressive income tax. Giving the politicians of Springfield a blank check is the worst thing the people of the state can do. The liberal Democrats try to make it sound so pretty and that the middle class will not be affected by this amendment, which is a complete lie. These politicians will have the ability to change the tax code at their whim. Businesses will also be affected, which will force them to leave the state and more people will lose their jobs. This will also spiral into many different directions. Retirees will be taxed on their pensions and by year two of this debacle, the middle class will be affected because the dirty politicians in Springfield will want more of their hard-earned money.
10. Illinois continues to struggle financially, with a backlog of unpaid bills. In addition to a progressive state income tax — or in lieu of such a tax — what should the state do to pay its bills, meet its pension obligations and fund core services such as higher education?
First, CTU could pay a fairer amount into their pensions, like 9.75%, instead of the measly 2%, that was recently implemented. Prior to this, they were paying nothing into their pensions. We should also look into capping pensions and limit people to collect only one pension, rather than multiple pensions. There are way too many people in management positions making upwards of $400,000 - $500,000 and collecting on these large amounts. Also, we do not need 50 aldermen in the city of Chicago. New York is more than twice the size of Chicago and has fewer aldermen. We need to start cutting the fat on big government spending.
11. Should Illinois consider taxing the retirement incomes of its very wealthiest residents, as most states do? And your argument is?
Illinois should not be taxing the retirement incomes on anyone. The most prosperous states do not even have a state income tax.
12. What can Illinois do to improve its elementary and high schools?
Illinois should first consider more school choice, giving parents the option to choose charter schools or private schools for their kids, rather than only public schools. Schools should also remove politics from the equation of educating children and focus on teaching the skills that will help the students prosper in life. We need to go back to the time when teachers were actually educating kids on History, Science, English, and Math and not their own political agenda. We also need to get rid of common core Math because this has become a detriment to the Math skills of our youth. Illinois recently passed a law that mandates all public schools teach the history of the LGBTQ community. I do not have an issue with the LGBTQ community or anyone’s sexuality, but I strongly believe it does not need to be taught in our school system, when our children are not even learning American history. Being a History and Political Science major in college, I feel that students are missing the opportunity to learn from past events, which could play a big part in the present and the future.
13. Mass shootings and gun violence plague America. What can or should the Legislature do, if anything, to address this problem in Illinois?
I do not have a problem with background checks or people with mental illnesses not being able to own firearms. The real problem is with our judicial system. They are weak in prosecuting criminals and repeat gun offenders and demonize people who obey the law and want to retain their second amendment rights. Kim Foxx and the liberal judges should start prosecuting the criminals, instead of releasing them into society to commit more heinous crimes.
14. Do you favor or oppose term limits for any elected official in Illinois? Please explain.
I am in favor of term limits; I believe individuals get stale and do not have the best interests of their constituents if they ever did in the first place. Politicians need to work hard for the people they represent and then get out of the way to allow someone else to continue the job. Politics is not supposed to be a career. Our founding Fathers did not envision it this way. Many politicians oppose term limits because they are power hungry.
15. Everybody says gerrymandering is bad, but the party in power in every state — Democrats in Illinois — resist doing anything about it. Or do we have that wrong? What should be done?
Gerrymandering is bad and also does benefit other states, but my concern is with the state of Illinois. Politicians in Illinois say they are opposed to gerrymandering, but they all benefit from it; the bottom line is they are all phonies and are afraid to oppose the Madigan’s strong hold. In Illinois, gerrymandering mostly benefits the Democrat party; I believe politicians should not be able to decide the make-up of their districts and constituents.
16. The U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago is investigating possible official corruption by state and local officials. This prompted the Legislature to pass an ethics reform measure to amend the Lobbyist Registration Act (SB 1639). It was signed into law in December. What’s your take on this and what more should be done?
I am pleased there are efforts to combat corruption in the state of Illinois.
17. When people use the internet and wireless devices, companies collect data about us. Oftentimes, the information is sold to other companies, which can use it to track our movements or invade our privacy in other ways. When companies share this data, we also face a greater risk of identity theft. What should the Legislature do, if anything?
I completely oppose the internet and wireless devices and companies collecting data on our U.S. citizens; this practice of collecting data to share gives companies and people the opportunity to steal someone’s identity. I believe this matter should be addressed at the Federal level. If there is something that could be done at the state level, I would support legislation that limits these practices.
18. The number of Illinois public high school graduates who enroll in out-of-state universities continues to climb. What can Illinois do to make its state universities more attractive to Illinois high school students?
Illinois students are getting more scholarships from out of state universities. If Illinois wants to compete, they should offer more scholarships for both academics and sports.
19. What is your top legislative priority with respect to the environment?
To continue President Trump’s clean energy and clean water initiatives. I believe fracking and drilling are important and vital to our economic superiority in the world. We are placing enough restrictions and regulations on these practices which do not negatively impact our environment. If we start listening to leftist lunatics like AOC and Bernie Sanders, on eliminating fracking, drilling, and fossil fuels, our country will be in economic ruins. If we really care about clean air and pollution, we should call out India and the left’s ally, China on these issues, both of which have the highest rates of pollution and dirty air.
20. What historical figure from Illinois, other than Abraham Lincoln (because everybody’s big on Abe), do you most admire or draw inspiration from? Please explain.
There are two historical figures from Illinois that I admire: President Ronald Reagan, who was born in Dixon, Illinois and in my opinion, is the third greatest President in the United States, next to Abraham Lincoln and President Trump. The second historical figure is Walter Payton; I still consider him the greatest and toughest running back of all time. I played running back and tried to emulate Walter’s style of running. Also, he was a genuinely good man who would be ashamed of the way athletes act today. I was lucky enough to meet Walter on several occasions.
21. What’s your favorite TV, streaming or web-based show of all time. Why?
My favorite TV show growing up and even today, is Batman. The billionaire, Bruce Wayne, who risks his wealth and life to protect the citizens of Gotham City, when he really did not need to do this. Now we have President Trump who is also a billionaire, that put his exceptional life and wealth aside to fight for the American people, while losing a lot of money in the process. We need more people in society to take risks and try to improve the lives of others. If I am lucky enough and given the Lord’s blessing to be in government, I will be that individual fighting for the people of Illinois, specifically the working-class people who are being trampled over. The only thing is I am not a billionaire or an entitled millionaire, like my opponent.