Endorsement: Wehrli is right for House Dist. 41
Two candidates - Democrat Ed Agustin and Republican Grant Wehrli - are vying to take over the House District 41 seat vacated by Darlene Senger, who is running for Congress. In this race, we like Wehrli, an up-and-coming member of the Naperville City Council and a sales and business management consultant. We agree with his blunt assessment of a Senate bill aimed at changing the education funding formula, a proposal widely seen as damaging to suburban districts, especially Naperville schools, which reside within this House district principally encompassing Naperville and Warrenville. Wehrli calls the proposal "a cash grab." He also suggests wealthier suburban districts are not unsympathetic to the needs of less-fortunate downstate districts, but says the matter has not being vetted openly in the legislature. "You can't just come in and take the money without us having any input in the process. I think that's wrong." Agustin is less emphatic, saying "everybody can benefit" from a new formula and that he's talked to educators who support the plan. With the House expected to remain in Democrats' control, Wehrli recognizes the importance of working across the aisle. "Illinois is in a financial mess and solutions must be found in a bipartisan manner," he says. We'd certainly agree.