Melinda Bush: Candidate Profile

Back to 31st State Senate District

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: GrayslakeWebsite: www.melindaforsenate.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: 31st State Senate District Age: 60Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Candidate did not respond.Education: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Grayslake Village Trustee | 1990-1994Lake County Board Member | 2008-2012Lake County Forest Preserve Commissioner | 2008-2012Illinois State Senate | 2012-currentQuestions Answers What needs to be done structurally to make the legislature more effective? Will you vote for your current legislative leader? What is your position on term limits in general and specifically for legislative leaders? Do you support the ongoing drive for a constitutional amendment on redistricting? What will you do to promote implementation of any changes you recommend?I've introduced a constitutional amendment placing term limits on legislative leaders and was one of the first legislators to sign on to the Independent Maps initiative. Frankly, I believe we have a representation problem in Illinois. Voters should be able to pick their elected officials, not the other way around. Voters' power in Illinois is limited due to the scarcity of competitive races in the General Election and voters' inability to limit leaders' terms through elections. Consolidation of power in the hands of one or two legislative leaders for long periods of time inflates the role of political parties and de-emphasizes the importance of serving one's constituents. In that vein, if the majority of Illinoisans vote to implement term limits on rank-and-file legislators, I will absolutely support it as well. I will continue to push for term limits and consider any legislative proposals concerning re-districting. I also believe we must get money out of politics.Would you vote for an increase in state income taxes or sales taxes? Would you vote for new taxes, such as on services? What is your position on a graduated income tax?It is the government's responsibility to ensure it is being a good steward of taxpayer dollars before anyone considers a tax increase. Illinois families have been through one of the toughest economies in our nation's history. We must find revenue sources that don't require our communities to dip further into their already overburdened pockets. I support closing corporate tax loopholes and increased transparency for corporate income taxes. We must build on Illinois' strengths to expand our tax base. We must put our highly educated workforce to work by growing our high-tech manufacturing and green energy fields. In order to bring these high-tech companies to Illinois, we have to streamline our licensing process and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens. There was no end to the red tape in my effort to bring a cutting-edge technology manufacturer to Lake County. Our state economic development agencies can do better.We must take measures to protect taxpayers from bearing the brunt of an undue burden. We need to keep the government programs that work and cut the ones that don't. I was the architect of historic government consolidation legislation this year that seeks to eliminate many of the 7,000 layers of local government, helping to reduce the property tax burden. I have also supported bills to freeze property taxes. Further, we can protect taxpayers by making them an integral part of the process. Taxpayers should have had an opportunity to weigh in on the conversation about restructuring how we tax.What changes, if any, do you support in education and education funding in Illinois? Please be specific.We absolutely need to modernize our school funding formula. First, Illinois needs to meet its constitutional responsibilities and adequately fund education. Illinois' funding formula is based on meeting the "foundation level" or what the State thinks it can afford, politically, a level that has not been changed in almost a decade. First, we must ensure this foundation level is adequate to provide a quality education in the State.Once we are at an adequate foundation level, we must rethink how we distribute additional dollars. We cannot shortchange our students and our State by continuing to operate with one of the least equitable funding systems in the United States. When drafting this formula we must make certain not to harm the suburban schools that are already operating under tight budgets. I am a strong supporter of Vision 20/20, an evidence based model that determines the cost of research-based best practices, and assigns funding for these practices. School districts maintain local control as they may determine which of the research-based methods are most needed in their district.With a modernized school funding formula, and adequate state funding we can finally work towards an education system that is not so unreasonably reliant on property taxes.On Illinois' budget, specifically, where do you believe cuts need to be made?Unfortunately the current budgeting process is so top-down that it lacks even adequate involvement from rank-and-file members of the General Assembly. I think this is a poignant example of where structural reforms would make a real difference. First, it's about time that we truly outlaw special projects for members of the General Assembly. Members of the General Assembly shouldn't be able to get a gift for their district in exchange for a vote - it just perpetuates the scourge of transactional politics that has plagued this state for decades. Ending this practice could save millions.Second, we must develop a comprehensive and efficient system to evaluate existing government programs. The current budget process makes it too easy for leaders to hide chunks of the budget away from prying eyes and places the information in too few places. If we can force a comprehensive list of government programs out into the open, we can develop a process by which we review them for efficiency and effectiveness. Without these first two reforms, it makes it entirely too difficult to have an honest and focused conversation about what areas to cut from. With them, we can go in with a scalpel and cut pet projects and ineffective programs. We would find millions of dollars in savings here as well.More importantly these reforms would force our government to change the way it budgets in future fiscal years - preventing Illinois from spiraling further out of financial control.What approach do you support toward fixing the public pension systems?First, we must make our pension payments on time and ending the practice of sweeping. Because the courts have ruled we can't diminish pensions, we must make decisions with everyone at the table. I was a chief co-sponsor of SB 2404, a negotiated compromise could have saved Illinois billions. I am interested in revisiting parts of this legislation.Multiple experts have suggested returning to sound actuarial practices by abandoning by the "pension ramp" system and re-amortizing Illinois' pension debt. I support taking the pension payment schedule out of the politicians' hands and putting it in the hands of financial experts.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?JobsI constantly work across the aisle to support Lake County job creators. I led the passage of I-STEP in the Senate - one of the largest jobs bills in Illinois history. EthicsI turned down my pension, never took a raise in government, and am fighting for term limits on party leaders. I've implemented historic ethics reform.Fiscal ResponsibilityI've voted against each party's unbalanced budgets. I've fought property tax increases and passed legislation to consolidate government.Public SafetyI've led efforts to help victims of sexual domestic violence, and championed laws to combat opioid addiction.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Candidate did not respond.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Candidate did not respond.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Candidate did not respond.