Kathleen Willis: 2022 candidate for Illinois House 77th District

Bio

Party: Democrat

Office sought: Illinois House 77th District

City: Addison

Age: 60

Occupation: Full time legislator

Previous offices held: Addison School Board District 4 2001-2012

Q&A

Q: How well did the Illinois government respond to the COVID-19 crisis? What do you think should be done differently?

I think the states response to COVID-19 was handled very well. The governor in his daily updates helped to stress the importance of following CDC guidelines. Once the vaccination was available I think a good plan was put in place to make the vaccine available to everyone. Economic relief plans/grants were put in place

to help businesses that had to temporarily close, and unemployment funds were available to those that lost their jobs due to shutdowns.

As for what could have been done differently-- My only real complaint was the slowness of response and follow up with the department of unemployment. Many people were left in the dark as to the status of their claims and were facing scary situations. I know the department was trying their best but we also were frustrated by the lack of follow up.

Q: What are the most important components that should be included in legislative ethics reform? What will you do to help them come to pass?

Transparency and avoiding conflict of interest situations. I will support any legislation that furthers this.

Q: What should the state do to address the still-growing problems with its key pension programs?

We must continue to pay our full amount owe yearly. No kicking the can down the road. Also when able to pay more we should like we did this past year.

Q: Describe at least two circumstances in which you have shown or would show a willingness to act independently of the direction or demands of party leadership.

I have shown my independence when I joined with 18 other legislators to say we would not vote for Michael Madigan as speaker in 2021. That was exceptional difficult for me as I was part of the leadership team at the time.

Q: What should lawmakers be doing to stem out-migration from Illinois?

We need to continue to point out the great things in Illinois such as the great transportation hub we are and the cultural diversity we have. We also need to help new businesses to set up shop here in the state by offering incentives and highlighting our skilled workforce.

Q: Do you believe climate change is caused by human activity? What steps should government be taking to address the issue?

I think we all need to be responsible to help reduce climate change. We need to be good stewards of the planet. We as a state need to invest in renewable energy sources and offer incentives to those that work to better the planet.

Q: The graduated income tax is designed with the intent to reduce taxes for 97 percent of Illinoisans. Do you believe that will happen? Why or why not? What assurances can you offer voters?

The fair tax referendum failed to be accepted but the voters