Adam R. Shores: 2022 candidate for Illinois House District 62

Bio

Party: Republican

Office sought: Illinois House District 62

City: Libertyville

Age: 47

Occupation: Vice President, American Property Casualty Insurance Association

Previous offices held: Grayslake Village Trustee

Q&A

Q: What needs to be done structurally to make the legislature more effective? What is your position on term limits in general and for legislative leaders specifically?

A: We need to enact substantive ethics reform, and I support stronger ethics rules like giving the Legislative

Inspector General more autonomy to investigate wrongdoings by lawmakers. I also believe we need greater lobbying restrictions on former legislators as well as on the families of current legislators serving in office. In addition, elected officials should be prohibited from using campaign funds to pay for criminal defense in actions brought against them.

I support term limits of two consecutive terms for members of the executive branch of government. And, given the decades of corruption and special interest control we saw from former Speaker Mike Madigan, I certainly support term limits for leadership and committee chairs within the General Assembly. As far as limits on individual House and Senate seats, I believe voters are best suited to decide at the ballot box whether a person should stay in office when their term is up.

Q: Federal assistance has enabled the state to make important advances toward improving its budget. What will you do to ensure these advances continue when the federal aid is gone?

A: The state should do what millions of its citizens do - live within its means. Taxpayers have shouldered the burden of financial mismanagement for too long. My philosophy is simple - pay your bills and don't take on debt for things you cannot afford. During my time on the Grayslake Board, our Village was one of two debt free towns of its size in the state, and we never undertook a new project that we couldn't pay for.

Relying on federal bailout money clouded the real solution, which should be to enact structural spending reforms. We must be better stewards of people's money, reduce bureaucratic overhead, eliminate waste, and promote innovation.

Since 2019, we have seen 24 tax and fee hikes, not counting the failed graduated income tax proposal in 2020. The solution cannot be to simply raise taxes and extend government's hand into people's lives. We need a balanced budget with an annual revenue estimate and spending transparency. We also need to pay down our pension debt.

Q: To what extent are you happy or unhappy with the evidence-based model for education funding now in place in Illinois? How would you define "adequate" state funding for Illinois schools and what will you do to promote that?

A: As a dad of two boys in our public schools, I want my kids and all children in Illinois to have every opportunity for success. We must ensure our education system is adequately and responsibly funded. With proper funding must come accountability, innovation, and engaged partnership with parents. Resources to schools should make their way into the hands of those who need them most - teachers and students - not bureaucrats.

Illinois' evidence-based model is a great start to ensuring appropriate funding, but we must make it a budget priority. Because local property taxes drive education funding, we must work to ensure funding levels are not dependent on geography but more equitable throughout the state. We need more opportunity in education for all families. This includes providing children in low-income areas with more access to technology, bilingual education, and literacy programs that empower them to pursue their dreams.

Q: Do you believe elections in Illinois are free and fair? What changes, if any, are needed regarding election security and voter access?

A: I believe Illinois elections are free and fair. But I also believe there are opportunities to improve our system to make it work better for eligible voters and provide them with the confidence and surety that their votes count.

I believe our democracy works best with increased participation, where everyone feels they have an equal say in the direction of our state's future. I would support measures in the General Assembly to bolster election integrity like creating enhanced processes to remove relocated or deceased voters from voting rolls and establishing additional standardization for statewide vote-by-mail. These changes will help ensure voters have continued confidence in our election system.

Q: How well has Illinois responded to Supreme Court indications that it considers abortion, gay marriage and other social issues to be state, not federal, responsibilities? What if anything needs to be done in these areas and what would you do to make your vision come to pass?

A: I support the principles of states' rights and less government involvement in people's personal lives. On the question of abortion, Illinois has some of the most permissive laws in the country, and the law here is settled. While I am personally pro-life, I understand personal health care decisions are complex and unique for every woman. I believe this is a decision that is best left in the hands of a woman and her doctor, and that abortions should be safe, legal, and rare.

I support reinstating Illinois' parental notification law, as I respect parents' right to know about medical procedures for their children, with accessible protection for children in cases of abuse.

I also support marriage equality and believe we should protect the rights of our family members, friends and neighbors in the LGBTQ community.