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Robert ‘Rusty’ Stevens: 2024 candidate for Illinois House District 46

Bio

Party: Republican

Office Sought: Illinois House District 46

City: Villa Park

Age: 66

Occupation: Small business owner

Previous offices held: None

How should the state respond to the influx of migrants bussed here from Southern states?

Immediately, the state should rescind Sanctuary Status. The designation sounds altruistic, but its impractical. Officials & legislature should be unified, make it clear that an 'open border' is unacceptable. It is taxing the resources of an overburdened social services network. IL citizens are generous & eager to help, but this influx has proven to be too great for our state and municipalities. The feds has played a large role in dispersing the migrants all over the country. Every state has become a border state. This problem has to be solved at the source. That means closing the border. Do a better job of keeping track of these people are, where they are. There was no planning for this influx & no comprehensive resources set up to deal with it. 1st, we need to stop the flow. 2nd, we need a plan for accommodating those who have already arrived. 3rd, we need to remove & return any of the migrants who are engaging in criminal activity. I can't support granting immediate legal status.

Are you satisfied with the state's existing ethics policies for senators and representatives? If so, what about the policies should reassure Illinoisans that elected leaders abide by high standards? If not, what changes need to be made?

I'm not completely apprised of all of the existing ethics policies for senators and representatives. I will commit to follow all of them if I'm given the opportunity to serve. What I've observed at every level of government is people who will find a way around any policy for their own purposes. Regardless of how many policies you put in place, some will always find a creative way to usurp the rules and cheat the process. I believe the standards should be higher for an elected official charged with maintaining the public trust. My experience would tell me that a simpler set of very clear rules with consequences for coloring outside the lines would be the best approach. More rules create more complications. Being ethical should be a pretty simple formula. If it isn't, we've got the wrong people in place.

Would you support a requirement that election petitions include a line asking candidates for their campaign email address?

If that were the requirement, I would comply without any reservation. I'm not seeing how it would make any measurable difference, but I wouldn't object to this. For this position the required number of petitions isn't so difficult that I couldn't acquire most of them myself, with a little bit of help from the precinct captains (Township Committeeman) and a few friends. I doubt it would make much difference, but I wouldn't oppose this.

How well do you think criminal justice reforms made in recent years are working? What, if any, changes need to be made?

NCB is unpopular. Anything that makes it easier to skip court dates & be released to commit more crimes is not good policy. There's documented cases of both of these things happening. If you are arrested for a crime, I'm for a speedy trial, but would like to keep the dangerous in prison until their guilt/innocence has been determined. I'm also concerned about sentencing guidelines being changed or eliminated. Judges vary in philosophy from bench to bench, or even in different jurisdictions. When the reforms were created, they were ramrodded through with little scrutiny. After a bit of uproar, a small amount of input was gathered, to push the reforms into law. Crime is spreading to places that were considered safe & creating an environment of lawlessness. We deserve better for the tax dollars invested by every resident. A “Soft on Crime” place will attract criminals. Lowering penalties and letting them out with a revolving door is dangerous for our society.

We now have an assault weapons ban in Illinois. What if any changes should be made to the law? What more can be done to improve gun safety?

Aggressively prosecute and incarcerate anyone who commits a crime with a firearm. Bans are ineffective. If there's a state that proves that; it would be Illinois. Legal gun owners are very concerned about gun safety. Criminals & people who shouldn't be given gun permits because of mental instability are not concerned about laws or bans. Aggressively removing illegal guns in the normal process of law enforcement & prosecuting those criminals to the full extent of the law must be the standard operating procedure. Legal gun owners, be they for sport, target practice, or protecting their home are not those with criminal intent. Places with the most restrictive gun laws have the highest rate of crime with guns. Thorough background checks are never offensive to legal gun owners. Anyone found selling weapons illegally, or facilitating the transfer of guns illegally is as culpable as the person using it in the commission of criminal activity. They should be prosecuted to full extent as well.

Illinois is the only state in the nation that mandates regular behind-the-wheel tests for senior drivers. Do you support any changes?

I drive for a living. From the cab of my truck, as a CDL holder, I get to see poor driving every hour of every day. While some Senior drivers may frustrate me with lower speeds on higher speed limit routes, I seldom see them exercising dangerous or hazardous maneuvers in traffic. CDL licenses are subject to very stringent tests and more frequency. That makes sense given the loads they pull and the potential goods they carry. The rules concerning Senior behind-the-wheel testing, and the age policy is likely too restrictive in our state. That seems to be proven out as our status as the “only state in the nation.” Data and statistics should drive a better conceived policy.

What personal qualifications do you bring that would make you an effective legislator?

Honesty. Integrity. A willingness to dedicate time and effort to be effective. Those are a good place to start. I became a candidate because I don't see those qualities in many of the legislators in this state. I decided I could live up to, and maybe even set a much higher standard of public service than the standard we are living with now. To be sincere meant putting myself on the ballot and taking a proactive approach to effecting positive change & better government. I'm a guy who cares about this generation and those who follow. We're all entitled to live our best lives without unnecessary impediments in the way. Our government is too big, too intrusive and unwieldy in how it affects our lives. My approach would be to change that, make it smaller, less intrusive, helpful when needed, and out of the way of people trying to legally succeed. It's hard enough without all the red tape and redundant regulations. I'd dedicate my effort to improving the conditions of people in Illinois.

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