Anne Stava: 2026 candidate for Illinois House District 81

Bio

Office sought: House District 81

Party: Democratic

City: Naperville

Age:

Previous offices held: Naperville Police and Fire Commission

Q&A

What do you consider the three most pressing issues facing the state in the next four years, and how should they be addressed?

1. The federal government is making massive cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. That will lead to 500,000 Illinoisans losing their healthcare. That will mean that they have to choose between paying for healthcare or paying for food and rent. The most pressing issue I see is the cost of living and the federal government moving us in the wrong direction.

2. One of the reasons DuPage county is growing is because we offer some of the best schools in the state. We must continue providing quality education and that means keeping our schools fully funded. This is one of the main ways that the state can lower the burden on local governments and lower all our property taxes.

3. IL is consistently rated as a state with poor disability services. We must do better. I hear from constituents that are concerned that they will not be able to find care for their disabled children. They are worried that, should something happen to them, their children will not be cared for. It is important that we fight for our most vulnerable and my constituents want us to improve.

How would you assess the General Assembly's handling, to date, of the various proposals surrounding a Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights? What proposals would you have been willing to support and in what ways, if any, might you have approached it differently?

I think we've spent too much time discussing the billionaire bail out bill. Providing essential to those in need will always take priority over a sports team.

Now roughly three years into the elimination of cash bail in Illinois as part of the SAFE-T Act, how would you assess the success or failure of the criminal justice reform measure? What changes, if any, would you support?

I am proud of my vote for the Pre-trial Fairness Act. I am also proud to have supported every update presented by law enforcement. We need to continue to rework our criminal justice system to ensure safety and fairness for all.

Illinois homeowners face one of the highest relative property tax burdens in the country. What specific proposals could you offer to ease the burden on state residents?

The state must continue to fund our schools and public services. Every time the state pays for a road repair or a school expansion, the state is easing the burden on the taxpayers. The more we improve the state’s financial situation, the more we can provide to local governments, and the more we can offset property taxes.

Gov. JB Pritzker recently paused a state initiative granting incentives to data center developers, and residents statewide have concerns about how such developments are affecting their access to water, utility rates, and the environment. How should the state approach data centers going forward?

I think Illinois should ban data centers development until we enhance cyber security to contain the threats posed by AI.

Illinois’ “sanctuary” policies concerning immigration have made it a target for the Trump administration and critics who say they encourage criminal behavior. How do you feel about those policies, and how, if at all, would you change them?

The scapegoating of immigrants for all our problems is a fascist tactic employed by MAGA folks like my opponent.

Many women in the legislature complain about a culture of sexual harassment in Springfield. Do you see evidence of this and, if so, what should be done about it?

I’d like to start by acknowledging that our current policies and parties fails the victims of these crimes. I will do everything in my power to adopt law to better hold accountable unethical actors in the legislature. It's not just Springfield. Our country has a convicted rapist as president. I will back evidence based solutions, including increased independence for the Legislative Inspector General.

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 am proud to have strengthened our ethics laws in IL. Those reforms moved us past the abuses of the Madigan era. We are now past that crisis, but I believe we can still make improvements.

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

Tenacity and empathic heart.