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Scott Drury: Candidate Profile

58th District Representative (Democrat)

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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: HighwoodWebsite: www.scottdrury.orgOffice sought: 58th District Representative Age: 41Family: I have been married to my wife, Shelby, since 2000. We have two children. Our son is 12. Our daughter is 9. They are both enrolled in the local public schools.Occupation: State Representative; Attorney; Adjunct Law ProfessorEducation: University of California, Berkeley -- BA (1995) - High Honors Northwestern University School of Law -- JD (1998) Cum LaudeCivic involvement: Greater Chicago/Upper Midwest Regional Board Member -- Anti-Defamation League Member -- League of Women Voters Edgar Fellows Program (2012)Elected offices held: State RepresentativeQuestions Answers How will you work to make the General Assembly function more productively and effectively? Wlll you vote to retain your party's current legislative leader? In what specific ways do you support changing how government in Springfield works?I will continue to push for ethics and structural reforms, to include term limits for legislative leaders, an end to the legislative revolving door, and sworn testimony before legislative committees. Moreover, I will continue to work across party lines. Government should work for the people, not a particular party. With respect to legislative leadership, at the appropriate time, I will exercise my independent judgment, as I did in opposing Speaker Madigan's "Millionaire Tax" and demanding that the temporary tax increase be allowed to expire.If the Supreme Court, strikes down the SB 1 pension reform, what is your Plan B and why do you think it would be both legal and effective?In voting for SB1, I felt it was important to move the issue of pension reform from the General Assembly to the Judicial Branch in order to definitively learn whether the proposed reforms were constitutional and, if not, why not. We have not yet heard from the Supreme Court, making it premature to state what alternative reforms would be legal. I remain committed to putting Illinois back on the path to fiscal health and recognize that Illinois' pension debt is a major driver of Illinois' economic woes.As it stands now, the 2011 income tax increase will expire as planned on Jan. 1. Do you think that expiration should be reconsidered? Would you support making the increase permanent or extending it for some period of time? Please be specific about what level of tax increase, if any, you would support.While Illinois residents may debate whether Illinois has a spending problem or a revenue problem, they are united in their belief that Illinois has a credibility problem. In 2011, Illinois made a promise that the tax increase would be temporary. It is imperative that Illinois fulfill that promise. To the extent the promise was disingenuous when made, its fulfillment will prevent such intolerable conduct in the future. To the extent circumstances have changed since the promise was made, its fulfillment will allow Illinois to return to square one and come up with a better plan.Do you support cuts in state spending? If so, what specifically do you suggest cutting and how will those cuts be sufficient to restore the state's financial health and economic climate?Restoration of the state's financial health and economic climate requires a multi-faceted approach with the goal of providing more certainty to Illinois citizens and businesses. The approach must include an examination of state spending and obligations, as well as long-term and short-term economic development plans. Regarding spending reductions, scrubbing our Medicaid rolls of ineligible recipients is a good place to start. I intend to work with public and not-for-profit expert organizations to identify additional realistic areas to trim, while also continuing to pursue economic development initiatives.What changes, if any, do you believe the state should make in the area of education? Would you support the the so-called pension cost-shift to local schools?Every child deserves a quality public education. Illinois does not provide this. Illinois must make early childhood education a priority. Moreover, Illinois should better promote STEM education and encourage schools to use progress-based assessments in order to track individual student progress, not just a school's Adequate Yearly Progress. I do not support a gradual shift of the pension costs if it results in increased property taxes. As of late, the General Assembly has become comfortable instituting "reforms" without considering the funding source for those reforms. This is not the way to build credible government.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?It is critical that Illinois restore the public's trust in government. Illinois' history of not providing truthful, credible and honest government has made it difficult to govern. If Illinois can restore its credibility, it will find that it can more easily persuade the public of the necessity to take certain actions. I am committed to ushering in a new era of government in Illinois â#128;#147; one defined by credibility and trust, not political expediency and self-interest. We have made strides towards this goal but work remains to be done.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.James Comey -- FBI Director. While serving as Deputy Attorney General, Director Comey taught me what it means to be a public servant.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?More important than a person agreeing with you on a given topic is earning that person's respect for how you arrived at your decision.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I am often told that I work too hard. If given a do-over, I would focus on learning to better take advantage of free time.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History. Understanding history has allowed me to put current political issues in perspective, given that many modern political issues have repeatedly been addressed throughout history.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?More important than a person agreeing with you on a given topic is earning that person's respect for how you arrived at your decision.