Endorsement: Breen for House District 48
Democrat Steve Swanson has an uphill battle to unseat Republican Rep. Peter Breen in House District 48.
Breen, an attorney from Lombard, said he passed 11 bills, which he claims are more than any other first-term state representative. He's a small-business advocate who says "the state is a mess," the pension problem will sink the state long-term, and not having budget fundamentals is what's holding back passage of a yearlong budget.
Swanson, a retired pastor from Lombard, has never held elected office. He favors a progressive income tax and wants the state to expand social services, including addressing the heroin epidemic.
Swanson, who worked briefly as an intern with Sen. Paul Simon in May 1994, is opposed to term limits, would like to see a temporary income tax increase through 2019 and advocates for a graduated income tax long-term.
Breen says he supports term limits generally and definitely for legislative leaders. He says Speaker Mike Madigan "is corrosive to representative government" and has "rigged the system" regarding legislative maps. He is generally opposed to tax increases and adds that people do not trust the General Assembly to spend additional funds wisely.
In today's environment in Springfield, these are reasonable and compelling positions. Breen is endorsed.