Smodilla, Castro on pensions, education and more in Senate 22 race

With the longtime incumbent not seeking re-election, voters in the state's 22nd Senate District will have a new - and distinct - choice Nov. 8 between Republican Tracy Smodilla and Democrat Cristina Castro.

Castro, 38, a Kane County Board member, and Smodilla, 54, who serves on the economic development commission in Bartlett, have different views on taxes, pensions and cutting government costs to solve the state's fiscal crisis.

State Sen. Michael Noland, a Democrat first elected in 2006, announced he'd return to private life after he lost his bid for the 8th Congressional District in the March primary.

Smodilla, who lives in Bartlett where she also owns a wellness and massage therapy practice, said she supports the state's flat income tax. People who make more than $250,000 a year "are not wealthy" but rather job creators, she said.

The state should encourage job growth by reforming its workers' compensation program, whose costs hinder small businesses, Smodilla said.

Castro, of Elgin, said businesses are leaving Illinois because of its fiscal instability, "terrible" education system and lack of investment in infrastructure. The legislature needs to address those problems first to encourage companies to stay.

Legislators need to look at cutting corporate tax loopholes before considering raising taxes, said Castro, who works as a marketing and communications manager. She wouldn't tax pensions and advocated revisiting a 2013 bill that tied cost-of-living pension increases to benefits and salary bumps.

Taxing pensions would be OK but only above a "minimum threshold," Smodilla said without elaborating. She also opposes cost-of-living increases for pensions.

The candidates agree the state's education funding formula needs to be reformed.

Smodilla said the formula unfairly favors Chicago-area students compared to downstate students and she is concerned about the debt accrued by Elgin Area School District U-46. Castro said it's important to look at how funding changes would affect all four school districts in the 22nd Senate District, not just U-46.

Smodilla said she is a proponent of school vouchers and charters, while Castro advocated fixing the public school system first.

Smodilla said it would be OK to pare the state's monetary award program, or MAP, "if we don't have the money" to fund it, while Castro said that program is essential to too many people to do that.

Government expenses can be streamlined by eliminating unnecessary positions, such as the Elgin Township highway commissioner, and consolidating some fire departments, Castro said.

Smodilla said she supports rolling back the expansion of Medicaid services while serving "the most vulnerable," and advocated streamlining the state's health and human services, which operate "in silos," via a central database system. Castro said it's important to protect seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.

Both candidates believe in term limits for legislative leaders. However, Smodilla said legislators should serve no more than 14 years, while Castro said she is "on the fence" about that because it might give more power to special interest groups.

Smodilla said she is OK with Illinois' minimum wage of $8.25 per hour, while Castro said it should be increased but didn't specify an amount.

Castro favors the Affordable Care Act, while Smodilla said she would repeal it.