Martha Paschke: Candidate profile

Bio

Party: Democrat

City: Geneva

Office sought: Representative, House District 65

Age: 40

Family: Husband, Jeremy, and three kids, Hannah, 17, Eli, 15, Evie, 11

Occupation: Patient intake coordinator at a psychology practice

Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in family studies from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota (summa cum laude) and a master's degree in teaching with certification and endorsement in middle school social studies from Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois

Civic involvement: In early 2017, I organized a group comprised of 1,000+ local members who wanted to get involved in positive political action. I connected members with volunteer opportunities supporting numerous service agencies and nonprofits in our area. Our group collected all the items needed to set up a home for a refugee family of 14 being welcomed by World Relief. We collected items and donated time and money to local homeless and women's shelters. We formed the Kane and Kendall County Moms Demand Action group, which has been active in both educating about safe gun ownership and advocating for sensible safety legislation while respecting Constitutional rights. We engaged with candidates at the local, state, and federal level, inviting them to speak at our meetings and encouraging our members to get involved with their campaigns. I was personally involved in several local campaigns, particularly with Lauren Underwood's successful campaign for Illinois's 14th District.

Elected offices held: None

Incumbent? If yes, when were first elected: No

Website: www.martha4il65.com

Twitter: @Martha4il65

Facebook: @Martha4il65

Questions and Answers

1. What is your position on placing a 'Fair Maps' amendment on the November ballot? If the amendment makes the ballot after the primary, will you support it? Why or why not?

With the Census occurring in 2020, redistricting is a timely and critical issue. Gov. Pritzker campaigned on the idea of creating an independent commission to redraw legislative maps, as 14 other states have done in recent years. I support these bipartisan efforts toward distributing legislative districts equally over the state, particularly in areas comprised of racial and language minorities. Further, I believe that by putting the amendment on the November ballot, the people of Illinois will have a chance to choose for themselves how legislative redistricting will occur.

2. What are the most important components that should be included in legislative ethics reform? What will you do to help them come to pass?

Ethics reform is a bipartisan issue and requires bipartisan cooperation and collaboration. Amending the Lobbyist Registration Act was a logical first step to modernize outdated disclosure standards, while working to eliminate loopholes to prevent further wrongdoing. My position is that public trust can only begin to be restored once there is greater transparency and accountability from within state government - and the recently enacted reforms move the needle closer to that goal. I will work collaboratively with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that the people of Illinois regain trust in their state government.

3. What should the state do to address the still-growing problems with its key pension programs?

The recent consolidation of local pensions downstate has shown promise and could be replicated in other regions of the state. Additionally, I believe that a graduated income tax will make a significant impact on our state budget, allowing us to prioritize addressing outstanding debt, including our pension obligations. Coupled with additional revenue from the graduated income tax, measures such as the voluntary pension buyouts are helping to reduce the amount of future pension obligations. While the income generated from the buyouts fell short of projections, the participation in the program was robust and shows that collaborative and fair solutions are possible. Pension holders are willing to be partners in working for solutions and they should be included in these conversations.

4. Describe at least two circumstances in which you have shown or would show a willingness and capacity to act independently of the direction or demands of party leadership. Do you support term limits for majority and minority leaders in both chambers?

When it comes to ethical behavior, I do not choose party sides. I would collaborate with and consider supporting ethics reform bills that are proposed from either side of the aisle.

Additionally, I would work to champion the needs of small businesses. The 65th District is home to many wonderful small businesses which are often overlooked by the legislature when policies and incentives are created.

As for term limits, I hesitate to favor any measure that would take power away from voters. As long as elections are free and fair, I think the will of the people should be honored. Additionally, I think the job of governance is complicated and the wisdom of experience benefits the entire system. At the same time, I believe that new ideas, new voices, and greater diversity should be represented. Creating and supporting a more economically, racially, and gender-diverse group of candidates would help to ensure that all people are well represented.

5. What should lawmakers be doing to stem out-migration from Illinois?

The state needs to continue to reinvest funding in our universities to bring tuition costs down and keep more students in Illinois after high school. Gov. Pritzker's budget for 2020 did start to increase the funding, but it will still remain lower than it had been before the budget impasse. We also need to work to create jobs that provide a good living wage and opportunity for families to thrive. This can be achieved both by improving access to vocational and technical job training to meet the growing demands of our current economy as well as through attracting businesses to our state.

6. Do you believe climate change is caused by human activity? What steps should government be taking to address the issue?

The science on this is undeniable. Humans are causing and accelerating climate change at an alarming rate and we need to be prioritizing actions to address it. I would propose funding for research and development of clean energy technology and incentives to encourage sustainability in existing industries and businesses in Illinois. I'd also like to see the solar energy tax credits renew after 2021 rather than have them go away completely.

7. The graduated income tax is designed with the intent to reduce taxes for 97 percent of Illinoisans. Do you believe that will happen? Why or why not? What assurances can you offer voters?

Illinois is one of just eight states that impose the same flat rate on the income of all earners. The bipartisan Center for Tax and Budget Accountability published a report in 2018 that found states with graduated income taxes have cut taxes nearly two and a half times more often than they have raised them on the middle class. I believe that the Fair Tax will decrease the burden on middle-class taxpayers in Illinois while providing much-needed revenue to help fund outstanding, current, and future obligations. This revenue increase and overall financial stability will have the secondary effect of improving the state's standing among investors. During the first weeks of 2020 Illinois' bond-market penalty fell to its lowest since 2015, in part due to investor optimism that Illinois will pass the Fair Tax amendment and generate the necessary revenue to fulfill its debt obligations.