Democrats Castro, Yawer talk priorities for Senate District 22

Illinois Senate District 22 voters will choose in the March 17 Democratic primary between incumbent Cristina Castro, who says she's a strong advocate for the district, and challenger Rae Yawer, who says her opponent is too entrenched in party politics.

Castro, 41, of Elgin, is running for a second term. She previously served on the Kane County Board for eight years.

Yawer, who says she's in her "youthful 60s," lives in Streamwood, where she serves as vice president of the park district board. She works as a mortgage consultant.

Yawer said she's running a grass-roots campaign, while Castro has received donations from politicians, corporations and special interest groups.

Castro, who called herself "a pragmatic who believes in compromise," said she also gets contributions at the grass-roots level and has strong union backing. "I'm trying to run a positive campaign and run on my record," she said.

Castro objected to Yawer's characterization that she's not independent. For example, she abstained from voting to raise the age to 21 to buy tobacco, a measure backed by then-Senate President John Cullerton, after mixed feedback from her constituents, she said.

Yawer accused Castro of never showing up in Streamwood. Castro said she and her staff "go everywhere" and implemented weekly satellite hours at Hanover Township.

Castro touted securing about $500 million in funding for capital projects, such as work on the Route 20 bridge over the Fox River.

Yawer wants more funding for mental health programs, a personal issue because her son suffers from anxiety disorder, she said.

Both said their district's greatest need is alleviating property taxes, and both support a graduated income tax, which voters will decide on in November.

Yawer said those revenues should be funneled into school districts, which could then lower their tax burden. She also wants to close tax loopholes for the rich and consolidate government departments that produce "too much waste."

Castro advocated for tax-increment financing reform. TIF districts, designed to encourage development of blighted areas, freeze for up to 23 years the amount of property taxes funneled into local governments. But TIF districts often are extended, which means taxing bodies, particularly schools, don't get their due revenues, Castro said.

The state needs to address its pension crisis, the candidates agreed.

Castro was chief sponsor of a bill that consolidated more than 600 police and firefighter pensions into two statewide funds. Based on the results, that could be applied to other pension funds, she said. More pension buyouts also could be encouraged, she said.

Yawer wants to bar the legislature from taking "pension holidays" that allow paying less than required into pension funds.

Yawer supports the Fair Maps Amendment, which would reform the state's redistricting rules and that some lawmakers want to place on the ballot in November. Castro, who serves on an ethics commission she pushed for, said she wants to see the final proposal because reform needs to be "very deliberate and careful."

Yawer favors term limits for legislators. Castro said voters should decide. It takes time to get a good grasp of government, and term limits in other states have given power to lobbyists who know how to manipulate the system, Castro said.