Bob Morgan: 2022 candidate for Illinois House 58th District

Bio

Party: Democrat

Office sought: Illinois House 58th District

City: Deerfield

Age: 42

Occupation: State representative; attorney, Benesch Law

Previous offices held: Current State Rep. IL-58

Q&A

Q: What needs to be done structurally to make the legislature more effective? What is your position on term limits in general and for legislative leaders specifically?

A: Transparency in the development of legislation would lead to a more effective legislature. We can pass the most extraordinary law ever created, but if we lose the confidence of the public, we are setting ourselves up for failure. We have taken a number of steps in the last few years to ensure more public hearings and public feedback, but more transparency would help us achieve our goals of improving Illinois. I am supportive of term limits for legislative leaders, but oppose term limits for individual members who face voters every 2 years. States with term limits for all members have seen an exponential increase in power for lobbyists and private interests instead of duly-elected legislators, and that would further undermine the public's confidence in the legislature.

Q: Federal assistance has enabled the state to make important advances toward improving its budget. What will you do to ensure these advances continue when the federal aid is gone?

A: Politics as usual put Illinois in a tough fiscal situation before disaster struck. We're still digging out from decades of kicking the can down the road, the devastation of not having a state budget for 4 years under former Gov. Rauner, and the once-in-a-century pandemic. We prioritized investment in communities hit the hardest by COVID-19 and directed state grants to small businesses and health care providers on the front lines. Going forward, I will continue to take an independent approach to the budget so that we can restore fiscal health and get Illinois back on track.

Q: To what extent are you happy or unhappy with the evidence-based model for education funding now in place in Illinois? How would you define "adequate" state funding for Illinois schools and what will you do to promote that?

A: The EBF formula was long overdue to address the academic inequities throughout the state due to our property tax-driven school funding methods. Places like North Chicago School District 187 have begun to see necessary state investment and are inching closer to funding "adequacy," but so much more needs to be done. We have fallen short in funding certain schools in Illinois for generations, and it will take time for these increased investments to show academic gains.

Q: Do you believe elections in Illinois are free and fair? What changes, if any, are needed regarding election security and voter access?

A: Illinois elections are free and fair because we have passed laws to increase access to voting in person and by mail, and pushed back against Republican county clerks that believe voting should be more difficult. I previously had to sue a Republican county clerk for explicitly pushing provisional ballots on Spanish speaking communities. We need to do more to protect the vote - our democracy depends on it.

Q: How well has Illinois responded to Supreme Court indications that it considers abortion, gay marriage and other social issues to be state, not federal, responsibilities? What if anything needs to be done in these areas and what would you do to make your vision come to pass?

A: In my time in the Illinois legislature, we have repeatedly and proactively taken steps to protect the rights of people from intrusion by the government. The Supreme Court's right-wing agenda to diminish federal protections will be met with a strong response in Illinois. On reproductive health, we have protected the people from the worst possible abuses, but we will turn our attention to protecting the licenses of medical professionals providing basic health care to those from Republican-led states, and ensuring protections for women who may face criminal charges for fleeing their far-right states which have already outlawed abortion.