Jenn Ladisch Douglass: 2022 candidate for Illinois House District 45

Bio

Party: Democratic

Office sought: House District 45

City: Elmhurst

Age: 48

Occupation: Attorney, Douglass P.C.

Previous offices held: None

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: While some reforms have been enacted in the past few years, I believe there is more to be done. I support legislative rule changes that have created legislative leader term limits and believe they should also be passed into law. I support term limits in general, and I would like to see additional term limit legislation passed.

I think the most important thing to make the legislature operate more effectively is individual legislators focusing more on being directly responsive and accountable to the people who elect them. I spend many hours every week walking door-to-door and I hear very frequently that people are tired of the culture wars and division. They just want someone who listens and works towards common-sense solutions, which is not what their current Representative is providing.

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: We need to get back to bipartisan, balanced budgeting in Illinois. The federal assistance we received has enabled our state to recover not only from the economic impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, but also the remnants of the budget impasse caused by a war against working families that held our most vital state services hostage.

Illinois needs to continue to invest more in critical services like classroom education, health care, and resources for seniors. I believe we can both invest in vital services while providing tax relief, like the recent gas tax and grocery tax relief, if both parties stop playing games and start working to make government work better for the average citizen.

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: Education is and will always be something that is very important to me and something I will always advocate for. I strongly believe that every child, regardless of their ZIP code or family income, deserves access to a good public education. A very crucial part of this leadership role is making sure people who are affected have a seat at the table where decisions are being made. When it comes to making decisions that affect our children and our communities, I will prioritize talking to parents and guardians, superintendents, board members and teachers to ensure the new funding model works for our schools and to advocate for improvements where necessary.

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

A: Yes, I believe that our county clerks are doing a great job of overseeing our elections to increase accessibility while protecting against fraud. I was very glad to hear that DuPage County was the first county to allow voters to vote from any of its polling sites within the county. Making it easier for the average citizen to vote will increase accountability for elected officials and ensure that the majority's voices are heard on important issues like reproductive rights and sensible gun control.

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: I am glad and thankful that I live in Illinois. I believe that we as a state have done the right thing by making reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights and standing up for marginalized communities a priority. My opponent has not supported the laws that ensure Illinois women have the right to choose and LGBTQ+ rights are protected. We simply can't afford to have someone like Deanne Mazzochi in office at a time when our rights and freedoms are under attack at the federal level.

State legislators are the most important line of defense against extreme policies that allow politicians to take away some of the most important rights we have. That is why I decided to run for state representative against someone who has never stood up for women and voted against equal pay, abortion rights protection, affordable prescription medications* and even praised efforts to roll back protections for survivors of sexual assault on college campuses.