Rachel Ventura: 2022 candidate for Illinois Senate District 43

Bio

Party: Democrat

Office sought: Illinois Senate District 43

City: Joliet

Age: 41

Occupation: Will County Board Member

Previous offices held: Board vice president of the Forest Preserve District of Will County and Will County Board District 9 member since 2018

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: I believe that campaign finance reform is more important than term limits if we want to work towards a more representative and functional government that is prepared to meet the needs of IL voters. Most lawmakers face election every 2 years, and this is part of the democratic process that allows voters to replace an elected official who is not serving the constituents. I would approach leadership the same way.

If a lawmaker who is elected by peers to serve in leadership is doing a good job, the peers will keep that person in place. If they are doing a poor job, a case for change can be made and hopefully we don't end up with another Madigan. I was elected without corporate PAC dollars. If elected on Nov. 8, I will be only the 2nd Senator who is not taking corporate PAC money. We need to create a system that allows more people to get into office without the undue influence of big money in elections. I will be focused on making such a system possible.

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: For more than a decade the state budget has been an issue and one of the primary reasons is that we have a regressive flat tax structure that's quite different from some of our neighbors like IA and WI. We need to tax the rich and require IL millionaires to pay their fair share through a graduated rate income tax rather than disproportionately burdening working and middle class families.

I also support a "LaSalle Street Tax" on speculative stock trading as another form of taxing upper income brackets. The majority of budgetary issues (pension funding, replacing federal aid, or creating more equitable education funding) could be solved by such alterations to our tax structure that relieves the burden of most taxpayers and ensures that the richest among us pay their fair share. My familiarity with budgets and my background as a mathematician will be useful in finding places to save the taxpayers' money and be sure that we bid out state contracts.

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 first step in changing the funding formula for education is generating new revenue as mentioned above. The past 2 years of data is muddled because of the pandemic that caused lower attendance rates, less hands-on learning, less social engagement, and ultimately, lower test scores. One thing that did change for the better is that it has created a more predictable budget for schools that rely heavily on the state for funding, but there are still funding shortfalls.

I will be following new data, listening to educators and district administrators and parents to make needed adjustments. I believe that if we want every child to succeed, that we need to make learning more flexible and empower teachers to teach to meet individual student needs. We need to push for smaller classrooms, and adequate pay for teachers. The one thing we have seen post-pandemic is a shortage of teachers joining the industry and even more leaving.

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

A: Our elections are "free and fair" but we need to address campaign finance reform. Every election historically has a handful of irregularities and human errors. Sporadically polling places run out of ballots, don't open on time, or hand out the wrong ballot. During this primary, about 13 voters received the wrong ballot in my home precinct. The mistake was corrected, and the rest of the day went forward without event. I believe that the intentions of our election officials and election judges are in the right place and that a few human errors do not constitute election fraud.

I support mail-in ballots beyond the pandemic and any efforts that increase participation in elections is a good thing. We have expanded early voting locations and done a good job making sure that anyone who wants to vote can vote. The most impactful way to restore trust in the system is through campaign finance reform to ensure that all those running for office are loyal to the voters, not special interests.

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 support a women's right to choose and will fight to protect abortion rights and marriage equality in the State of Illinois. It is unclear yet what steps the Illinois General Assembly is planning to take, but I will push for a ballot referendum that amends the Illinois Constitution to codify reproductive rights into the Illinois Constitution. Putting a question on the ballot gives voters a say in the outcome of this important issue. I believe we need to protect all civil rights.