2015 RATINGS of ILLINOIS

Transcription

1 2015 RATINGS of ILLINOIS Conservative.org TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Chairman 2 IL Senate Vote Descriptions 5 ACU & ACUF Board Members 3 IL Senate Scores 7 Selecting the 3 IL House Vote Descriptions Winners & Losers 4 IL House Scores 12

2 LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN Dear Fellow Conservatives, I am pleased to present the American Conservative Union Foundation s ratings for the 2015 meeting of the Illinois General Assembly. Like our Congressional Ratings, our State Ratings reflect how elected officials view the role of government in an individual's life. The Illinois legislators with the strongest scores voted most consistently with the ideals articulated in the US Constitution: limited and transparent government, individual rights, personal responsibility, and a healthy culture. The 2014 election completed a political transformation that began in 2010 and resulted in voters of almost half the states, 23 in all, entrusting Republicans with the governorships as well as control of both chambers in the respective state, the biggest sweep since the first half of the 20th Century. By examining all our State Ratings (which cover a wide variety of issues) we can see which states have best used their Republican majorities to apply conservative principles, how others have struggled, and in yet other states, how conservatives have stood up against liberal majorities. I know that this guide will provide you with the most comprehensive evaluative tool to learn how your legislators measure up. Sincerely, Matt Schlapp Chairman American Conservative Union 2

3 ACU BOARD MEMBERS Matt Schlapp Chairman Thomas Winter First Vice Chairman Carolyn Meadows Second Vice Chairman Jameson Campaigne, Jr. Secretary Larry Beasley Bob Beauprez Kimberly Bellissimo Morton Blackwell Ambassador John Bolton Al Cardenas Jose Cardenas Ron Christie Muriel Coleman ACU FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS Matt Schlapp Chairman Millie Hallow Vice Chairman Van Hipp, Jr. Treasurer Tim Goeglein Secretary Kimberly Bellissimo Jose Cardenas Amy Frederick Jonathan Garthwaite Charlie Gerow Colin Hanna Willes Lee Kellyanne Conway Tom DeLay John Eddy Luis Fortuno Amy Frederick Charlie Gerow Alan Gottlieb Van Hipp, Jr. James Lacy Carolyn Meadows Thomas Winter Michael Long Grover Norquist Becky Norton Dunlop Ron Robinson Ned Ryun Fred Smith, Jr. Matt Smith Lewis Uhler Ed Yevoli SELECTING THE VOTES ACU researched and selected a range of bills before the Illinois General Assembly that determine a member s adherence to conservative principles. We selected bills that focus on Ronald Reagan s philosophy of the three-legged stool : 1) fiscal and economic: taxes, budgets, regulation, spending, healthcare, and property; 2) social and cultural: 2nd amendment, religion, life, welfare, and education; and 3) government integrity: voting, individual liberty, privacy, and transparency. This wide range of issues are designed to give citizens an accurate assessment that conveys which of Illinois s elected leaders best defend the principles of a free society: Life, Liberty and Property. To contact ACU, please call H Street NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC (202)

4 2015 WINNERS & LOSERS AWARD FOR CONSERVATIVE EXCELLENCE < 10 COALITION OF THE RADICAL LEFT SENATE SENATE SENATE CONNELLY McCARTER BENNETT IVES Collins Ammons Kifowit Reaves-Harris DUFFY OBERWEIS CAVALETTO McSWEENEY Silverstein Conroy Lang Thapedi FRESE SULLIVAN Stadelman Feigenholtz Manley Williams Fine Moeller Willis AWARD FOR CONSERVATIVE ACHIEVEMENT Harris, G. Hurley Moylan Mussman SENATE BARICKMAN ANDERSSON DURKIN MORRISON BIVINS BELLOCK FORTNER REIS BRADY BRADY HAMMOND SANDACK McCONNAUGHAY BREEN HAYS WEHRLI REZIN DAVIDSMEYER JESIEL WHEELER, B. RIGHTER DEMMER McDERMED WHEELER, K. ROSE SYVERSON 4

5 ILLINOIS SENATE VOTE DESCRIPTIONS 1. SB 1564 Health Care Right of Conscience Act. This bill guts the Health Care Right of Conscience Act by requiring health care professionals at pregnancy resource centers to offer information on abortion and discuss the benefits of abortion regardless of their convictions. ACU believes abortion is a human tragedy and supports the right of health care professionals to follow their consciences when it comes to abortion information and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 22, 2015 by a vote of SB 23 Law Licenses for Illegal Immigrants. This bill deletes language from the States Attorneys Act that bars the Illinois Supreme Court from awarding attorney s licenses to illegal immigrants. ACU opposes special privileges for illegal immigrants and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 23, 2015 by a vote of SB 1847 Food Stamp Expansion. This bill reduces income eligibility requirements for food stamp benefits by increasing the gross income limit from 130 to 165 of the federal poverty level for households that do not include an elderly, blind or disabled member. ACU opposes expanding a program rife with fraud without reforms and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 23, 2015 by a vote of HB 1424 Licensing Requirements. This bill extends for ten years licensing laws for such occupations as hair braiding and cosmetology and adds licensing requirements for spa technicians and barber stylists. ACU opposes the proliferation of licensing requirements that are primarily designed to restrict competition and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 21, 2015 by a vote of HB 352 Bobcat Hunting. This bill amends the Wildlife Code to allow bobcat hunting in a set season of November 1st February 15th. ACU supports expanding opportunities for hunters and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 21, 2015 by a vote of HB 3619 Employer Mandates for Small Business. This bill removes the exemption of the Illinois Equal Pay Act for those businesses with fewer than four employees. ACU opposes this new mandate that goes way beyond the federal law which already has a family business exemption and is primarily designed to threaten legal action against businesses too small to defend themselves and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 22, 2015 by a vote of HB 3234 Crossbow Hunting. This bill allows the use of a crossbow to hunt coyotes. Previously, only disabled hunters could use a crossbow. ACU supports expanding opportunities for hunters and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 22, 2015 by a vote of HB 3194 Urban Weatherization Initiative Funding Increase. This bill dramatically increases spending for the urban Weatherization initiative by quadrupling grant awards to $2 million from $500,000. ACU opposes spending increases at a time the state is in dire financial straits and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 26, 2015 by a vote of SB 1354 Pay Increase. This bill provides for an automatic cost of living pay increase each year for members of the General Assembly, State s Attorneys and other Statewide officeholders. ACU opposes automatic pay increases at a time when the state is in dire financial difficulty and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 29, 2015 by a vote of HB 3237 Beer Regulations. This bill eases restrictions on the amount of beer breweries are allowed to produce by creating a new Class 2 license that increases the cap to 155,000 gallons per year for companies that own up to three brewpubs. ACU opposes restrictions on the production of any product that are primarily designed to reduce competition and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 29, 2015 by a vote of SB 777 Pension Funding. This bill allows the City of Chicago to underfund the Chicago Policemen and Firemen s pension funds over the next five years and extends the deadline to reach 90 of funding from 2040 to The bill calls for additional funding for the pensions from the proceeds of an unbuilt and unapproved government-owned casino in Chicago. ACU opposes these fiscally irresponsible proposals and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 30, 2015 by a vote of SB 508 Government-Owned Convention Centers. This bill allows the use of funds from the Tourism Promotion Account to provide funds for government-run convention centers. ACU opposes the use of taxpayer funds to compete with privately owned convention centers and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 31, 2015 by a vote of

6 13. SB 836 Concealed Carry Reforms. This bill makes a number of reforms to Illinois concealed carry laws, including protecting the privacy rights of concealed carry applicants and eliminating the requirement that a license holder unload a firearm every time it is stored or retrieved from the trunk of a car. ACU supports the founders belief in the Second Amendment and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 31, 2015 by a vote of SB 1229 Forced Arbitration for Labor Disputes. This bill removes the power of the Governor to settle labor disputes by mandating arbitration for disputes between the public sector unions and the Governor. ACU opposes this obviously partisan bill that is designed to reduce any possibility of labor contract reform and opposed this bill. The Senate overrode the Governor s veto of the bill on August 19, 2015 by a vote of A No vote supported the ACU position. 6

7 ILLINOIS SENATE SCORES ILLINOIS SENATE STATISTICS OVERALL AVERAGE 42 REPUBLICAN AVERAGE 78 LOWEST REPUBLICAN NYBO 50 DEMOCRAT AVERAGE 23 HIGHEST DEMOCRAT LANDEK 58 ILLINOIS SENATE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 1564 SB 23 SB 1847 HB 1424 HB 352 HB 3619 HB 3234 HB 3194 SB 1354 HB 3237 SB 777 SB 508 SB 836 SB 1229 ALTHOFF R X ANDERSON R X X n/a 67 BARICKMAN R X + + X Bennett D n/a 29 Bertino-Tarrant D Biss D BIVINS R X BRADY R 44 + X X + X Bush D X Clayborne D 57 - X Collins D X - - X CONNELLY R X Cullerton, J. D 6 X Cullerton, T. D X X Cunningham D 18 X X P Delgado D 2 X X DUFFY R X X X Forby D X Haine D 56 + X X ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 7

8 8 ILLINOIS SENATE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 1564 SB 23 SB 1847 HB 1424 HB 352 HB 3619 HB 3234 HB 3194 SB 1354 HB 3237 SB 777 SB 508 SB 836 SB 1229 Harmon D Harris D Hastings D X X X Holmes D X Hunter D P Hutchinson D X X X Jones D X X Koehler D X X Kotowski D LaHOOD R X Landek D X P Lightford D Link D LUECHTEFELD R X Manar D X Martinez D X McCANN R X P McCARTER R X X McCONNAUGHAY R X McGuire D X Morrison D X Mulroe D Muñoz D X MURPHY R 27 X X Noland D NYBO R OBERWEIS R X X X X RADOGNO R X - X - X X Raoul D X P REZIN R 38 + X X RIGHTER R X ROSE R Sandoval D 11 X - - X X X X n/a 0 n/a Silverstein D 8 X X X X Stadelman D X - X X - X ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG

9 ILLINOIS SENATE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 1564 SB 23 SB 1847 HB 1424 HB 352 HB 3619 HB 3234 HB 3194 SB 1354 HB 3237 SB 777 SB 508 SB 836 SB 1229 Steans D P Sullivan D X X SYVERSON R X + X Trotter D Van Pelt D X X P Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2015 percentage and lifetime average was not rated. ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 9

10 ILLINOIS VOTE DESCRIPTIONS 1. HB 1424 Licensing Requirements. This bill extends for ten years licensing laws for such occupations as hair braiding and cosmetology and adds licensing requirements for spa technicians and barber stylists. ACU opposes the proliferation of licensing requirements that are primarily designed to restrict competition and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on April 15, 2015 by a vote of HB 3619 Employer Mandates for Small Business. This bill removes the exemption of the Illinois Equal Pay Act for those businesses with fewer than four employees. ACU opposes this new mandate that goes way beyond the federal law which already has a family business exemption and is primarily designed to threaten legal action against businesses too small to defend themselves and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on April 16, 2015 by a vote of HB 3237 Beer Regulations. This bill eases restrictions on the amount of beer breweries are allowed to produce by creating a new Class 2 license that increases the cap to 155,000 gallons per year for companies that own up to three brewpubs. ACU opposes restrictions on the production of any product that are primarily designed to reduce competition and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on April 20, 2015 by a vote of HB 3234 Crossbow Hunting. This bill allows the use of a crossbow to hunt coyotes. Previously, only disabled hunters could use a crossbow. ACU supports expanding opportunities for hunters and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on April 23, 2015 by a vote of SB 23 Law Licenses for Illegal Immigrants. This bill deletes language from the States Attorneys Act that bars the Illinois Supreme Court from awarding attorney s licenses to illegal immigrants. ACU opposes special privileges for illegal immigrants and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on May 28, 2015 by a vote of SB 1354 Pay Increase. This bill provides for an automatic cost of living pay increase each year for members of the General Assembly, State s Attorneys and other Statewide officeholders. ACU opposes automatic pay increases at a time when the state is in dire financial difficulty and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on May 28, 2015 by a vote of SB 1847 Food Stamp Expansion. This bill expands the eligibility for food stamp benefits by increasing the gross income limit from 130 to 165 of the federal poverty level for households that do not include an elderly, blind or disabled member. ACU opposes expanding a program rife with fraud without reforms and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on May 29, 2015 by a vote of SB 508 Government-Owned Convention Centers. This bill allows the use of funds from the Tourism Promotion Account to provide funds for government-run convention centers. ACU opposes the use of taxpayer funds to compete with privately owned convention centers and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on May 30, 2015 by a vote of SB 777 Pension Funding. This bill allows the City of Chicago to underfund the Chicago Policemen and Firemen s pension funds over the next five years and extends the deadline to reach 90 of funding from 2040 to The bill calls for additional funding for the pensions from the proceeds of an unbuilt and unapproved government-owned casino in Chicago. ACU opposes these fiscally irresponsible proposals and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on May 30, 2015 by a vote of SB 836 Concealed Carry Reforms. This bill makes a number of reforms to Illinois concealed carry laws, including protecting the privacy rights of concealed carry applicants and eliminating the requirement that a license holder unload a firearm every time it is stored or retrieved from the trunk of a car. ACU supports the founders belief in the Second Amendment and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on May 30, 2015 by a vote of HB 352 Bobcat Hunting. This bill amends the Wildlife Code to allow bobcat hunting in a set season of November 1st February 15th. ACU supports expanding opportunities for hunters and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on May 31, 2015 by a vote of HB 3194 Urban Weatherization Initiative Funding Increase. This bill dramatically increases spending for the Urban Weatherization Initiative by quadrupling grant awards to $2 million from $500,000. ACU opposes spending increases at a time the state is in dire financial straits and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on May 31, 2015 by a vote of

11 13. SB 1564 Health Care Right of Conscience Act. This bill guts the Health Care Right of Conscience Act by requiring health care professionals at pregnancy resource centers to offer information on abortion and discuss the benefits of abortion regardless of their convictions. ACU believes abortion is a human tragedy and supports the right of health care professionals to follow their consciences when it comes to abortion information and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on July 9, 2015 by a vote of SB 1229 Forced Arbitration for Labor Disputes. This bill removes the power of the Governor to settle labor disputes by mandating arbitrations for disputes between the public sector unions and the Governor. ACU opposes this obviously partisan bill that is designed to reduce any possibility of labor contract reform and opposed this bill. The House failed to override the Governor s veto of the bill on September 2, 2015 by a vote of (71 votes were required to override the veto). A No vote supported the ACU position. 11

12 ILLINOIS SCORES ILLINOIS STATISTICS OVERALL AVERAGE 44 REPUBLICAN AVERAGE 79 LOWEST REPUBLICAN McAULIFFE 50 DEMOCRAT AVERAGE 20 HIGHEST DEMOCRATS CLOONEN, COSTELLO, SCHERER 50 ILLINOIS VOTE DETAIL Party District HB 1424 HB 3619 HB 3237 HB 3234 SB 23 SB 1354 SB 1847 SB 508 SB 777 SB 836 HB 352 HB 3194 SB 1564 SB 1229 Acevedo D 2 - E P Ammons D X n/a 8 ANDERSSON R n/a 86 Andrade D ANTHONY R P P Arroyo D BATINICK R 97 - X n/a 69 Beiser D BELLOCK R BENNETT R n/a 93 BOURNE R P n/a 69 Bradley D BRADY R BREEN R n/a 86 BROWN R E BRYANT R X n/a 77 Burke, D. D Burke, K. D E BUTLER R P n/a 77 CABELLO R X ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 12

13 ILLINOIS VOTE DETAIL Party District HB 1424 HB 3619 HB 3237 HB 3234 SB 23 SB 1354 SB 1847 SB 508 SB 777 SB 836 HB 352 HB 3194 SB 1564 SB 1229 Cassidy D CAVALETTO R E E Chapa LaVia D Cloonen D Conroy D Costello D Crespo D 44 E E E Currie D D'Amico D E DAVIDSMEYER R X P P Davis, M. D E E E E E E E E n/a 10 n/a Davis, W. D E E DeLuca D X DEMMER R Drury D P - E E E Dunkin D X - - X DURKIN R Evans D E E E Feigenholtz D Fine D Flowers D Ford D FORTNER R Franks D X P FRESE R n/a 93 Gabel D Golar D X X Gordon-Booth D X P Guzzardi D n/a 14 HAMMOND R E P HARRIS, D. R P Harris, G. D HAYS R Hernandez D Hoffman D Hurley D ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 13

14 ILLINOIS VOTE DETAIL 14 Party District HB 1424 HB 3619 HB 3237 HB 3234 SB 23 SB 1354 SB 1847 SB 508 SB 777 SB 836 HB 352 HB 3194 SB 1564 SB 1229 IVES R 42 X Jackson D JESIEL R 61 - P - + X E E Jones D 29 - X E X X X n/a 0 n/a KAY R Kifowit D Lang D LEITCH R X E Lilly D E E E Madigan D 22 X X X X - X X X n/a 0 n/a Manley D E Martwick D Mautino D Mayfield D P - - X X McAsey D McAULIFFE R X + P McDERMED R E n/a 85 McSWEENEY R MEIER R E MITCHELL, B. R Mitchell, C. D Moeller D MOFFITT R E P MORRISON R E E Moylan D Mussman D Nekritz D Phelps D PHILLIPS R E E E E E E n/a n/a n/a POE R E P PRITCHARD R E Reaves-Harris D P P P n/a 0 REIS R Riley D Rita D X SANDACK R X X Scherer D ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG

15 ILLINOIS VOTE DETAIL Party District HB 1424 HB 3619 HB 3237 HB 3234 SB 23 SB 1354 SB 1847 SB 508 SB 777 SB 836 HB 352 HB 3194 SB 1564 SB 1229 Sente D Sims D X Smiddy D SOMMER R SOSNOWSKI R Soto D E E STEWART R E E SULLIVAN R E E E Tabares D Thapedi D X P - - X TRYON R Turner D X UNES R E Verschoore D Wallace D P P Walsh D WEHRLI R X n/a 85 Welch D WHEELER, B. R WHEELER, K. R n/a 86 Williams D Willis D WINGER R 45 - P E n/a 67 Yingling D E E Zalewski D Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2015 percentage and lifetime average was not rated. ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 15