By JAMES POLLOCK
New members of Illinois House
The issues they view as most
important to constituents and state
As newly elected members of the Illinois House of
Representatives prepared to take their oaths of
office, they also got ready to tackle a host of issues
that they and their constituents have identified as particularly important.
For all the differences among the 47 new House
members' districts, they form a fairly cohesive group in
terms of what they'd like to accomplish. An Illinois Issues
survey of neophyte House members found several of the
new Democratic legislators especially interested in tackling
crime problems and spurring economic development. Some
said they want to preserve a woman's right to choose abortion
and strengthen programs that provide early intervention
into needy children's lives.
Newly elected Republicans were especially concerned
with changing the state's school aid formula and reducing
property taxes as well as holding the line on income taxes.
Most vocal on these issues are lawmakers representing
districts in suburban Cook and the collar counties, who say
their schools deserve a greater share of state dollars to
lessen constituents' high property taxes.
Following are brief sketches of the new House members,
based on information gathered by Illinois Issues in cooperation with the Illinois Legislative Research Unit.
|
Judy Biggert (R-81,
Hinsdale) chairs the
Hinsdale Plan Commission and sits on the
steering committee of
Citizens for Property
Tax Accountability. She
earned her B.A. in international relations from
Stanford University and
a J.D. from Northwestern University. She is a member of the
Illinois State Bar Association, the American
Bar Association and the DuPage Association
of Women Lawyers. She also is on the Salt
Creek Ballet board of directors.
Biggert is a former law clerk to Judge
Luther M. Swygert of the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Seventh District. She sees
property tax relief and maintaining quality
education as the most pressing issues in her
district. Among the matters she feels must be
addressed are school funding, balancing the
budget and downsizing government. She is
married and has four children.
|
Robert A. "Bob"
Biggins (R-78, Elmhurst), 46, is executive
vice president of Property Assessment Advisors Inc., which he
helped form in 1981. He
received a bachelor of
arts degree in education
from Northeastern Illinois University in 1969.
He is a former teacher and was elected
Addison Township Assessor in 1973, serving until 1977. He is past president of the DuPage County Assessors Association, Elmhurst Gardens Homeowners Association and
Edison School PTA in Elmhurst. He is a
certified member of the Institute of Property
Taxation and a former member of the Elmhurst Board of Local Improvements. In 1990,
he received the International Association of
Assessing Officers award.
|
|
Biggins says the most pressing issue in his
district is revising the school aid formula to
allow suburbs to receive a higher percentage
of state dollars, thereby decreasing their reliance on local property taxes. He also believes
a site should be decided upon for a third
airport in the Chicago metropolitan area. He
opposes unfunded state mandates because
"they force local governments to dig deeper
into the taxpayers' property tax pockets."
Biggins is married and has two children.
|
A 1979 graduate of
Northwestern University and Pepperdine University Law School, Rod
R. Blagojevich (D-33,
Chicago) has served as
a Cook County assistant state's attorney and
now is in private practice. He is a Golden
Gloves boxer and was
on the Foreman High School basketball
team. He is married and has no children.
|
William Brady (R-88, Bloomington) is
president of Decade 200 Mortgage Services
Inc. He is founder/president and operating
officer of Apex Properties Inc., Brady &
Sopper Better Homes and Gardens and
Brady Property Management. He is co-founder and secretary of
Brady and Associates
Construction and Development.
Brady also serves as
director of the Bloomington-Normal Association of Realtors. He is a
vice president of the
Central Catholic High School Foundation
Board, director of McLean County Young
Republicans, board member of a local
YMCA, co-chairman of area United Way
fundraising efforts and a member of the
McLean County Republican Central Committee.
|
|
The primary concerns of his district, Brady
says, are equitable funding for Illinois State
University, adequate and equitable funding
for secondary and primary education, jobs
and fiscal responsibility. He also believes that
reducing the cost of incarcerated inmates and
welfare reform are two major issues the
General Assembly must face in the future.
|
Verna L. Clayton (R-51, Buffalo Grove), 55,
served as president of
the village of Buffalo
Grove from 1979-1991.
She also was village
clerk (1971-1979) and
office manager (1972-1978). She was chair of
the Council of Mayors
for the Chicago Area
Transportation Study, chair of the National
|
February 1993/Illinois Issues/17
League of Cities' transportation committee,
president of the Illinois Municipal League
and a member of Gov. Jim Edgar's transition
team. She is married and has two children.
Clayton says a pressing issue in her district is the completion of commuter transportation on the Soo Line Railroad. "Obviously
it would be a Metra project," she said, "but
with funding authorization through the
state." She also feels the state must develop
and implement a new state aid distribution
formula for education that is fair and equitable to suburban districts.
|
Tom Cross (R-84,
Oswego) has been Kendall County assistant
state's attorney for the past eight years. He is chairman of the Kendall County Foundation and the Kendall County Mental Health Board. He serves on the Yorkville Chamber of Commerce board of directors and the Oswego Lions Club and Fox Valley YMCA board of directors. He is a member of the Oswego Chamber of Commerce, Kendall County Farm Bureau and the Church of Good Shepard United Methodist Church.
Cross says school funding and property tax relief are the most pressing issues in his district. He also wants to address the increasing problem of gangs in southeast Aurora and elsewhere in the district. He feels all of these issues require action by the General Assembly. Cross is married.
|
A former staff attorney for the Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee, Thomas J. Dart (D-28, Chicago) enters the
House after serving
briefly as a state senator
in the last General Assembly to fill out the
term of Sen. Jeremiah
Joyce in District 14.
Dart holds a B.A. degree in history/general social studies from Providence College in
Providence, R.I., and a law degree from
Loyola University. He also worked on Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan's
legislative review and issues staff during two
sessions of the General Assembly. He is a
former staff member for U.S. Sen. Clayborn
Pell and was a Cook County assistant state's
attorney from 1987 to 1991.
|
|
|
Judy Erwin (D-11, Chicago), 42, served
as senior staff director for the Illinois Senate
and former Senate President Philip J. Rock.
She has served as a delegate or delegation
whip during the last three Democratic national conventions. A former public school
teacher, she holds a B.S.
degree from the University of Wisconsin and a
master's degree from
the National College of
Education in Evanston.
She also attended the
Senior Executives in
State and Local Government Program at
Harvard University's
Kennedy School of Government. She is a
member of Gov. Edgar's Human Resources
Task Force.
Erwin says her top priorities include the
improvement of Illinois' public education system and reform of the property tax system in
Cook County. "The way the property tax is
assessed is very convoluted; it's not consumer-friendly," she says. She also stresses
the importance of "protecting and enhancing
a woman's right to choose abortion" and
strengthening programs that provide early
intervention into needy children's lives.
|
|
Rafael "Ray" Frias
(D-l, Chicago), 32,
earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice
from the University of
Illinois at Chicago. He is
employed by the Chicago Police Department,
and he has received
more than 30 commendations for bravery and
good preformance on the force. He is co-founder of the community organization
UNITE (United Neighbors Improving the Environment). He wrote and lobbied for HB
3144, which authorizes police to confiscate
cars used in drive-by shootings. Frias' current
concerns are crime, education, jobs and
health care.
|
Lauren Beth Gash
(D-60, Highland Park) is
an active volunteer with
the Villa St. Cyril Nursing Home, the Prairie
State Legal Services, the
Conservation Society, the
League of Women Voters and the Committee
for Interdistrict Cooperation. She has a bachelor's
degree in psychology from Clark University
and a J.D. degree from Georgetown University,
where she was associate editor of the American
Criminal Law Review. She is a board member
of the PTA, a member of the League of
Women Voter's statewide school funding committee, the Illinois Bar Association and the
Highland Park Conservation Society. She has
also worked as a projects director for former
Sen. Alan J. Dixon in Washington, and was an aide to U.S. Sen. Paul Simon and state Rep.
Grace Mary Stern.
|
|
Gash strongly supports local control of
schools and top quality educational opportunities. She supports raising foundation levels
for the poorest districts, but would oppose any
change that would reduce funding disparities
by leveling down districts that commit more
revenue to education. She has a strong interest in issues such as health care, protecting
the environment and attracting and retaining
business in Illinois. She is married and has
two children.
|
Barbara A. Giolitto
(R-68, Rockford) is an
insurance agent for Pioneer Life and a sales
representative for Chicago Food Brokerage
Company. She also is
self-employed with Environmental Concepts,
an organization concerned with air and
water purification. She currently is serving
her second term as a Democratic precinct
committee person and deputy registrar. She is
a state board member of the American Association of University Women and vice president of the local chapter of the National
Association for Women in Careers. Giolitto
also is a member of the Rockford Coalition
for Reproductive Choice, Women in Democratic Politics and the League of Women
Voters. She is a graduate of Rockford College
and holds a bachelor of science degree in
sociology and psychology.
|
Giolitto feels the most important issue in
her district is addressing the problem of equitable funding of education. It is also important that the funds for education are spent to
give the students of Illinois the best possible
education for the dollar. She also feels the
state of Illinois must find a long-term solution
to the gap in the Medicare budget. She
believes that elected representatives must
start listening to what their consituents' wants
and needs are rather than just doing what
they believe is right.
Brent Hassert (R-83,
Lemont), 39, is the
owner of Hassert Landscaping. He has served
four years as a Will
County Board commissioner. He was a member of the Illinois task
force for solid waste legislation in 1988, which
helped spur the adoption
of the Solid Waste Planning and Recycling
Act (PA 85-1198). Hassert was one of 25
elected officials selected nationally to serve
on the federal Environmental Protection
|
|
18/February 1993/Illinois Issues
Agency panel in Washington, D.C. He is
married and has two children.
|
Gerald Hawkins (D-115, DuQuoin), 49, is a
coal miner and has been
legislative liaison for the
United Mine Workers of
America for the past 18
years. He is chairperson
of the Perry County
Mental Health Board,
director of the DuQuoin
State Bank and a member of the governor's task force on coal,
which helped press passage of legislation
important for the coal industry.
Hawkins says economic development, including maintaining Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and protection of coal
industry jobs, are among his highest priorities.
He also sees a need for improving the state's
education and health care systems. As a
lawmaker, he hopes to help get the state's
budget "in order" and find ways to increase
funding for education and human services.
He is married and has two children.
|
Douglas L. Hoeft (R-66, Elgin) is the Kane
County regional superintendent of schools. A
former coal miner, he
also previously taught at
Elgin High School and
at National College. He
earned a doctorate degree in school administration from Northern Illinois University.
On the state level, Hoeft was president of
the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents for two years and a member of the
Department of Children and Family Services
citizen advisory board. On the local government level, he has served on Kane County's
Private Industry Council, regional solid waste
planning committee, DUI task force and
criminal justice committee. He is vice president of the Elgin Well Child Conference,
secretary of the Elgin Family Service Association and chairman of the human services
committee of Elgin Community College. He
is married and has two children.
|
|
|
Ann Hughes (R-63,
Woodstock) is secretary/treasurer of her
family's seed corn business. She is a member of
the McHenry County
Board and secretary of
the Illinois Farm Development Authority. She is
a former member of the
Woodstock Community
Unit District 200 School Board, and she holds
a bachelor's degree in biology.
Hughes says school funding and property
tax relief are major concerns of the 63rd
District's residents. In addition, rapid growth
has created the need for transportation infrastructure improvements. She also feels that
spending must be brought in line with revenues, and that health care costs in general
and Medicaid in particular must be reduced.
"The Medicaid system reform must address
streamlining processing and imposition of
managed care," she says. She is married and
has three sons.
|
Thomas L. Johnson
(R-50, West Chicago),
47, is an attorney with
Johnson, Westra,
Broecker, Whittaker &
Newitt, P.C., in Carol
Stream. He has served as
prosecuting attorney
and full-time investigator for the DuPage
County state's attorney's
office. He holds a B.A. in general studies from
the University of Michigan and a law degree
from DePaul University School of Law.
A former precinct committeeman for Winfield Township, Johnson also served as vice
chairman for the Winfield Township Republican Committee. He is a member of the
DuPage County Bar Association, the Illinois
State Bar Association and the Christian Legal
Society. He is a U.S. Army veteran of the
Vietnam War and member of the American
Legion, Illinois Citizens for Life in Downers
Grove and the West Chicago Bible Church.
He is married and has three children.
|
|
|
A former general attorney for the Chicago
Park District, Nancy
Kaszak (D-34, Chicago)
has taught at Illinois
Benedictine College and
has worked on the Illinois House Democratic
staff as a legislative analyst. She has served on
the City Landmarks
Commission and as president of the Landmarks Preservation Council and vice president of the Chicago Council of Lawyers. In
1986 she was selected one of the 25 emerging leaders in the Chicago metropolitan area.
She is married and has one child.
Kaszak says the most pressing issues in her
district are economic development, housing,
assuring a woman's right to choose abortion
and expanding human rights statutes to cover
sexual orientation.
|
As for issues the General Assembly should
address in the future, she would like to see
comprehensive amendments to both the state
Purchasing Act and state Personnel Code and
joint labor management councils to improve
the quality of state services.
Joseph S. Kotlarz Jr.
(D-20, Chicago) earned
his bachelor's degree
from DePaul University
and a J.D. from John
Marshall Law School.
He was a 35th Ward
alderman and Democratic committeeman.
While on the Chicago
City Council he chaired
the claims and liabilities committee and
served on the aviation and buildings committee. He also was appointed to the policy
committee of the Democratic National Committee. He is a member of the Chicago and
Illinois bar associations, the Lions Club and
the Polish National Alliance.
|
|
|
Carolyn H. Krause
(R-56, Mount Prospect)
is an attorney with Foss,
Schuman and Drake in
Chicago. She served as
mayor of the village of
Mount Prospect from
1977-1989 and was director of the Illinois
Criminal Justice Authority from 1985 to
1987. She holds a B.A. from the University of
Wisconsin at Madison and a law degree from
the IIT-Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is
a former member of the Mount Prospect
zoning board of appeals and local government finance study commission.
Krause says voters in her district want to
see the state operate on a sound fiscal basis
with two-year budget planning. She says
other issues such as Medicaid financing, educational funding and health care also require
action by the General Assembly.
|
A former township
supervisor and Jo Daviess County Board
member, I. Ronald
Lawfer (D-74, Stockton) has served on the
Northwestern Illinois
Community Action
Agency Board, the Jo
Daviess Farm Bureau
Board and the Agricultural Extension Council. He is a graduate of
the University of Illinois and a veteran of the
Korean War. Currently he owns and operates
a beef and grain farm, and he is a director at
Kent Bank. He is married and has five children.
|
|
Patricia Reid Lindner (R-65, Aurora), 52,
is an attorney with Patricia Reid Lindner Law
Offices. After receiving a bachelor's degree in
speech, she earned a master's degree in politi-
February 1993/Illinois Issues/19
|
cal science from the
University of Colorado
and a law degree from
Northern Illinois University. She is the precinct committeewoman
of Sugar Grove Township No. 3 and a member of the Aurora Republican Women's
Club. She is a member
of the Kane County Bar Association, the
Illinois State Bar Association and the Kane
County Family Law Committee. She also is
on the board of directors of the Aurora
Foundation, the Gary Wheaton Bank of Fox
Valley and the local YMCA. She is married
and has four children.
|
Edgar Lopez (D-4,
Chicago), a graduate of
Andrews University, is
administrative assistant
of the Cook County
Board of (Tax) Appeals.
James H. "Jim"
Meyer (R-82, Bolingbrook) is deputy mayor
and village trustee of
Bolingbrook and serves
on the board of the Bolingbrook Local Development Corporation.
He is a member of U.S.
Rep. Harris Fawell's
science and technology
advisory committee and is a former vice
president of the northern Illinois chapter of
the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He received
a B.A. in political science and history from
Upper Iowa University and is an Air Force
veteran of the Vietnam War. He also belongs to the Chamber of Commerce, Jaycees, VietNow, American Legion and the
Veterans of Foreign Wars.
|
|
|
Donald L. Moffitt
(R-94, Gilson) is a
farmer and serves as
Knox County treasurer.
He is a graduate of the
University of Illinois
and is former mayor of
Oneida. He is a member
of the Carver Community Action Agency
Board, the Lions Club,
Knoxville Methodist Church's administrative board and past member of Oneida
Masonic Lodge. He is married and has three
children.
|
Andrea S. Moore (R-61, Libertyville) serves
as president of the Lake
County Forest Preserves. She also has
served as Lake County
Board Commissioner
for District 5 and as a
member of the Illinois
Supreme Court advisory
committee and the governor's Martin Luther King Holiday Commission.
Moore is a founding member of the David
Alder Cultural Center of Libertyville and
recently completed a term on its board of
directors. She serves on the board of directors
for Condell Medical School of Libertyville.
She received the Lake County YWCA's 1991
Woman of Achievement Award. She is married and has three children.
|
|
|
Eugene "Gene"
Moore (D-7, Maywood)
is senior account executive with Metropolitan
Life. He is a trustee on
the Proviso Township
Board, executive board
member of the Community Economic Development Association of
Cook County and member of the Affirmative Action Committee in
the 7th Congressional District. He also is
Democratic coordinator for the village of
Maywood.
Moore attended Crane Junior College in
Chicago and Otero College in La Junta, Colo.
A member of the AFL-CIO, he is a steward
for Local 881. He is also a member of the
National Association for Life Underwriters
(Chicago branch). He is married and has two
children.
|
Vickie Moseley (D-99, Springfield) is co-owner of Moseley and
Associates, which does
financial and legislative
consulting for educational facilities and
agencies working with
persons who are disabled. She earned a
bachelor's degree in political science from Blackburn College in
Carlinville.
Moseley is the former director of state
relations for the Illinois State Scholarship
Commission and was a lobbyist for several
organizations, including the Federation of
Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities, the American Association of University
Professors of Illinois and the Illinois News
Broadcasters Association. She is married and has five children.
|
|
|
Rosemary Mulligan
(R-55, Des Plaines) was
formerly with Miller,
Forest & Downing Ltd.,
Greenview, and currently is an independent
contractor in municipal
law. She also is a paralegal seminar educator at Harper College.
She received her bachelor's degree from Illinois State University
and attended the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education. She is a member of
the Illinois Federation of Business and Professional Women, the American Planning
Association, the Illinois Paralegal Association and the National Women's Political
Caucus.
Mulligan sees the need for jobs and an
improved economy as top priorities in her
district. She also says health care, the Medicaid funding shortfall and property tax reform are equally important.
|
She believes that "educational reform is
particularly important to the future of our
state."
Harold Murphy (D-30, Markham) is proprietor of King's Lake
Resort, a small fishing
and weekend resort in
Indiana. He was supervising manager of the
Charles Chew Facility
of the secretary of
state's office for seven
years and a Markham
alderman for four years. For the past five
years he has been a member of the board of
trustees of South Suburban College and
served as chairman of the college's legislative committee. He also is a member of the
Christ Temple Baptist Church in Markham.
He is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois
University and is married with three children.
|
|
|
Maureen Murphy
(R-36, Evergreen Park)
is vice president and a
broker-associate with
R.B. Konie & Co. Realtors. She attended Moraine Valley Community College and is a
licensed real estate broker and salesman. She
is a member of the
Southwest Suburban Board of Realtors,
founder of Women for a Better Government
and past president of the Oak Lawn Business and Professional Women's Organization. She is married and has four children.
|
20/February 1993/Illinois Issues
|
John A. Ostenburg
(D-80, Park Forest) is
director of university relations at Governors
State University and a
board member of the
Park Forest Area B
housing cooperative. He
has a B.A. from Loyola
University, and he has
been a trustee of the village of Park Forest. He was a reporter and
copy editor for the Illinois State Journal in
Springfield and the Joliet Herald-News. He
also was part owner and managing editor of
the Lockport Free Press. He is a member of the
Illinois Advisory Council on Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse, the Illinois Community Relations Council, the Park Forest Rotary Club
and the Illinois Press Association.
|
Ostenburg says Illinois must find a different way to fund elementary, secondary and
community college institutions in his district,
possibly by placing less dependence on the
local property tax and more on the state
income tax. He also feels that job creation
and job protection both are important. He
believes the General Assembly must address
environmental and social services issues. "It is
time to turn Illinois government upside down
and to make opportunities for entrepreneurial
activities available to those at the service-delivery levels," he said. He is married and
has three children.
Carole Pankau (R-49, Roselle), 45, has
been a DuPage County
Board member since
1984 and also has
served as Bloomingdale
Township Republican
precinct committeeman
for 11 years and Kenneyville School District
20 board member for
eight years. She also is a member of the
Roselle, Bloomingdale and Hanover Park
chambers of commerce. She holds a B.S. in
accounting from the University of Illinois and
is married with three children.
|
|
|
Laurel Lunt Prussing
(D-103, Urbana) is a
former auditor for
Champaign County and
member of the Champaign County Board.
She was a research
economist for the University of Illinois from
1970-1972 and the author of "Downstate
County Government." She received her
bachelor's degree in economics from Wellesley College, her master's in economics from
Boston University and is a Ph.D. candidate in economics (public finance) at Cambridge
University in Massachusetts.
Prussing is former president of the Illinois
Association of County Auditors. She is a
former member of the Illinois comptroller's
local government audit advisory committee
and committee on accounting, auditing and
financial reporting. She belongs to the Government Finance Officers Association of the
United States and Canada, and she is a
charter member of the National Association
of Local Government Auditors. She is married and has three children.
|
|
Coy Pugh (D-10,
Chicago), 40, is founder
and executive director of
the Westside Small
Business Development
Corporation. He earned
a bachelor's degree in
urban studies from
Northeastern Univeristy.
He is married and has
two children.
|
Carol Ronen (D-17,
Chicago) is assistant
commissioner of the
Chicago Department of
Housing, and she was
assistant commissioner
of the Chicago planning
department in 1991. She
was executive director
of the Chicago Commission on Women
(1989-1990) and legislative and community
affairs director of the Chicago Department of
Human Services (1985-1989). She earned a
bachelor's degree in political science from
Bradley University and a master's degree in
public administration from Roosevelt University. She is former president of the Illinois task
force on child support and a board member of
the Illinois Women's Agenda.
|
|
|
Peter Roskam (R-40,
Wheaton), 30, is executive director of Educational Assistance Ltd.,
and he has served as a
legislative assistant for
two Republican U.S.
congressmen, Henry
Hyde of Illinois and
Tom DeLay of Texas.
He is a trustee of Judson
College in Elgin and a member of the Greater
Wheaton Chamber of Commerce, the Milton
Township Republican Committeemen's Organization and the Glen Ellyn Evangelical
Covenant Church. He earned an undergraduate degree in political science/history from
the University of Illinois and a law degree
from IIT-Chicago-Kent College of Law. He
is married and has one child.
|
Dan Rutherford (R-87, Pontiac) is vice president of the International
Service Master Company in Downers Grove.
Previously he was CEO
of the U.S./Japan Corporation, president of
Rutherford and Associates and manager of
the Illinois Department
of Commerce and Community Affairs' international business division. He graduated from
Illinois State University in 1978, where he
was president of the student association. He is
a member of the Livingston County Farm
Bureau, Illinois Corn Growers Association,
Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity Alumni Board
and the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce.
Rutherford was selected by the Chicago
Tribune as one of the "People to Watch" in
1986. He believes job creation opportunities
and laws and regulations that make it easier
to operate a small business are the most
pressing issues in his district. He feels that
equitable education funding and health care
issues are important matters that require action by the General Assembly.
|
|
|
Al Salvi (R-52, Libertyville), 32, is a partner
in the law firm of Albert
J. Salvi and Associates
and was Lake County
Republican committeeman from 1987 to 1992.
He holds a degree in
government from the
University of Notre
Dame and a law degree
from the University of Illinois. He was a
Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in
Illinois' 19th District in 1986. Salvi is married
and has two children.
He says the most pressing issues in his
district are education and reducing property
taxes.
|
Angelo "Skip" Saviano (R-77, Elmwood
Park) is the supervisor
of Leyden Township
and the former owner
and operator of a paralegal service in Chicago. He received a bachelor's degree from
DePaul University, is on
the board of the West
Cook County Solid Waste Agency, co-founded the Elmwood Park Civic Foundation, and is co-chairman of the Elmwood
Park Fourth of July Committee. He received
the 1990 David Award from the Italo-American National Union.
|
|
February 1993/Illinois Issues/21
Saviano says the most pressing issue in his
district is the General Assembly's need to find
ways to increase funding for education while
at the same time enacting meaningful property tax relief. He also says the state needs to
find ways to promote economic development
statewide to lure needed jobs and tax revenues. He also believes the state needs to
continue to search for ways to cut any "fat"
from its operating budget.
|
John R. Sheehy (D-37, Tinley Park) is a
business owner and licensed funeral director.
He is a member of the
Knights of Columbus
and serves on the board
of the Olympia Fields
South Suburban Hospice. He is a U.S. Army
veteran of the Vietnam
War. Sheehy says the most pressing issues
facing his district are property tax relief and
improving the school funding formula. He
also feels the General Assembly must take
action to improve the availability of health
care and lure jobs to the state.
|
|
Todd H. Stroger (D-31, Chicago) is administrative assistant for the
Chicago Park District.
He has been a jury supervisor for the Cook
County Jury Commission and a statistician in
the office of the chief
judge of the Cook
County Circuit Court.
He is a member of the 8th Ward Democratic
organization, where he serves on the executive committee. Stroger is second vice president of the Young Democrats of Illinois. He
has a B.A. in history from Xavier University
of Louisiana and has done graduate computer
study at DePaul University.
|
Pennie L. von Bergen
Wessels (D-73, Sterling)
is a lawyer, former
teacher and former
Whiteside County
Board Member. She was
the local director of the
Citizens Utility Board.
Her priorities include
education, health care,
senior citizen interests,
agriculture and other concerns of her constituents. She believes the most pressing issues in
her district are equitable funding of education
and health care reform.
|
|
|
Thomas J. Walsh (R-44, LaGrange Park)
is the public relations manager for Binks
Manufacturing and Proviso Township Republican committeman. A licensed real estate
salesperson and a member of the Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago, he
is a graduate of Loras
College in Dubuque,
Iowa. Walsh also served
as a commissioner of the
Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago from
1988 to 1990.
Walsh says a chief concern of his district,
which encompasses portions of DuPage and
Cook counties, is property tax relief. "In
DuPage they have a property tax cap, and I
think people are probably interested in not
losing the ground they've gained with that
cap. In Cook, they'd probably like to see
some kind of property tax cap enacted," he
says. Walsh stressed that he'd like to see such
a measure accomplished without increasing
the state income tax.
|
Walsh also plans to make education, mental health issues and economic improvement
top priorities. "I think the state has to do
everything it can to attract businesses and
jobs," he says. "We've got to look at the
unemployment compensation insurance rate
and the workman's compensation rate and
make those more competitive with other
states' rates."
David A. Wirsing (R-70, Sycamore) manages
a grain and hog finishing
farm, and was recently
reelected to his second
term on the Sycamore
School Board. He serves
on the DeKalb Area
Pork Producers board,
of which he is a former
president, and was elected to the Illinois Pork Producers' executive
board. He was a member of the Northern FS
Inc. board and served on the finance committee of the United Methodist Church of Sycamore. He is a member of the local Toast
Masters Club, the DeKalb Farm Bureau,
Western Illinois University's swine research
committee and the Coon Creek Drainage
District Commission. He is married and has
four children.
|
|
3 former House members
returning
Cal Skinner Jr.
(R-64, Crystal
Lake)
|
Ron Stephens
(R-110, Troy)
|
Anne Zickus
(R-48, Palos Hills)
|
2 members appointed to the
87th General Assembly and
elected to the 88th
Bill W. Balthis
(R-79, Lansing)
|
Frank J. Mautino
(D-76,Spring
Valley)
|
Vital statistics, 88th Illinois General Assembly |
House of Representatives
67 Democrats, 51 Republicans
Women: 30
Men: 88
Newly elected members: 47
Whites: 102
African Americans: 12
Hispanics: 4
|
Senate
32 Republicans, 27 Democrats
Women: 11
Men: 48
Newly elected members: 22
Whites: 49
African Americans: 8
Hispanics: 2
|
|
22/February 1993/Illinois Issues
All 118 House members,
88th General Assembly
(with political party, district and home town)
44 brand-new lawmakers in the House
Judy Biggert (R-81, Hinsdale)
Robert A. "Bob" Biggins (R-78, Elmhurst)
Rod R. Blagojevich (D-33, Chicago)
William E. Brady (R-88, Bloomington)
Verna L. Clayton (R-51, Buffalo Grove)
Tom Cross (R-84, Oswego)
Thomas J. Dart (D-28, Chicago)
Judy Erwin (D-11, Chicago)
Rafael "Ray" Frias (D-l, Chicago)
Lauren Beth Gash (D-60, Highland Park)
Barbara A. Giolitto (D-68, Rockford)
Brent Hassert (R-83, Lemont)
Gerald Hawkins (D-115, DuQuoin)
Douglas L. Hoeft (R-66, Elgin)
Ann Hughes (R-63, Woodstock)
Thomas L. Johnson (R-50, West Chicago)
Nancy Kaszak (D-34, Chicago)
Joseph S. Kotlarz Jr. (D-20, Chicago)
Carolyn H. Krause (R-56, Mt. Prospect)
I. Ronald Lawfer (R-74, Stockton)
Patricia Reid Lindner (R-65, Aurora)
Edgar Lopez (D-4, Chicago)
James H. Meyer (R-82, Bolingbrook)
Donald L. Moffitt (R-94, Gilson)
Andrea S. Moore (R-61, Libertyville)
Eugene Moore (D-7, Maywood)
Vickie Moseley (D-99, Springfield)
Rosemary Mulligan (R-5 5, Des Plaines)
Harold Murphy (D-30, Markham)
Maureen Murphy (R-36, Evergreen Park)
John A. Ostenburg (D-80, Park Forest)
Carole Pankau (R-49, Roselle)
Laurel Lunt Prussing (D-l 03, Urbana)
Coy Pugh (D-10, Chicago)
Carol Ronen (D-17, Chicago)
Peter Roskam (R-40, Wheaton)
Dan Rutherford (R-87, Pontiac)
Al Salvi (R-52, Libertyville)
Angelo "Skip" Saviano
(R-77, Elmwood Park)
John R. Sheeny (D-37, Tinley Park)
Todd H. Stroger (D-31, Chicago)
Pennie L. von Bergen Wessels
(D-73, Sterling)
|
Thomas J. Walsh (R-44, LaGrange Park)
David A. Wirsing (R-70, Sycamore)
3 former House members returning
Cal Skinner Jr. (R-64, Crystal Lake)
Ron Stephens (R-l 10, Troy)
Anne Zickus (R-48, Palos Hills)
2 members appointed to the
87th General Assembly and
elected to the 88th
Bill W. Balthis (R-79, Lansing)
Frank J. Mautino (D-76, Spring Valley)
69 House incumbents reelected
to the 88th General Assembly
Jay Ackerman (R-89, Morton)
Clem Balanofi (D-32, Chicago)
William B. Black (R-105, DanviUe)
Joel D. Brunsvold (D-72, Milan)
Robert J. Bugielski (D-l 9, Chicago)
Daniel J. Burke (D-23, Chicago)
Ralph C. Capparelli (D-l 3, Chicago)
Robert W. Churchill (R-62, Lake Villa)
Mary Lou Cowlishaw (R-41, Naperville)
Michael Curran (D-100, Springfield)
Barbara Flynn Currie (D-25, Chicago)
Lee A. Daniels (R-46, Elmhurst)
Monique D. Davis (D-27, Chicago)
Terry W. Deering (D-l 16, DuBois)
M. "Bob" DeJaegher (D-71, Silvis)
Suzanne L. Deuchler (R-42, Aurora)
John F. Dunn (D-l 01, Decatur)
Bill Ediey (D-95, Macomb)
Mary E. Flowers (D-21, Chicago)
Virginia Fiester Frederick
(R-59, Lake Forest)
Monroe L. Flinn (D-113, Cahokia)
Frank Giglio (D-29, Calumet City)
E.J. "Zeke" Giorgi (D-67, Rockford)
Kurt M. Granberg (D-l 09, Carlyle)
Gary Hannig (D-98, Benid)
Charles A. "Chuck" Hartke
(D-108, Teutopolis)
|
Larry W. Hicks (D-l 07, Mount Vemon)
Jay C. Hoffman (D-l 12, Collinsville)
Thomas J. Homer (D-91, Canton)
Timothy V. "Tim" Johnson (R-l 04, Urbana)
Lovana S. "Lou" Jones (D-5, Chicago)
Shirley M. Jones (D-6, Chicago)
Jack L. Kubik (R-43, Forest Park)
Louis I. Lang (D-16, Chicago)
William J. Laurino (D-l 5, Chicago)
Robert LeFlore Jr. (D-8, Chicago)
David R. Leitch (R-93, Peoria)
Ellis B. Levin (D-l 2, Chicago)
Michael J. Madigan (D-22, Chicago)
Benjamin A."Ben"Martinez (D-2, Chicago)
David B. McAfee (D-47, Indian Head Park)
Roger P. McAuliffe (R-l 4, Chicago)
John C. "Jack" McGuire (D-86, Joliet)
Jim McPike (D-l 11, Alton)
Charles G. Morrow III (D-26, Chicago)
N. Duane Noland (R-l 02, Blue Mound)
John "Phil" Novak (D-85, Bradley)
Robert F. Olson (R-90, Broadwell)
Terry R. Parke (R-53, Hoffman Estates)
Margaret R. Parcells (R-57, Norihfield)
Bernard E. Pedersen (R-54, Palatine)
Vincent A. Persico (R-39, Glen Ellyn)
James W. Phelan (D-24, Chicago)
David D. Phelps (D-118, Eldorado)
Michael V. Rotello (D-69, Rockford)
Tom Ryder (R-97, JerseyviUe)
Donald L. Saltsman (D-92, Peoria)
Miguel A. Santiago (D-3, Chicago)
Janice D. "Jan" Schakowsky
(D-18,Evanston)
Jeffrey M. Schoenberg (D-58, Skokie)
Terry A. Steczo (D-35, Oak Forest)
Art Tenhouse (R-96, Liberty)
Arthur L. Turner (D-9, Chicago)
Michael"Mike"Weaver (R-106, Ashmore)
Gerald C. "Jerry" Weller (R-75, Morris)
Larry Wennlund (R-38, New Lenox)
Kathleen L. "Kay" Wojcik
(R-45, Schaumburg)
Larry Woolard (D-l 17, Carterville)
Wyvetter H. Younge (D-114, East St. Louis)
|
February 1993/Illinois Issues/23
|