Questionnaire for Candidates for Illinois Governor From WBEZ, Chicago Public Media Please answer these yes/no questions, and at the bottom of the questionnaire, list the name and title of person who filled out the questionnaire. Have candidate sign for verification. Please return this page with answers to Dave McKinney, dmckinney@wbez.org by no later than Monday, September 24, 2018 Do you favor maintaining Illinois’ flat 4.95% income tax rate? YES _X_ NO ____ Do you favor lowering Illinois’ income tax rate to 3%? YES ____ NO _X_ Do you favor increasing the flat tax rate to a level higher than 4.95%? YES ____ NO _X_ Do you favor a graduated state income tax? YES ____ NO _X___ _________If yes, identify the highest tax rate _________If yes, identify the lowest tax rate. _________Identify what is appropriate tax rate for an individual earning $50,000 annually. Do you favor an expansion of the sales tax to include services? YES _X___ NO ____ I would be in favor of a 1.5% consumption tax on goods and services to provide property tax relief to property owners. The money generated by the consumption tax MUST go to this relief program only. Do you favor legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes? YES __X__ NO ____ ________If so, identify the specific tax rate the state should apply to marijuana purchases. Do you favor freezing property taxes for all local taxing units? YES __X__ NO ____ Do you favor expanding casino gambling in Illinois? YES __X__ NO ____ ________If so, where? Local municipalities should have the right to determine if their city should have a casino. I would prefer a single location per county or per home-rule municipality.. Do you favor a casino managed by the City of Chicago? YES ____ NO _X___ Municipal governments should not be involved in private enterprises and certainly ones that are fraught with moral and financial hazards as casinos. Municipal governments should be auditing and enforcing standards at private enterprises, not managing the day to day operations. Do you favor slot machines at O’Hare and Midway Airports? YES __X__ NO ____ It would be tightly controlled by an independent operator with no ties to Chicago government. Do you support requiring health insurance companies to not charge people higher rates if they have a pre-existing condition? YES ____ NO __X__ Do you favor the state licensing gun shops? YES ____ NO __X__ Do you favor banning the sale of bump stocks? YES ____ NO __X__ Do you favor banning the sale of high-capacity ammunition? YES ____ NO __X__ If the federal government strips organizations that receive federal money for abortions, would you support state funding of organizations that provide abortions? YES ____ NO __X__ Should the state admit negligence in its handling of Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks at the Quincy veterans’ home so that the 12 pending Court of Claims lawsuits can be settled? YES _X_ NO ____ Do you favor changing the state constitution, removing the language that state pension benefits cannot be diminished? YES __X__ NO ____ Do you favor additional borrowing to help pay down Illinois’ $129 billion unfunded pension liability? YES ____ NO _X_ Russ Clark, Michael Burns, Krysta Walker, Amanda Parsons - Kash Jackson Policy Team Name, title of person filling out questionnaire _9/23/18_ Date ____________________________________Signature of Candidate Questionnaire for Candidates for Illinois Governor From WBEZ, Chicago Public Media Please answer these yes/no questions, and at the bottom of the questionnaire, list the name and title of person who filled out the questionnaire. Have candidate sign for veri?cation. Please return this page with answers to Dave McKinney, dmckinney@wbez.org by no later than Monday, September 24, 2018 Do you favor maintaining Illinois? flat 4.95% income tax rate? YES Nov Do youyvor lowering Illinois' income tax rate to YES NO Do you favor increasing the ?at tax rate to a level higher than 4.95%? YES NOZ Do you favor a graduated state income tax? YES No If yes, identify the highest tax rate if yes, identify the lowest tax rate. Identify what is appropriate tax rate for an individual earning $50,000 annually. Do you favor an expansion of the sales tax to include services? YES NCAA Do you favor legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes? YES NO If so, identify the specific tax rate the state should apply to marijuana purchases Do you favor freezing property taxes for all local taxing un?s? YES NO Do you favor expanding casino gambling in Illinois? YES NO If so, where? Do you favor a casino managed by the City of Chicago? YES NO 5; Do you favor slot machines at O?Hare and Midway Airports77?: f?lioczzabs Ema rt lime Ream?) F?l?g) Do you support requiring health insurance companies to n_ot_ charge people higher rates if they have a pre-existing condition? YES NO Do you favor the state licensing gun shops? YES NO 7 ?vwzb Do you favor banning the sale of bump stocks? YES NO Do you favor banning the sale of high?capacity ammunition? YES NO If the federal government strips organizations that receive federal money for abortions, would you support state funding of organizations that provide abortions? YES NO ?unk jag $41 515 593? Should the state admit negligence in its handling of Legionnaires? disease outbreaks at the Quincy veterans' home so that the 12 pending Court of Claims lawsuits can be . YES I Void} ("of Lt NO Do you favor changing the state constitution, removing the language that state pension benefits cannot be diminished? YES NO Do you favor additional borrowing to help pay down $129 billion unfunded pension liability? YES NO SQM "2 go Name, title of person ?lling out questionnaire 24 Skip/X Date mmcg?l Signature of Cana?ate Questionnaire for Candidates for Illinois Governor From WBEZ, Chicago Public Media Please answer these yes/no questions, and at the bottom of the questionnaire, list the name and title of person who filled out the questionnaire. Have candidate sign for verification. Please return this page with answers to Dave McKinney, dmckinney@wbez.orq by no later than Monday, September 24, 2018 Do you favor maintaining Illinois' ?at 4.95% income tax rate? YES NO I do not favor an unfair, regressive ?at tax, period. I favor a fair tax where those with higher incomes pay a higher rate, and those in the middle class get a tax break. Do you favor lowering Illinois' income tax rate to YES NO I do not favor an unfair, regressive ?at tax, period. I favor a fair tax where those with higher incomes pay a higher rate, and those in the middle class get a tax break. Do you favor increasing the ?at tax rate to a level higher than 4.95%? YES NO I do not favor an unfair, regressive ?at tax, period. I favor a fair tax where those with higher incomes pay a higher rate, and those in the middle class get a tax break. Do you favor a graduated state income tax? YES X, I favor a fair income tax NO If yes, identify the highest tax rate If yes, identify the lowest tax rate. Identify what is appropriate tax rate for an individual earning $50,000 annually. Illinois needs to replace its regressive ?at income tax with a fair tax, the same type of fair tax that the vast majority of states and the US. government have. It will help us balance the budget and improve funding for our education system. I believe that people like me and Bruce Rauner should pay a higher rate than teachers, ?re?ghters, nurses and childcare workers. 1 will negotiate rates in a bipartisan fashion with the legislature, where we prioritize that those with higher incomes pay a higher rate than those in the middle class. We will also work to lower income taxes on the middle class and those striving to get there, and raise the state's share of education funding. A fair income tax will help us to lower local property taxes by alleviating the dependency on the regressive property tax system as the predominant source of school funding. Do you favor an expansion of the sales tax to include services? YES NO I oppose a sales tax on services. The best way to enhance state revenue is to grow jobs and economic activity, which is an important focus of my campaign and something I have done in my own business and in my active leadership building up the technology startup ecosystem in over the last two decades. Do you favor legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes? YES NO If so, identify the speci?c tax rate the state should apply to marijuana purchases. 1 will work with community stakeholders and policy makers to legalize and decriminalize marijuana, reduce mass incarceration, and reinvest in Illinois communities. I will put in place a framework to license businesses to sell marijuana to consumers for recreational use. placing an emphasis on intentionally including black and brown entrepreneurs in the planning and licensing of new marijuana businesses. New jobs and businesses must be created in the communities that have experienced the most disinvestment under Bruce Rauner. It is also important to learn lessons from other states that have already legalized marijuana. Do you favor freezing property taxes for all local taxing units? YES NO I favor lowering property taxes. Bruce Rauner?s property tax freeze idea would hurt public schools at a time when they need help. We need to fund schools by passing a fair income tax so we can pay for public schools and reduce our dependency on local property taxes. Do you favor expanding casino gambling in Illinois? YES NO If so, where? I am open to new revenue sources like expanding gambling in Illinois. This could attract players from surrounding states in some border locations. I believe that local communities should have input during these discussions and that the state should be mindful of market saturation. Do you favor a casino managed by the City of Chicago? YES NO I am open to new revenue sources like expanding gambling in Illinois. This could attract players from surrounding states in some border locations. I believe that local communities should have input during these discussions and that the state should be mindful of market saturation. Do you favor slot machines at O?Hare and Midway Airports? YES NO I am open to new revenue sources like expanding gambling in Illinois. This could attract players from surrounding states in some border locations. I believe that local communities should have input during these discussions and that the state should be mindful of market saturation. Do you support requiring health insurance companies to charge people higher rates if they have a pre-existing condition? YES NO Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, which is why I favor universal health coverage. The state should do as much as it can to move in that direction as soon as possible, and I?ve put forward a plan that would expand coverage right away at no cost to taxpayers. My plan for a public health insurance option, IllinoisCares, would allow even more Illinoisans to be covered and would give middle class families and small businesses a break on the high cost of health insurance. Bruce Rauner was silent when Donald Trump attempted to take away a million people?s healthcare in our state. And again last month, he vetoed a bill to protect Illinoisans from junk healthcare plans that would allow insurance companies to deny coverage for pre- existing conditions. As governor, I will protect Illinoisans from junk healthcare plans that would allow insurance companies to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions like mental illness and addiction. Do you favor the state licensing gun shops? YES NO As governor, I would support and sign a gun dealer licensing bill to ensure ?rearms are sold in a safe and responsible manner. Bruce Rauner put politics over people by promising yet another callous veto of commonsense, bipartisan gun safety legislation. It?s shameful our failed governor would choose political opportunism over protecting our communities as gun violence continues to devastate communities across Illinois. Do you favor banning the sale of bump stocks? YES NO support banning the sale of bump stocks in Illinois to help prevent mass shootings. Do you favor banning the sale of high-capacity ammunition? YES NO support banning the sale of high capacity magazines in Illinois to help prevent mass shoo?ngs. If the federal government strips organizations that receive federal money for abortions. would you support state funding of organizations that provide abortions? YES NO All women, regardless of income, deserve equitable access to healthcare. That?s why I organized the effort to pressure the governor to sign HB40. As governor, I will always defend against efforts to limit women?s healthcare and reproductive rights. The rights of women to make decisions about their own bodies are not decisions that politicians should make. They?re decisions that should be left to individuals and if they choose, in consultation with their doctors and their families. Should the state admit negligence in its handling of Legionnaires' disease outbreaks at the Quincy veterans' home so that the 12 pending Court of Claims lawsuits can be settled? YES NO Bruce Rauner?s mismanagement of Legionnaires? in Quincy has had serious and sometimes fatal consequences 14 Veterans died, over 60 people got sick, and the state is now facing a dozen lawsuits in the wake of this epidemic. Meanwhile, Bruce Rauner still refuses to accept any responsibility for his failure to protect Veterans, and families continue to suffer from the consequences of his negligence. Then, Bruce Rauner had the indecency to amendatorily veto a bill that would have raised the maximum amount families of Veterans who died at the Quincy Veterans? Home can seek in lawsuits against the state. These families lost loved ones because of Rauner's fatal mismanagement of thevVeterans' home in Quincy. It is unconscionable and a disgrace to our fallen heroes. I hope the legislature overrides this bipartisan bill that this failed governor refused to sign into law. Do you favor changing the state constitution. removing the language that state pension bene?ts cannot be diminished? YES NO Pensions are a promise to teachers, ?re?ghters, nurses and other hard-working men and women, and the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that the state must fund these pensions. Bruce Rauner has spent the last four years trying to break that promise. He has sought to cut pensions and destroy unions instead of bringing people together to grow our economy, pass a balanced budget, and work to solve this problem. Bruce Rauner has also proposed letting Illinois declare bankruptcy, which would destroy the state?s credit rating, cost taxpayers billions in higher interest payments, and undermine the very foundation of our economy. Throughout his term in of?ce, he has been ?ghting against working families. He vetoed a minimum wage increase, closed small business development centers, and halted state infrastructure projects, putting thousands of peOple out of work. Do you favor additional borrowing to help pay down $129 billion unfunded pension liability? YES NO There are a number of plans that have been discussed and debated about the future of our pension system. One proposed plan would step up our pension payments now, allowing the state to level out its future obligations. We also must never again skip pension payments. Unlike Bruce Rauner, I will honor the promises that have been made to the working men and women in Illinois and work with the legislature to address the pension issue, neither of which the current governor has done. 8 3 Name, title of person ?lling out questionnaire 2V6 Date Signature of Candidate