By Patrick Baron
NORMAL – Legislative leaders met on the campus of Illinois State University Thursday morning to answer questions and talk about the 2018 legislative agenda.
State senators Bill Brady and Jason Barickman sat beside state representatives Dan Brady and Keith Sommer, taking questions from the McLean County Chamber of Commerce on a number of topics, ranging from a potential progressive income tax, recreational marijuana, infrastructure, and the population loss the state has seen in recent years.
One sentiment the lawmakers shared dealt with the recent balanced state budget that was passed. Bill Brady hailed the budget crafting process as a bipartisan effort that led to a “good product” and an “economic engine,” but noted lawmakers shouldn’t be given pats on the back for passing a budget, which should be done every year.
“As I look back at how we achieved what we achieved this year, we shouldn’t really be given accolades for passing a budget, first of all,” said Brady. “It’s something that should be done each and every year and it should be done with the least amount of harm and the best benefit to the people of this great state.”
When asked about the possibility of a progressive income tax in the state, Dan Brady said it’s not a positive business tax and could ultimately hurt businesses more than it helps.
“It’s a tax that’s very negative for business, negative to those on the income side of things, and quite frankly we shouldn’t even be talking about that tax. We should be talking about what we’re going to do for business and turn things around in the state of Illinois,” Brady explained.
Concerning the controversial topic of recreational marijuana, Barickman said the legalization of marijuana is likely to happen at the state or federal level in the next few years. He added while he believes it can be a helpful economic tool, there needs to be certain safeguards in place.
“How do we handle minors, at what age? My suggestion being 21, at what age do we regulate minor’s use and prohibit use,” said Barickman. “How do we handle people who drive and use marijuana? Look to the laws we have today for alcohol use.”
The group of lawmakers also answered questions regarding the future of infrastructure in central Illinois. Sommer said the $11 billion budget for infrastructure – which covers a five year period – mostly deals with upkeep that will affect a majority of the population, with a concentration on big projects.
“Most of the money is spent on upkeep this year, particularly Veterans Parkway,” Sommer explained. “The governor’s office, as I understand, the administration is concentrated on projects that will affect most people. Certainly there’s lots of need, but the concentration is on major projects.”
Each lawmaker agreed that measures need to be taken in order to retain Illinois’ population, which has been declining over the course of several years. In particular, they said Illinois students are being “poached” by neighboring states, which can offer incentives specifically for Illinois residents.
Patrick Baron can be reached at [email protected].
