Illinois Senate, 27th District candidate Bill Robertson answered Shaw Local’s election questionnaire for the Illinois Senate primary election.
Voting ends for the primary election on the evening of June 28.
Full Name: Bill Robertson
What office are you seeking? Illinois State Senate, 27th District
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Board President and Board Member of Township High School District 211; Village of Palatine Zoning Board of Appeals.
City: Palatine
Occupation: Former Superintendent of Schools
Education: Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (minor in Management), Western Illinois University; Master of Arts in Teaching, Rockford University; Master of Arts in School Leadership, Concordia University Chicago; Doctor of Education in School Leadership, Concordia University Chicago
Campaign Website: ElectRobertson.com
What are the top issues facing your district and what would you like to do to address those issues?
I’m tired of the lack of productivity and the street theater in Springfield. Citizens have lost faith in their state government after watching politicians lie instead of advocating for the people. Families and small businesses see their tax bills go up and that money wasted by a government that is ineffective and inefficient. We’re facing real problems, yet the people we’ve elected are doing nothing to help us.
I will get things done for Illinoisans.
I will respect your hard-earned tax dollars. Illinoisans pay among the highest taxes in the nation, including the 2nd highest property taxes and 2nd highest gas taxes. Add on top of that record inflation and a weak state economy, and Illinois families are struggling to make ends meet. I will work to make government more efficient, finding some early wins for taxpayers while collaborating on long-term solutions to our more systemic problems.
I will protect local control of education. Decisions in each school district should be made by the parents, students, and local leaders in those communities, not bureaucrats in Springfield or Washington. While the state needs to do more to support education, we must reduce mandates because there is no one-size-fitsall solution to education—every district is different. We need to be sure we’re providing educational opportunities for all our children by investing our available resources into classrooms where they can provide the most value to students, their parents, and the community as a whole.
And I will make our communities safer. We’re seeing carjackings, retail thefts, gang violence, and murders throughout Cook County. Criminals aren’t being prosecuted, police are scared to do their jobs, and politicians are making things worse instead of working to keep families safe. It’s time we end catch-and-release policies and hold violent criminals accountable for their crimes.
If COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths rise again, what mitigations, if any, should the state pursue?
Illinois government needs to respond better in the future in terms of our children and education. Decisions in each school district should be made by the parents, students, and local leaders in those communities, not bureaucrats in Springfield or Washington. This was especially evident in previous COVID mitigation efforts, where leaders in many school districts had whiplash from how often we would work with our community to develop a plan, then have to change everything last minute because of a new state directive. We need to protect local control of our education.
As for businesses, if mitigations are needed in the future, they need to be more consistent with common sense. Previously, small businesses were all shut down while big box stores were allowed to stay open. This devastated many of these family businesses, some of which closed and the rest are still recovering today.
In light of Michael Madigan’s indictment, what steps should the legislature take to address corruption and ethics concerns in the state?
While I disagree with the partisan nature by which the new legislative inspector general was appointed, at least this position is finally filled. Now, we need to remove the artificial shackles that hold the inspector general back and give them full power to oversee and investigate the legislature. If you’re doing nothing wrong, you shouldn’t be afraid of oversight.
I would also like to see legislation passed that prohibits legislators from negotiating for employment with lobbying entities while still holding office, legislators and their relatives lobbying other units of government while in office, and legislators from becoming lobbyists after their service for at least 12 months.
If there was one bill that you could get through the legislature next year, what would it be?
I want to find some early wins for our taxpayers that make government more efficient while collaborating on long-term solutions to our more systemic problems. I will work to identify efficiencies in government to start to bring our state budget truly into balance.
If there was one recently passed law you could repeal, what would it be?
The increase to the gas tax, especially while the state double taxes gas. Illinoisans pay among the highest taxes in the nation, including the 2 nd highest property taxes and the 2 nd highest gas taxes. With record inflation and other national factors, our gas prices continue to increase at an unaffordable and unsustainable rate, which these taxes only make worse. Illinois families are struggling to make ends meet, yet we continue to over tax them. I will respect Illinoisans’ hard-earned tax dollars and have us live within our means so we don’t have to continue raising taxes.
Do you support term limits? If yes, why and what would they look like? And if no, why not?
Term limits are baked into the election process. The electorate can simply not re-elect an incumbent if they are not serving or representing the community well enough. If an incumbent is doing great work and wants to remain in the position, the electorate can re-elect that individual, but if not, the electorate can decide not to re-elect, essentially establishing term limits. Having high-quality elected officials who advocate for the people and the right things is the desired goal and our election process allows for that.
Inflation across the country has greatly impacted the price of gasoline, food and other supplies. What should the legislature do to address these issues?
Inflation is a national issue, so there’s little we can do to address this issue directly at the state level. That said, state government can and should stop making things harder for Illinois families struggling under the burden of record inflation and a weak state economy.
That’s what I will do in Springfield. As president of my local school board and a school district superintendent, I have a proven track record of working to bring all sides together to solve problems and move forward. That requires listening, appreciating good ideas no matter where they come from, and finding common ground. Public service shouldn’t be about ego or political games, it should be about getting things done that make people’s lives better.
Taxes are a top concern of Illinois voters. What do you think the underlying issues are and how would you propose addressing them?
Illinoisans pay among the highest taxes in the nation, including the 2nd highest property taxes and 2nd highest gas taxes. It’s time state government respected our hard-earned tax dollars.
It’s clear Illinois has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. We need to live within our means, because people in this state can’t afford any more taxes. As a fiscal conservative, I have delivered balanced budgets while keeping taxes low. I will work to make government more efficient, finding some early wins for taxpayers while collaborating on long-term solutions to our more systemic problems.
What are three things the state legislature could do to promote better fiscal responsibility within state government?
The first thing our state legislature should do is live within our means and stop spending more than we bring in. In my budgets as president of my local school board and a school district superintendent, we utilized zero-based budgeting, building off the funds available to us each year. The state should utilize this approach as much as possible.
The state legislature needs to truly balance the budget, not relying on one-time federal revenues and gimmicks to pretend the budget is balanced.
Finally, the state legislature needs to work to identify efficiencies that start to move us in the right direction, so our citizens start to notice and feel some tangible results.
How would you propose addressing the problems with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services?
The continued systemic failures of DCFS are unacceptable. The department needs a change in leadership, especially after the current director has been found in contempt of court eight times. We need to invest more of our available resources into frontline workers and less into administrators, because caseworkers and investigators are overworked. We also need to prioritize hiring staff, with as much as 21% of the department’s jobs vacant as of last month.
What can be done at a state level to address crime?
Illinoisans have a right to be and feel safe. We need to support, not defund, our law enforcement. It’s time we end catch-and-release policies and hold violent criminals accountable for their crimes. And we have to simultaneously provide resources and support to help rehabilitate these individuals and keep them from becoming career criminals.
We’re seeing carjackings, retail thefts, gang violence, and murders throughout Cook County. Criminals aren’t being prosecuted, police are scared to do their jobs, and politicians are making things worse instead of working to keep families safe. I will fight to make our communities safer.
Did Joe Biden win the 2020 election?
Yes.
What is your position on the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol?
Lawbreakers need to be held accountable for their actions.
Illinois has seen significant revenue growth from marijuana sales and enhanced gambling. Are there other industries the state should consider to grow revenue?
We should focus on making Illinois a more attractive destination for families, college graduates, and businesses. When we attract new residents, and reverse the trend of outward migration, we will enjoy a stronger economy, which means more tax revenue for the state while creating additional opportunities for our residents.