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Full Name: Donald DeWitte
What office are you seeking? Illinois Senate 33rd District
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Republican Precinct Committeeman- 1993- present, Alderman- City of St. Charles- 1993-2005, Mayor- City of St. Charles- 2005-2013, Director- Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) 2013-2018, State Senator 33rd District- 2018- present
City: St. Charles
Occupation: Full Time State Senator
Education: St. Charles High School 1969-1972, Elgin Community College 1972-1974, University of Illinois- Periodic Continuing Education
Campaign Website: dewitteforilsenate.com
What are the top issues facing your district and what would you like to do to address those issues?
Taxes and public safety. I have sponsored legislation in these areas to address the issues:
DeWitte bills seeking tax relief:
Permanently increase the property tax income tax credit from 5% to 10%
Permanently eliminate the 1% sales tax on groceries and prescription drugs/medical devices
Lower the 6.25% sales tax on gas/gasohol to 5.25% for the 2023 fiscal year
Permanently double the additional exemption seniors receive on their Illinois income tax from $1,000 to $2,000
Permanently cap the state sales tax on gasoline at 18 cents per gallon (would not affect road funds and would save consumers between $400 and $950 million depending on how high the price of gas gets)
DeWitte bills that improve public safety:
Requiring a defendant who commits aggravated battery against a police officer to serve at least 85% of their sentence
Holding violent offenders accountable by imposing a mandatory 10-year sentence for a first conviction of a violent crime with a gun and a life sentence for subsequent offenses
Providing grants ($125 million/year) to local governments for the hiring, rehiring, and retention of law enforcement officers; funding for body camera and data storage mandates, and funding for training, and mental health treatment of individuals in county jails
Strengthening gun laws by imposing a 10-year minimum sentence on those who sell or give firearms to convicted felons
Preventing catch-and-release of carjackers, by moving juvenile carjacking offenses to an adult court
Addressing several pre-trial concerns within with 2021 SAFE-T Act including no-cash bail and an inability to hold many violent offenders by repealing the Act and starting with law enforcement at the negotiation table
If COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths rise again, what mitigations, if any, should the state pursue?
First and foremost, we need to enact legislation that requires the Governor to come to the General Assembly before extending any Executive Order or Emergency Declaration beyond 30 days. I am a sponsor of legislation that would make this a requirement. One-man rule that excluded input from 59 Senators who represent the interests of 13 million Illinoisans runs contrary to democracy. I do not oppose mitigations when needed, but the Legislature should have a voice on behalf of their constituents.
In light of Michael Madigan’s indictment, what steps should the legislature take to address corruption and ethics concerns in the state?
Despite the fact that we saw a 22-count indictment against Mike Madigan this year for his conduct while a member of the General Assembly, the Senate Ethics Committee did not meet even one time this year. This is unconscionable. After an extremely watered-down package of reforms was approved last year, Democrats promised it was just the first step, and that more work was needed. Solid ethics reforms were filed this year, but the majority party blocked every ethics bill that sought to improve ethical standards for elected officials and enhance the state’s ability to investigate and indict cases of political corruption.
Today the State must rely on the FBI and IRS to investigate most political corruption crimes. I am a sponsor of legislation that would expand the use of the statewide grand jury to investigate, indict and prosecute bribery, official misconduct, and other public corruption crimes. I also sponsored legislation that would amend the state’s RICO law to extend the use of wiretaps to state’s attorneys to assist with the investigation of crimes of public corruption.
I am also a sponsor of legislation that strengthens and closes loopholes in the “revolving door” policy that prevents legislators from leaving office one day and becoming a lobbyist the next, and a bill that would prohibit legislators from serving simultaneously as a legislator and a lobbyist for an organization that lobbies the General Assembly. Additionally, I am a sponsor of legislation that provides the Legislative Inspector General with better tools to allow for the independent investigation of perceived political wrongdoing and to add transparency to meetings of the Legislative Ethics Commission.
If there was one bill that you could get through the legislature next year, what would it be?
I believe that any bill with bipartisan sponsorship should receive a hearing before a substantive committee, and be brought to the Senate/House floor for a vote. Today the majority party manipulates the flow of legislation so that most Republican bills are never assigned to a committee for a hearing. This is a disservice to the Senators who were elected to act on their constituents’ behalf and shuts out representative government in districts represented by legislators from the minority party.
If there was one recently passed law you could repeal, what would it be?
The SAFE-T Act approved by Democrats in the middle of the night during a lame-duck session of the Legislature has caused record numbers of police officers to leave the profession and puts public safety at risk. Several dangerous aspects of this law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2023 (no cash bail, new standards that will make it difficult to keep many violent offenders off the street), yet there was no interest by the majority party to correct deficiencies within their problematic new law.
Do you support term limits? If yes, why and what would they look like? And if no, why not?
Senate Rules and House Rules have 10-year term limits in place for President of the Senate and Speaker of the House. These rules should be enshrined in the State Constitution to ensure that future manipulation of these rules does not occur. For State Senators and Representatives, I believe the current election process provides ample opportunity for voters to remove legislators they deem to be deficient in their obligations to represent their constituents.
Inflation across the country has greatly impacted the price of gasoline, food and other supplies. What should the legislature do to address these issues?
As stated in a previous question, I have sponsored legislation in both of these areas. One bill would permanently cap the state sales tax for gas at 18 cents per gallon, which has the potential to save consumers up to 16 cents per gallon at the pump and deliver between $400 million and $950 million in savings depending on the ultimate price of gas. Another piece of legislation would permanently eliminate the 1% sales tax on groceries and medical supplies. Instead of embracing permanent taxpayer relief during the 2022 legislative session, Democrats passed half-hearted and temporary tax relief measures that expire in 2023, and in most cases within weeks of the November election.
Taxes are a top concern of Illinois voters. What do you think the underlying issues are and how would you propose addressing them?
Ongoing, one-party rule and irresponsible spending practices have led to a mammoth amount of institutional debt in this state. Illinoisans pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation, and I have always supported efforts to ensure that the state pays its fair share, which would reduce local reliance on property taxes. With regard to other taxes, the majority party embraces tax-and-spend policies. Rather than looking for opportunities to save money and provide Illinoisans with real, sustainable relief, they seem to always be looking for what they can tax next. The FY23 budget is another example of why taxes are always an issue. Republicans put forward several measures to permanently reduce taxes in a lot of different areas. Democrats could have done this, but instead chose temporary election-year gimmicks for relief that expires shortly after the November election.
What are three things the state legislature could do to promote better fiscal responsibility within state government?
1. Proper budgeting begins with having both parties at the negotiation table, so an equal exchange of ideas and priorities can occur. Compromise is key.
2. We must correct the structural problems within the pension system. Every year the state pays out more benefits than it collects in revenue from employee contributions and investments. We must work collaboratively with state employees to alleviate this annual increase in long-term pension debt.
3. The Legislature must work to maintain the current flat-rate income tax, which treats income earners across the state equally and equitably. The Democrats’ attempt to implement a “rich man’s tax,” which would have been anything but since it would eventually hit middle-income earners, made it clear the majority party’s interest was obtaining more and more of taxpayers’ hard-earned income.
How would you propose addressing the problems with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services?
One of the Sate’s most important responsibilities is to take care of the youngest, and most vulnerable among us. DCFS is too large, and tragically, children are falling through the cracks. I support the regionalization of DCFS and believe smaller regions result in better accountability for caseworkers and the youth at risk they serve. I would also support additional training for caseworkers, and incentives to ensure we have an adequate number of foster homes. I would also support the implementation of an easier path to terminate underperforming employees across the scope of the organization.
What can be done at a state level to address crime?
The Legislature must address the surge in violent crime from every angle. That includes strengthening penalties so that criminals think twice before engaging in acts of violent crime. The majority party has made it clear that they are not willing to strengthen accountability measures for those who commit crimes. As stated in the first question, I am a sponsor of several pieces of anti-crime legislation. Unfortunately, the majority party blocked every one of these bills.
Did Joe Biden win the 2020 election?
Yes.
What is your position on the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol?
The activity at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was not “normal political discourse.” In normal political discourse, people do not die. The Million Man March is normal political discourse. No one has been trampled or died. The Boston Tea Party was normal political discourse. No one drowned or died.
Illinois has seen significant revenue growth from marijuana sales and enhanced gambling. Are there other industries the state should consider to grow revenue?
I have strongly supported the Data Center incentives that grow jobs and revenue as more and more of our economy converts to a digital platform.
I have also supported incentives to attract ancillary businesses that provide products to a growing electric vehicle industry across the state.
These are two examples of growth-oriented industries that are capable of generating thousands of new employment opportunities with good-paying jobs, which generate economic activity within their individual economies.