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Full Name: Terry Wilke
What office are you seeking? State Assembly, House District 62
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Lake County Board, Avon Township Supervisor
City: Round Lake Beach
Occupation: County Board Member
Education: BA Business economics U of I
Campaign Website: TerryWilke.com
What are the top issues facing your district and what would you like to do to address those issues?
Health Care, Transportation and the Environment 1. Illinois should become a single payer state asap 2. We need to look at Rt 53 again or start up the discussion on the alternatives 3. Illinois needs to lead the nation in both clean energy production and fossil fuel reduction
If COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths rise again, what mitigations, if any, should the state pursue?
Masks, immunizations and quarantine when necessary
In light of Michael Madigan’s indictment, what steps should the legislature take to address corruption and ethics concerns in the state?
The bottom line is, we need to get money out of politics once and for all.
If there was one bill that you could get through the legislature next year, what would it be?
To get money out of politics.
If there was one recently passed law you could repeal, what would it be?
I’m not sure I would repeal anything in particular, but I would like to see union organizing as a protected class in Illinois.
Do you support term limits? If yes, why and what would they look like? And if no, why not?
I do not support term limits. We already have term limits, in that we have elections. Further, term limits would almost certainly make the situation with money in politics even worse.
Inflation across the country has greatly impacted the price of gasoline, food and other supplies. What should the legislature do to address these issues?
Pass laws against price gouging, like those laws that already exist for times of emergencies.
Taxes are a top concern of Illinois voters. What do you think the underlying issues are and how would you propose addressing them?
The state of Illinois operates with one of the lowest taxes per capita of any state in the union. While property taxes are some of the highest in the union. Obviously this makes the taxes in Illinois quite regressive. We need to work on ways to make them more progressive, including looking at an income tax rebate based on ones property taxes, also we should include all assets when taxing property not just real estate.
What are three things the state legislature could do to promote better fiscal responsibility within state government?
A balanced budget law that will not allow any further borrowing until overdue bills are caught up. Outlaw patronage jobs all together. Better balance the disparity between income and property taxes.
How would you propose addressing the problems with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services?
DCFS is tasked with keeping our most vulnerable citizen safe at their most vulnerable time. As such it is a responsibility of all of ours to to not only fund this service but to also make absolutely sure that it is well overseen.
What can be done at a state level to address crime?
The greatest corollary to crime is poverty, if we address the later we address the former. We can not accept poverty and deny crime. There will always be some crime but we can reduce it greatly by addressing the core issues.
Did Joe Biden win the 2020 election?
Yes he did. So did Kamala Harris
What is your position on the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol?
I think those who have broken the law must be held accountable, with no exceptions.
Illinois has seen significant revenue growth from marijuana sales and enhanced gambling. Are there other industries the state should consider to grow revenue?
Yes, a wealth tax would address the issue of some property being taxed at a lower rate, such as stocks and bonds, and other property, such as real estate, being taxed at a higher rate.