Kane County Reporter

Republican state House hopeful Laura Curtis wants to be the change she thinks is desperately needed in Springfield.

“Right now, the only thing that can compete with our runaway tax system is all the corruption and that explains why the state is struggling the way it is,” Curtis told Kane County Reporter. “The thought of change and giving people a better way is what’s driving my campaign.”

Curtis points to the progressive income tax proposal now being pushed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker as a roadmap for more of the same madness.

“When the state treasurer admits passing the tax will open the floodgates to taxing even retirement income, you know there’s no way it’s meant to be just be a tax on the rich the way the governor is claiming,” she said. “All of that sounds just like 2011 and 2017, when they told us those temporary taxes would fix all our problems and here we still are.”

And Curtis argues the recent indictment of state Sen. Terry Link (D-Indian Springs) on federal tax evasion charges is more of the same in the state capital. Link is the fourth Democratic lawmaker to now find himself facing criminal charges. Facing tax evasion charges, Link joins former state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who faces up to 10 years in prison, and state Sen. Tom Cullerton, who has been hit with a 41-count indictment on embezzlement charges. One-time state Sen. Martin Sandoval has already pleaded guilty to taking $250,000 in bribes from SafeSpeed, a red-light camera vendor.

And then there is longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan, who now finds himself implicated in an ongoing federal corruption probe involving ComEd in which it’s alleged bribes were steered to several of his close associates as part of a pay-to-play scheme aimed at currying favor with him.

“We’ve got to get serious about ethics reform,” added Curtis, running against Democrat Maura Hirschauer in the 49th District. “That means Madigan has to go because none of this can happen with him still at the helm.”

Curtis said Hirschauer strikes her as already being bought and paid for by Madigan.

“My opponent talks a good game about ending corruption and the need to clean up Springfield, but she’s taking at least $150,000 in campaign contributions from him” she said. “This culture of corruption can’t end as long as people like my opponent are still representing us.”