In-depth reporting by Illinois Public Media News
Listen to the latest Illinois Public Media Newscast:
Play now:
GOP Senate Candidates Take Aim at Conservative Credentials
Story date: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 from Illinois Public Radio
Republican party candidates for the 53rd District State Senate seat are taking aim at each other’s credentials as true conservatives.
During a debate in Bloomington on Monday evening, Sen. Shane Cultra of Onarga criticized his opponent, State Representative Jason Barickman of Champaign, for voting in favor of Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget last spring.
“(It’s) a budget that increased spending from last year,” Cultra said. “A budget that used $7 billion tax increase, and still is in a deficit.”
Barickman said he voted for it because House GOP members succeeded in reducing spending by four billion dollars, which is a more concrete proposal than any the Senate GOP introduced as legislation. Barickman, in turn, scoffed at Senator Shane Cultra’s vote for tax breaks for big corporations.
“Why in the world would the legislators of Illinois fund a tax break for a $100 million?” Barickman said. “Well, they wouldn’t unless leadership came to you and said, ‘What can I give to you to vote for this?’”
Cultra said that bill included research and development tax credits for Caterpillar and expansion of exemptions for estate taxes helping farm families. Barickman called those cookies on “the Christmas tree of lights that is Illinois politics” and said he voted against it to stop politics as usual.
Cultra was appointed to the state senate after former Sen. Dan Rutherford was elected Illinois’ state treasurer. Barickman is running in his first election, after being appointed to take over Cultra’s old House seat.
The new 53rd Senate District includes all of Ford and Iroquois Counties, and also parts of McLean and Vermilion.
Story links:
- GOP Legislative Rivals Wary of Tax Break Bill (Related Article)
- Cultra to Run for Full Term in State Senate (Related Article)
- Ill. Rep. Jason Barickman Announces State Senate Run (Related Article)
- Barickman Appointed to Cultra’s House Seat (Related Article)
- Rep. Cultra Selected to Fill Dan Rutherford’s Senate Term (Related Article)
