Q&A: CANDIDATES WEIGH IN ON ISSUES
In January, Sun-Times/WBEZ editors emailed a questionnaire to candidates in contested March 19 primary races for Congress, Illinois General Assembly and Cook County state’s attorney. Here are excerpts from their responses.
Q. Based on your observations of the Pretrial Fairness Act since it went into effect in September, how well do you think the act is working in Cook County? Are there aspects of the law that you think should be modified? If so, please be specific.
Eileen O’Neill Burke: The Safety Act fundamentally changes how we determine whether someone should be detained pretrial. Rather than setting a higher bond based on the seriousness of the offense, we now focus on whether someone is a danger to the community or not. This is where the criterion for detention should focus. Wealth should not determine whether or not one is held pretrial.
The SAFE-T Act also significantly alters the state’s attorney’s role in detention. Prior to anyone being detained, the state’s attorney is now required to file a petition to detain. Without that petition being filed, judges have no discretion to detain. It does not matter what the crime is, without that petition filed, any charged individual would have to be released. Because of this significant change in the power of the state’s attorney’s office in pretrial detention, it is exponentially more important that there are training, structure and criteria in place for those [assistant state’s attorneys] assigned to bond court.
Clayton Harris III:
Ending cash bail sends an important signal that Illinois will no longer criminalize poverty and allows our justice system to focus on pursuing violent and dangerous offenders instead of those who simply may have been too poor to post bond. We must combat the false narrative that under the Pretrial Fairness Act, those who commit crimes are going free. Prosecutors are given significant power to make good decisions about when to charge a crime, what the proper charge is for a given crime and in sentencing recommendations. My office will be committed to petitioning for pretrial detention for violent offenders, or when the offender has a high likelihood of committing additional crimes when on pretrial release based on their previous record.
As we continue to evaluate the implementation phase of the law, it may become clear that additional legislative changes are needed. I am ready and willing to stand with law enforcement, reform advocates and gender-based violence policy experts, or any other stakeholders, to pursue improvements as needed in Springfield.
Q. How would your administration approach requests to review and investigate claims of wrongful conviction, and what can the state’s attorney do to correct injustice in past cases, while respecting victims and the decisions of judges and juries that heard the cases — particularly when the cases are often old and can be difficult to retry?
Eileen O’Neill Burke: I am dedicated to the pursuit of justice as I have been my entire career. If our community does not trust that our office is upholding justice, then they won’t work with us to keep people safe.
I will maintain a conviction integrity unit that works closely with our training curriculum to ensure that all cases going forward and cases that were under our jurisdiction in the past are held to the highest standards in the country. Conviction Integrity, Post-Conviction and Appeals should be placed together in one division so that they can combine efforts, resources and personnel in the most efficient and effective way.
Clayton Harris III: For too long, Cook County had the unfortunate reputation as the wrongful convictions capital. I am committed to continuing the work of undoing that painful legacy. As state’s attorney, I will uphold the principles of justice, fairness and integrity. I recognize the profound impact that wrongful convictions can have on individuals, families and communities. My approach to addressing claims of wrongful conviction involves a multifaceted strategy that balances the pursuit of truth, respect for victims and acknowledgment of the decisions made by judges and juries.
First, we will bolster the number of ASAs in the Conviction Review Unit (CRU) within the office. Second, working in collaboration with defense attorneys, independent investigators and, where appropriate, external review boards, we will meticulously examine claims of innocence. The CRU will operate independently and transparently, following clear protocols to ensure a thorough and impartial review process.
The CRU will conduct thorough and impartial reviews, leveraging advancements in forensic analysis and technology to determine the veracity of the conviction. Additionally, I would have these ASAs trained on recognizing the trauma that wrongful convictions can cause to victims and their families. We will approach these cases with sensitivity, providing support and resources as needed partnering with our victim witness service unit. We will collaborate with defense attorneys, innocence projects and other stakeholders to gather diverse perspectives and insights into each case.
Throughout the review process, we will maintain transparency, providing regular updates to the public while respecting the confidentiality of certain investigative aspects. Learning from past mistakes, we will implement policies and training programs to reduce the risk of wrongful convictions in the future. Finally, to prevent similar errors from occurring in the future, my administration will work closely with the legal community, legislators and advocacy groups to implement legislative reforms that enhance the reliability and fairness of reversing any wrongful convictions.
7th Congressional District, Democratic primary
Q. The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict remains one of America’s most pressing and difficult foreign policy challenges. What measures by
Congress would you propose or support with respect to the conflict?
Danny Davis: I support an immediate cease-fire, humanitarian aid, especially for the Palestinian civilians trapped in Gaza, allow Israel to protect itself from Hamas and a twostate solution to the conflict.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin: I think Joe Biden is working very hard to bring a fair, peaceful resolution to this conflict, and I support his efforts. I have visited Israel and seen firsthand the difficulty this conflict brings to ordinary people on both sides. I can only imagine the pain and suffering the families of the hostages, those murdered by Hamas, and the people of Israel feel while also empathizing with the innocent Palestinians who have become casualties due to Hamas’ continued insistence on committing war crimes and placing civilians in harm’s way. We have to make sure aid gets to the Palestinian people, and I would support further
humanitarian pauses to do so. But there was a cease-fire before Oct. 7, and Hamas broke it. They have to be removed so that we can get back on track with a two-state solution.
Kina Collins: Since October 2023, I have strongly denounced Hamas for their heinous terrorist attack, marking the worst violence against Jews since the Holocaust. I have consistently acknowledged Israel’s right to self-defense, provided their actions adhere to international humanitarian law. After the blockade of food, water, medical supplies and fuel was announced by the Israeli government, I promptly advocated for a cease-fire. I believe it to be the only viable path to resolving the crisis without causing further harm to innocent Palestinian civilians and preserving the potential for a political solution in the Middle East.
I have consistently called for the immediate release of all hostages, and while I am relieved some have been reunited with their families, I continue to urge for the swift release of the remaining hostages.
I have been unequivocal in stressing the urgent need for substantial aid to flow into Gaza to address the dire conditions affecting the sick and dying, both children and adults. This is not only crucial for the well-being of Palestinians but also essential for the recovery and survival of Israel.
A long-term, strategic roadmap is imperative to break the cycle of violence, enabling Israelis and Palestinians to rebuild relations and agree on a lasting solution. Efforts must also address settler violence in the West Bank and build an international coalition to help establish legitimate leadership for Palestinian governance. Lastly, we must condemn the surging antisemitism and Islamophobia globally and within the U.S., a direct consequence of this conflict.
A cease-fire serves as an opportunity for diplomatic negotiations toward lasting peace. As the primary contributor of military aid to Israel, the U.S. holds significant leverage. If Israel continues to violate international humanitarian law, we must actively employ every available tool, including conditioning offensive military support to Israel. The urgency of the situation demands nothing less.
6th Congressional District, Democratic primary
Q. Chicago and other major cities such as New York and Denver continue to struggle with the financial burden of housing the thousands of asylum-seekers being bused and flown in, largely from Texas. From the vantage point of Congress, what measures would you propose and/ or support to help alleviate both the burden on these major American cities and the plight of the incoming migrants?
Sean Casten: It should be lost on no one that the party of Donald Trump sees value in a broken immigration system — the better to sell fear and mobilize reactionary voters, and it is hard to see that political dynamic changing soon. I’ve been impressed with the kindness and humanity shown by the communities I represent in IL-6 to welcome those immigrants in recent months and trust they will continue to do so.
In the meantime, I have pressed the White House to make sure that as immigrant processing facilities are shifted from border states to Illinois, we ensure that the federal resources also flow to our municipalities. We have also been pushing consistently to expedite the provision of temporary work visas so that immigrants who are awaiting their asylum hearings can earn a paycheck to help feed themselves, grow our economy and minimize the draw on local social services.
Mahnoor Ahmad: Increase federal spending on immigration lawyers and judges within these cities to expedite asylum claims. Urge Congress to act immediately to enshrine a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and for asylum-seekers. Enact legislation to urge border states such as Texas to cooperate and communicate with major cities. Make strategic alliances with countries that are large sources of the influx of immigrants such as Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras to engage in state-building programs which emphasize education, government transparency and domestic security. Increase funding for expanded biometric screening sites so that asylum-seekers have efficient access to biometric screening locations and so that there are expedited security data gathered to ensure that both asylum-seekers and American citizens are kept safe.
Charles M. Hughes: America should have our National Guard at the border to verify if people crossing are really seeking asylum. Second, if able to cross-fingerprint and medical test to save taxpayers money. People who cannot verify asylum, send back to their homeland.
Illinois Senate 20th District, Democratic primary
Q. Illinois’ unfunded pension liability stood at $142 billion as of mid-2023, far larger than the state’s operations budget of $50 billion. The state’s age-old pension crisis hampers job growth, turns away prospective new employers and derails Illinois’ long-term economic stability. In your opinion, what tack should Illinois take to solve its state pension crisis?
Natalie Toro: A pension is a promise, period. We need to address the unfunded liability so public servants can retire with dignity. I understand the fiscal strain it has on the economy, but any efforts to diminish pensions would take money out of working people’s pockets which would also negatively impact our economy.
Previous politicians borrowed from the future, and we are living with the problem now. My approach to pensions would be to fully fund our actuarial responsibilities through progressive revenue streams as well as work to maintain headcount at the state so we have people continuing to pay into the system.
We also need to offer reforms that don’t diminish benefits but give consideration to pensioners who make decisions on how they receive their money. A good example of this was the COLA buyouts that have helped alleviate the actuarial pressure.
It took decades to get into this mess, but my colleagues and I are taking the steps needed to right the ship.
Graciela Guzmán: Curtailing benefits is not the way to keep moving toward a solution to Illinois’ pension crisis. We need to expand how we think about revenue and reach a consensus on how to achieve progressive tax solutions in Illinois. Addressing revenue is the main solution to this and many other issues we face in our state. Illinois and its municipalities have had to depend too much on regressive tax systems that, if we exchanged for progressive options, would not only increase the resources to families in need but would increase the tax revenue needed to ensure we pay out our obligations fairly.
We often forget that more than the flaws of the system, the crisis was the product of purposeful choices to mismanage and underfund it. We have seen that as better government has come to prioritize paying our debts, Illinois’ fiscal outlook has improved significantly. Businesses have responded to that, and I’m committed to continuing that trend of more responsible fiscal management in Springfield. I think the larger issue to tackle is how to ensure this never happens again. If elected, I look forward to exploring what structural protections we need in place to ensure no wayward future government can unduly underfund pension systems and essential services.
Dave Nayak: As a legislator, my goal is to ensure that we responsibly grow our pensions in the coming decade because our purchasing power will drastically decrease due to past (and future) Fed and U.S. Treasury fiscal and monetary policies.
The majority of federal funds provided by the CARES Act to the state of Illinois will end in fiscal 2024. We can create additional revenue streams for pensions by creating an economic environment of fiscal growth, especially within this current recessionary climate. We must cut taxes for the working classes, trim governmental spending of low reward-on-investment projects and aggressively reclaim the lost revenue owed to Illinois general revenue.
We can reclaim a larger middle class by investing more into Illinois infrastructure, growing trade schools which will continue to create a diverse investment into our communities, and I fully support new revenue streams to meet pension obligations.
Geary Yonker: Our state’s pension situation will not be solved until we finally adopt a graduated income tax. Everything else is just window dressing. We need to fight to put this measure back on the ballot. A graduated income tax will finally solve our ongoing pension issues and will not raise the taxes of the overwhelming majority of taxpayers in Illinois.