General Assembly member Deb Conroy (D-Villa Park), serving her second term representing the 46th District, is the subject of a recent ad campaign calling out her and several other Democratic state legislators for consistently siding with House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago).
A series of disapproving promotional segments backed by the anti-tax grassroots group Americans for Prosperity talk of Conroy's "yes" problem — an inability to say anything other than yes when it comes to Madigan.
“Yes to special interests. Yes to more spending and handouts. Yes to Speaker Mike Madigan’s agenda,” says the narrator, encouraging viewers to call their lawmakers and urge them to “quit voting for Mike Madigan’s overspending.”
Conroy is running opposite GOP candidate Heidi Holan of Glen Ellyn, who has pledged to vote against Madigan for the speaker's position.
"I signed the pledge — No More Madigan!" Holan said. "He's been in the House 46 years, serving as speaker for 32 years. The speaker controls the bills in the House. After being sworn in, the first vote representatives take is for speaker of the House. A vote for Madigan is a vote of approval for the current condition of Illinois."
In addition to vowing to vote against Madigan as the House Speaker for the next session, Holan went to bat for voters by supporting term limits and the redistricting amendment.
"Springfield legislators could pass term limit legislation in short order, but the majority refuses to do so," Holan added. "As a member of the General Assembly, I will support term limits. The role of a legislator is to provide a service to the public, not to establish a career.”
The ad is also heavily critical of the taxes and spending established by Illinois Democrats.
“Eighty percent in many legislative districts favor property tax freezes,” claims one advertisement — with animated graphics and voice-over narration — but (state Sen. Tom) Cullerton (D-Villa Park) and his cronies don’t care, it goes on to assert.
“Property taxes are crushing Illinois’ middle class,” states another ad.
Holan has also been critical of the state's spending, particularly in regards to its inability to pass a balanced budget.
“First and foremost, we have to have a balanced budget," Holan said. "For 15 years in a row, we’ve spent more than we’ve taken in. The budget that (legislators) proposed for the fiscal year 2017, which began July 1st, was proposed to spend $40 billion although our revenues were estimated to be $33 billion. We cannot do that.”
The state needs to get to a point where it only spends what it has. Holan said having that as a ground rule will help turn things around.
“What that will do is force the legislature to then do is to prioritize their spending, and that’s something I think we need to take a good look at,” she said.
The series of commercials take on a full slate of candidates throughout the state, including state Rep. Sam Yingling (D-Grayslake), who is facing Republican challenger Rod Drobinski of Wauconda; state Rep. Dan Beiser (D-Alton); and state Rep. John Bradley (D-Marion_.
The 46th District includes all of Villa Park and Glendale Heights and portions of Elmhurst, Lombard, Addison, Glen Ellyn, Oakbrook Terrace, Carol Stream and Bloomingdale.
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