Mike Strick, Republican candidate running for state representative in District 84, said he is flabbergasted that the Illinois Supreme Court voted 4-3 to uphold Cook County Circuit Judge Diane Larsen’s ruling that the Independent Maps amendment was unconstitutional.
“It is absolutely unbelievable that the Illinois Supreme Court would not abide by the over 600,000 signatures that people gathered to get this initiative on the ballot,” Strick told the DuPage Policy Journal.
Strick said he believes it is insincere that the four majority justices disregarded the will of the constituents.
“I think it’s disingenuous," Strick said. “The will of the people wanted to have that on the ballot. What is it going to take? I really thought the Supreme Court was supposed to be blind to all forms of political sway. It’s unfortunate that the four who dissented are all Democrats.”
Strick said the vote was strictly a walk along party lines. He asserted that this situation is the result of people’s indifferent attitude toward the Supreme Court and its justices. Voters have to hold all their lawmakers accountable.
“They are supposed to be blind and equal in all aspects of litigation,” Strick said. “It just smacks of hypocrisy.”
Strick said that the next option for remapping lies in 2018.
“I really believe that the only option we have is 2018, which is the next time the Illinois Constitution can be rewritten,” Srick said. “As a matter of fact, that is exactly when Gov. (Bruce) Rauner is going to be up for election. It’s going to a hot topic issue in which the people of Illinois need to have a voice. Our voices are just being diminished by not having this on the ballot.”
Strick said he believes that House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) and his party control the state and that needs to change.
“I believe that we have such a gerrymandered system,” Strick said. “We need change in Illinois. Mike Madigan, who has been in office since 1971, knows every trick in the book to stay in power and keep that power. He knows every trick in the book.”
Change is a frequent topic among residents of the state. When Strick asked voters in his district what issue is most important to them, the most common reply was taxes.
“Taxes comes up about 65 percent of the time,” Strick said. “Taxes are the major issue that is driving people away from Illinois. We’re the second highest property tax state in the nation, behind only California. (Illinois has) had zero job creation or economic growth in the last 25 years.”
Strick insisted that the lack of economic growth and progress falls on the Illinois House and Senate. He alleged that legislators are just continuously kicking the can down the road. Term limits will stop the kicking, the candidate asserted.
“We need term limits to really bring in some new ideas into this legislature and make some hard choices,” Strick said.
Hard choices may be the only choices available to the state as it faces a high unemployment rate, mass out-migration and a financial crisis. All of these problems add to a heavy burden on the taxpayers.
“Our state’s broke,” Strick said. “We’re not even paying the legislators, which I agree with. We’ve got other people like doctors and special services who need to be funded. I would rather be paying those people who are at risk of falling through the cracks than paying the legislators. I don’t have a problem with that at all.”
Strick said that if elected, he’ll work for those who fell through the cracks.
“If I get elected, I’ll work for the people,” Strick said. “That’s what I want to do.”
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