Mel Thillens
Mel Thillens is a Republican candidate running against incumbent Illinois Democratic State Senator Laura Murphy in November 2016, on the same date as the 2016 presidential election.[1] Murphy represents Senate District 28.[2]
Education and experience[edit]
Thillens graduated from Columbia College in 1995. He served as a Park Ridge Park District Commissioner. He is the owner of the business Thillens, Incorporated.[3]
Elections[edit]
2016 primary election[edit]
He ran unopposed in the Republican primary in 2016.[2] On April 3, 2015, he was endorsed by the Illinois National Federation of Independent Business.[4]
2014 general election[edit]
In 2014, Thilllens ran against incumbent Martin J. Moylan for the Illinois House of Representatives District 55. Moylan won the race by a margin of 52.7% to 47.3%.[2]
Issues[edit]
Redistricting[edit]
Thillens supports the Independent Maps Amendment. The ballot initiative gathered 600,000 signatures and was approved by the State Elections Board. Opposing the initiative was lawyer Mike Casper who is the general counsel for the Illinois Democratic Party. A Cook County court ruled against initiative, and the Illinois Supreme Court upheld that ruling. The initiative would have changed the way that legislative districts are created, by placing the ability to redraw maps into the authority of an independent commission, instead of the state legislature.[5] Because of the Supreme Court ruling, the initiative will no longer be on the November 2016 ballot for voters to vote upon.[6]
State budget[edit]
Thillens supports the state of Illinois passing a budget and opposes the repeated stalling of passing a budget. Thillens said, "The Illinois political machine is so dysfunctional right now that the state’s credit rating, already the worst in the nation, just got downgraded. It is appalling to me that the legislature can end the session without a budget. And now it is going to cost us a fortune in higher interest payments."[1]
Pension reform[edit]
According to a report published by the Illinois Policy Institute, due to changes in the state's investment strategy and changes in demographics the State Employees' Retirement System's debt will require an extra $320 million each year from taxpayers by 2018.[7] As such, Thillens supports reforming the state pension system. He proposes a 401(k) style plan moving forward. Under his plan, the state would switch from its current system to a 401(k) plan.[8]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Thillens calls Illinois legislature's failure 'appalling' in wake of bond demotion | Mel Thillens for State Senate". votethillens.com. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Mel Thillens - Ballotpedia". Retrieved 2016-09-06.
- ↑ "Mel Thillens' Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
- ↑ "Mel Thillens' Political Summary". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
- ↑ "Thillens Disappointed in Ruling Against Independent Map Amendment | Mel Thillens for State Senate". votethillens.com. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
- ↑ Jauregui, Ruth de (2016-08-26). "Thillens disappointed in ruling against Independent Map Amendment". North Cook News. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
- ↑ Klingner, John (2016-07-15). "Taxpayers will have to pay $320M more for state-worker pensions in 2018". Illinois Policy Institute. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
- ↑ Tran, Hoang (2016-08-15). "Thillens calls for term limits, reforms to stem exodus". North Cook News. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
External links[edit]
- Project VoteSmart biography
- Official campaign website
- "Forum at Summit offers opportunity to get to know Senate candidates", Chicago Tribune, August 26, 2016
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