Ken Thomas, Illinois Senate 13th District Democratic candidate profile

Candidate profile

Ken Thomas

Running for:State Senator - 13th District

Political/civic background:Member, Illinois State Bar, 2016-Present
Board Secretary and Past Treasurer, Chicago Survivors 2017-Present
Volunteer Attorney, Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, 2016-Present
Pro Bono Service Award, Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, 2017
Member, Lawyers4Choice
Student Member, University of Illinois Board of Trustees, July 2011-June 2013
Camp Counselor, Camp Quality Illinois, 2009-2015

Occupation:Attorney

Education: J.D., University of Chicago, 2016
B.A. in Political Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2013

Campaign website: kenthomas.org

Facebook: @KenMThomas

Twitter: @KenMThomas

The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board sent candidates for the Illinois Senate a list of questions to find out their views on a range of important issues facing the state of Illinois and their districts. Ken Thomas submitted the following responses:

Please tell us about your civic work in the last two years, whether it’s legislation you have sponsored or work you have done in other ways to improve your community.

I have volunteered a significant amount of time to the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing. Through this work, I advocate for the rights of tenants in eviction proceedings and in many instances, my clients have realized tangible and positive outcomes because they had a ready and zealous advocate in their corner. I cherish the people-centric, in-the-trenches quality of this work. I have also sought to expand the due process rights of all tenants who are facing eviction through a recent appeal to the Illinois Appellate Court. We are still awaiting the decision.

Outside of this work, I have volunteered as a board member of Chicago Survivors, an organization that works with the families of victims of gun violence. In my service as the board secretary and previously as treasurer, I provided fiscal and management oversight to a mission I deeply support.

Lastly, I have stayed active at both my alma maters, mentoring young black law students at the University of Chicago and serving on the UIC Liberal Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors, a volunteer group which advises the Dean on matters related to the college.

Please list three concerns that are specific to your district, such as a project that should be undertaken or a state policy related to an important local issue that should be revised.

FIRST, I am deeply concerned with the lack of housing justice – and I believe in the 13th District that conversation begins with tenants’ rights. The largest number of evictions in the city of Chicago take place in South Shore, a major part of the 13th District. Further, the four wards where the largest number of evictions occur in Chicago are within the 13th District. Evictions are rubberstamped and little process is afforded to tenants who are rarely able to pay for an attorney. Only 11 percent of the time do tenants have legal representation in eviction court while landlords are represented 79 percent of the time. Additionally, tenants can be denied future housing on the basis of an eviction filing before any of their applicable defenses are heard or a ruling is made.

I will propose a bill that creates protections in the Eviction Act to ensure that all eviction court proceedings are documented either by a stenographer or electronic recording device that can be used to produce a transcript. This is essential for two reasons: (1) A transcript is virtually required to preserve a litigant’s right to appeal any mistakes made by the trial judge, and (2) having “on the record” court proceedings ensure transparency and incentivizes the judge to apply the law fairly.

I will introduce a bill that requires all eviction court filings to be sealed at the point of filing so that tenants who have not yet been proven to be subject to a legal eviction are not denied housing. I have represented multiple clients who were denied housing because a filing was on their record prior to judgment. Lastly, I will advocate that courts provide lawyers to all low-income tenants under a certain income threshold. We are seeing other cities do this, including New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Newark. This would help tenants avoid eviction orders and potentially move out on more favorable terms than tenants typically do without representation. Tenants and landlords are both entitled to a process that is fair and provides justice.

A related issue is the need for affordable housing units in the city. We are seeing rising rents in many neighborhoods of the 13th District. The supply of affordable housing is not keeping up with demand which is causing yearly double-digit percentage rent increases (on average) in many neighborhoods.

SECOND, I am concerned with transportation and job access, fundamental tenets of community development. The Southeast side is one of the rare areas of Chicago that lacks access to a CTA train, which provides relatively inexpensive public transportation for many Chicagoans. The one-way fare is almost double for a ride on the Metra Electric train which runs throughout most of the 13th District. Trains run infrequently to stations south of Hyde Park. Residents who commute downtown for work using a car or CTA bus via Lake Shore Drive can face significant traffic delays when Columbus Drive is closed for an event. I have experienced these delays firsthand.

Reducing the fare on Metra Electric would increase ridership and provide a more consistent option to commute downtown. Residents in long ignored Chicago neighborhoods would get an economic boost and make the area more attractive for future economic investment. Also, by lowering the fares on Metra electric trains we are supporting public transportation in a way that is consistent with our commitment to the environment.

THIRD, I am concerned with the general lack of economic development and investment in the 13th District. Unemployment in the district is above Illinois’s average and residents are eager for good paying job opportunities. If elected, I will work with the community and industry leaders to determine how we can bring more jobs to our neighborhoods that desperately need them. As we continue to move towards a more technology focused economy, I will push the state to play a bigger role in job training on the South Side and work with industry leaders to transition trainees into employees.

I also plan to focus on youth employment. A Sun-Times article earlier this year reported that 45 percent of Chicago’s young black men were out of school and out of work. That is unacceptable and plays a role in the rates of gun violence and poverty on the South side. I will advocate for more government investment into work programs that give our youth a job where they can learn marketable skills for future employment.

What are your other top legislative priorities?

Access to justice in our courts and the availability of a second chance is very important to me. As a lawyer, I have seen firsthand what happens to individuals who lack resources in our court system: they are ignored, their rights are trampled, and they are deemed expendable. I will fight for transparency in our court system, better access to lawyers for expungement, reforming our prison healthcare system and rethinking our criminal justice system’s focus on punishment instead of rehabilitation. Now is the time to attack head on the problem of over incarceration in our country.

As we work on making our criminal justice system less retributive, we also have to think about making sure our young people do not end up there in the first place. Our schools are incredibly important and ensuring that our kids have an opportunity to get a world class K-12 education is critical to the future of our city. I will continue to monitor state funding for Chicago schools and push for more funding for schools serving children with disabilities.

What is your position on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed graduated income tax? Please explain.

Many residents of the 13th District are frustrated that Springfield routinely asks taxpayers to foot the bill for their mismanagement. Pensions are underfunded in large part due to Springfield’s failure to pay the state’s pension obligations. As is often the case, Springfield’s response is to raise taxes with no guarantees that the money will go to the right place. Nevertheless, a progressive income tax is an appropriate measure given the widening wealth gap in our state. Therefore, I support the Fair Tax and will advocate for mandated use of the additional tax revenue to balance the state’s budget and reduce our pension liability.

Illinois continues to struggle financially, with a backlog of unpaid bills that tops $6 billion. In addition to a progressive state income tax — or in lieu of such a tax — what should the state do to pay its bills, meet its pension obligations and fund core services such as higher education?

Dealing with our growing pension debt immediately is critical to avoiding higher interest costs over the long term and less funding for education and unpaid bills. The state should front load the pension costs using revenue from the graduated income tax. This move could save tens of billions of dollars over the long term and free up funds for core services. The state should also consider a short-term increase of the corporate income tax.

Should Illinois consider taxing the retirement incomes of its very wealthiest residents, as most states do? And your argument is?

Yes, I’d consider supporting a temporary hike on our wealthiest retirees to front load our pension costs or eliminate Illinois’s unpaid bill backlog. We must all pay our fair share.

What can Illinois do to improve its elementary and high schools?

We must continue to focus on achieving equity in our schools. That means the state should consider adding more tutors to help students who need more instructional time. Nearly 1 in 5 kindergarten and primary school classes in Chicago had more than 28 students according to a WBEZ report. We must support our teachers by reducing overcrowded classes, thereby freeing them up to give more time to each student.

Some teachers are overburdened by the lack of curriculum resources, leaving first year teachers to draft curriculums when they are most in need of support. Every teacher should have the resources they need to thrive particularly because it has a large effect on student success. Equity demands that we provide all teachers with curriculum resources to level the playing field.

Mass shootings and gun violence plague America. What can or should the Legislature do, if anything, to address this problem in Illinois?

The Illinois Senate must pass Senate Bill 1966 also known as Fix the FOID Act. The bill closes the “gun show loophole” and requires a background check for every gun purchase. Senate Bill 1966 also requires FOID card holders to renew every five years instead of ten. I am fully supportive of adding these safeguards to our system. Additionally, we ought to continue focusing on providing resources to organizations on the streets interrupting gun violence before it happens and working with victims’ families after the fact. Healing is very important in reducing retaliatory violence.

Do you favor or oppose term limits for any elected official in Illinois? Please explain.

I favor term limits for Illinois’s constitutional officers. For most of this country’s existence, the President of the United States has been term limited, first in practice and later by a constitutional amendment. I think there is a consensus in our country that term limits on the executive is a good thing.

I am open to supporting legislative term limits but continue to observe California’s struggles with the practice. California has tweaked its term limits because of issues with lobbyists holding more institutional knowledge than term limited legislators. Additionally, legislators looking for quick legislative victories had less incentive to work on important policy areas that required more time. I will continue to study the California example but at the heart of term limits is a desire to keep competition fresh and reduce the number of entrenched legislators who no longer represent their districts. To that end, I will advocate for legislative leadership term limits, campaign finance reform, public financing of campaigns and independently drawn district maps.

Everybody says gerrymandering is bad, but the party in power in every state — Democrats in Illinois — resist doing anything about it. Or do we have that wrong? What should be done?

I support enacting an independent citizen’s commission to draw Illinois’s maps and eliminate gerrymandering in Illinois. California has enacted an independent commission and it has been celebrated for eliminating the partisan exercise that plagued their map drawing process for decades. As a careful observer of the Supreme Court’s position on independent commissions, I am confident Illinois can fashion one that will pass constitutional muster.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago is investigating possible official corruption by state and local officials. This prompted the Legislature to pass an ethics reform measure to amend the Lobbyist Registration Act (SB 1639). It was signed into law in December. What’s your take on this and what more should be done?

I support the law but the General Assembly must do more and seems poised to do so. The General Assembly should follow the Chicago City Council in prohibiting its members and state employees from being paid to lobby any entity of state or local government. Additionally, the General Assembly should prohibit any elected official or government employee in Illinois from being a paid lobbyist. Our legislators should be required to display where all of their income is derived so voters can judge where conflicts of interest may exist.

Lastly, we have seen on several occasions in the last year alone the problems with filling state legislative vacancies by appointments. These appointments are often non-transparent, do not allow for independent review of candidate qualifications, and are gifted to political allies of the party committeepeople with the most votes. That is not democracy. We should eliminate the practice and have special elections.

When people use the internet and wireless devices, companies collect data about us. Oftentimes, the information is sold to other companies, which can use it to track our movements or invade our privacy in other ways. When companies share this data, we also face a greater risk of identity theft. What should the Legislature do, if anything?

The General Assembly should enact regulations that: (1) provide consumers the ability to delete any data collected on demand, (2) give a clear and concise statement of what data is being collected when the user signs up for an account, (3) allow users to opt out of certain data uses, and (4) create civil penalties for violators. I will consult with data privacy experts to craft the right solution to protect Illinois citizens.

The number of Illinois public high school graduates who enroll in out-of-state universities continues to climb. What can Illinois do to make its state universities more attractive to Illinois high school students?

The state should require schools to ask their high school seniors why they decided to go out of state for college. Then we can get a better idea of what is driving high school seniors away. Assuming that many are driven away by affordability, we should take note of the successes at our state schools that have increasing enrollment. Both the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and UIC have seen large enrollment increases over the last few years. This enrollment increase is partially attributable to the University of Illinois’s commitment to a tuition freeze over the past five years. As affordability is likely a contributing factor in students leaving the state, perhaps other schools should consider freezing tuition to encourage students to attend.

What is your top legislative priority with respect to the environment?

Many residents are being affected by the increasing water levels in Lake Michigan. Basements and boiler rooms are being flooded. Lake Shore Drive is at risk in several areas and biking and walking paths are being damaged. The state must get a handle on why our lake levels are reaching record heights and make investments to fix the problem. Also, I strongly believe our state must pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act.

What historical figure from Illinois, other than Abraham Lincoln (because everybody’s big on Abe), do you most admire or draw inspiration from? Please explain.

I have great admiration for Mayor Harold Washington. He was a lawyer who entered politics with a strong sense of direction and passion for advocating for his community. During a time where machine politics ran rampant, he was one of the most independent members of the General Assembly. Mayor Washington’s dedication to his community and ability to be an independent legislator continues to be an inspiration to me.

What’s your favorite TV, streaming or web-based show of all time. Why?

My favorite TV show of all time is the West Wing. Given the state of our national politics, it is refreshing to watch a TV show that reminds me of how our politics could be. I discovered it in law school and have been hooked ever since.