Michael Crowner, Illinois Senate 49th District Democratic candidate profile

Candidate profile

Michael Crowner

Running for:State Senate, 49th District

Political/civic background: I am involved with the Democratic Party of Wheatland Township and will serve as a Precinct Committeeman beginning in 2020. I have worked with people across the nation on efforts to promote diversity in government and corporate boards, increase opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses to compete for public contracts, and help elected officials to better understand the financial services and public pension systems.

Occupation: Independent Consultant

Education: BA in Economics, Northwestern University
Certificate in Real Estate Finance & Development, University of Southern California
MBA in Finance, Kellogg School of Management

Campaign website: michaelforillinois.com

Facebook: @michaelforillinois

Instagram: @michaelforillinois

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. Michael Crowner 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.

Much of my professional work in the past two years has gone towards having a positive impact on communities. A few examples of this work are highlighted below:

• Operations strategy with a woman-owned startup seeking to increase the use of waterless and eco-friendly car washes in the Chicagoland area.

• Capital raising strategy for a minority-owned landscaping and horticulture firm seeking to expand inner city employment, decrease crime by fostering more vibrant communities, and develop more community and school programming.

• Obtained MBE and DBE certifications for a low voltage and electrical solutions contractor to so that they may grow their business creating new union employment opportunities.

• Interned with an impact focused private equity investing in businesses that provide quality jobs for underserved communities.

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.

For Fiscal Year 2019, nearly all of the school districts that serve the overwhelming majority of the 49th Senate District students were not only below their financial adequacy target, but they were well below the average rate in Illinois. Illinois must more aggressively pump investment into the Evidence Based Funding formula to ensure that our school districts hit their adequacy target ahead of the target deadlines.

Related to the above, district residents are feeling the pressure of our property tax rates. We must continue efforts toward shifting the responsibility for education spending from local sources to increasingly a state funded model that will help to provide relief to our residents. We should also support efforts to consolidate government agencies that may provide additional opportunities to save property taxpayers money.

Residents are increasingly concerned about the climate in Washington DC and what it may mean for the future of their healthcare. Given the constant attacks it faces in the courts, Illinois must be sure to protect the gains made through the Affordable Care Act. We should also continue to explore options for increasing affordability and addressing prescription drug costs including current efforts to regulate pharmacy benefit managers and establishing a wholesale Canadian drug importation program.

What are your other top legislative priorities?

Restoring fiscal stability to Illinois. Without meaningful changes to the way things have always been done, the financial instability of our state will hurt long-term economic growth for Illinois. In addition to raising revenues, we must address our bill backlog and highest interest expenses so that we may put that capital towards programs that benefit our residents. When we address our fiscal instability we can then work towards expanding programs to the most vulnerable, increasing public education spending at the state level so that your zip code will not decide the quality of your education, growing our state’s economy in a meaningful way, and reducing the cost of attending our public universities. Without addressing our fiscal problems, Illinois will only continue to lose population accelerating the problems facing us today.

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

I support joining the 30+ states across the nation that have instituted a graduated income tax system. Illinois is in desperate need of new revenues to address the financial instability facing our state. The proposed graduated income tax will allow Illinois to raise additional revenues without harming middle- and working-class families.

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?

Illinois should first prioritize addressing its highest interest bills and debt in order to free up capital previously spent on interest towards obligations and core services. We must also seek opportunities for efficiency gains in the delivery of our services and also direct those gains towards obligations and core services. Taxing the retirement incomes of high-income retirees is another opportunity to raise revenues without burdening middle- and working-class families. Closing loopholes such as the Retailers Discount coupled with stronger collections from delinquent taxpayers will also result in some added revenues.

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

If voters allow for a graduated income tax, then we should certainly also give consideration taxing the retirement income of high-income retirees. Of the states that levy an income tax, Illinois is one of the very few that does not include retirement income. Whether they are working or retired, residents at the highest income brackets are better equipped to withstand the needed increases in taxes than middle- and working-class families.

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

Illinois must continue to take steps to ensure that a child’s zip code does not determine the quality of his or her education. Resident in property-poor districts generally pay higher property tax rates than wealthier districts, but still find themselves with underfunded and underperforming schools. The state should more aggressively fund K-12 education, pumping more investment into the revised 2017 formula to ensure that the state hits all adequacy goals by its target date and also relieve the tax burden on those residents in property-poor districts. Once adequacy targets have been reached, Illinois must then address equity in our education system.

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

I support sensible gun safety legislation such as the BIO Bill which seeks to strengthen the FOID system and address dangerous gaps in state law that may result in people with violent criminal history the ability to evade the law and arm themselves. I also support efforts to strengthen Child Access Protection laws.

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

I am in favor of term limits for the elected executive offices. I am also in favor of imposing term limits upon certain leadership positions in both chambers to four General Assemblies (8 years). These changes should be enforced by law and not simply by internal Senate or House rules.

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?

The General Assembly should always reflect the will of the voters. We should give strong consideration to creating an independent commission to draw state legislative maps. Without a map drawn independent of the legislature, voters don’t pick their politicians. Politicians pick their voters.

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?

While I applaud Springfield for beginning the discussion of ethics reform with SB 1639, it does not go far enough. The General Assembly must pass SB 2314 prohibiting former lawmakers and executives of State agencies from acting as lobbyists for two years after they leave office. There must also be a ban on lobbying for current members of the General Assembly. Finally, the General Assembly must give more independence and strength to the office of the Legislative Inspector General in order to further root out corruption.

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 Legislature should follow the lead of the California Consumer Privacy Act and help our residents to better understand what data is being collected, how it is being utilized, who has had access to it, and provide mechanisms for opting out of the collection, sharing, or sale of personal data. Until Washington DC takes meaningful action, it is incumbent on state legislatures to protect the privacy of their residents.

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?

A student attending school out of state is less likely to return to Illinois after completing their education. Illinois needs to make meaningful investments into its universities and decrease the cost of attendance. The average cost of public colleges in Illinois is among the highest in the nation. Many Illinois students find it cheaper to attend public universities in other states than in Illinois.

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

Increase the resources available to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. The current White House administration has taken steps to restrict and cut the US EPA’s ability to protect our environment. It is now up to the states to ensure the protection of our nation’s environment. Unfortunately, the Illinois EPA has seen a massive reduction of resources over the last decade. We must increase the resources available to the Illinois EPA to allow it to more effectively protect the environment and public health.

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.

The work of Jane Addams has touched an incredible number of lives. She was an instrumental figure in improving the lives of women, the poor, immigrants, people of color, children and the working class. She was a founding member of both the NAACP and the ACLU, two critical organizations still fighting for the rights of people today. The level of care and compassion she showed towards others, especially vulnerable populations, should be an inspiration to all.

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

It is difficult for me to choose a single show between the Office and Game of Thrones. With the Office I love that the same scenes can make me laugh just as hard the 20th time watching as they did the first. I also love the quirkiness of each of the characters. The twists and turns of Game of Thrones are addicting and the development of its characters is second to none.