Aarón M. Ortíz, Illinois House 1st District Democratic candidate profile

Candidate profile

Aarón M. Ortíz

Running for: Re-Election for State Representative, 1st District. Also running for Democratic Ward Committee person of the 14th Ward

Political/civic background: Former College and Career Coach at Back of the Yards College Prep. Current State Representative of the 1st District

Occupation: State Representative

Education: B.A. Urban Planning, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Campaign website: aaron-ortiz.com

Facebook: fb.com/ortizstaterep

Twitter: @ortizstaterep

The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board sent candidates for the Illinois House of Representatives a list of questions to find out their views on a range of important issues facing Illinois and their districts. Aarón M. Ortíz 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.

Prior to becoming an elected official in 2018, I was a College and Career Counselor at Back of the Yards College Prep High School. Commitment to my students and their families motivated me to increase my involvement in our community. I served on the Local School Council and worked with parents, teachers, and other neighbors to find solutions to issues facing our children.

As an elected official I continue to collaborate with various community organizations, civic associations, and churches. I attend regular meetings in the neighborhoods and also regularly meet individually with constituents. I have sponsored legislation to help bring tax relief to 99% of my district. I have worked with colleagues to pass bipartisan bills to invest in our infrastructure. I worked with colleagues and sponsored some of the strongest immigrant protection bills in the country. I was also a co-sponsor for the historic bill to increase the minimum wage in Illinois to $15.

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.

The 1st District encompasses many neighborhoods on the southwest side of Chicago and is home to one of the largest youth populations in the state. Access to early childhood education is a key need for the kids in my district. The seemingly perpetual gun violence that has consumed the city is a major problem that our neighborhood has endured. A holistic approach that includes stronger policies, fair policing, and a justice system that minimizes the incarceration of young people and instead promotes investment in our youth are key to renewing our efforts to prevent gun violence before it occurs. The residents of the southwest side of Chicago, in particular, the 14th Ward, have also endured the public humiliation of their elected officials by local, national, and even international observers. Alderman Ed Burke, Senator Martin Sandoval, and County Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski have betrayed the public trust. I am committed to good governance and honest public service and will look to repair the relationship that voters have with their public servants.

What are your other top legislative priorities?

Governor Pritzker has indicated his commitment to provide comprehensive early childhood education for children birth-to-five, trauma-informed mental health practices, and parent education and engagement. I was recently appointed to serve on the Early Childhood Funding Commission and will work to determine legislative recommendations based on the findings of this Commission.

As a member of the House Firearm Public Awareness Task Force, we review the issue of gun violence and are working to make recommendations designed to reduce gun violence in Illinois. We need to Fix the FOID to correct deficiencies in the system that allows for loopholes. Through our work, we will look to include community members and organizations to come up with bipartisan solutions to take on the tragedies that impact communities in my district and throughout the state. We are looking to fund

In response to the shortage of teachers and to continue efforts to bring in underrepresented groups into the profession, I am looking at ways we could work at the State level to increase the number of bilingual teachers to assist the growing English language learner student population in Illinois.

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

I was a Chief Co-Sponsor of SJRCA1 which successfully passed with more than 2/3 support. I support the Graduated income tax because our state should not place our state’s financial stability on the backs of working families. Wealthy individuals that make over $250,000 a year should not be allowed to benefit from tax rates designed for families that make lower incomes. Millionaires and Billionaires have taken advantage of the broken tax system. We need to provide hard-working families with tax-relief and eliminate our dependence on property taxes.

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?

Our state has a responsibility to meet its pension obligations to retirees. Unfortunately, the fiscal status of the state was made worse under former Governor Rauner and his billions in unpaid bills. With a renewed commitment to finding progressive sources of revenue, this deficit can be made up. Additional sources of revenue including taxes on emerging Cannabis and gaming industries should create new streams for the State. Before I support any new revenue proposals, it must demonstrate that a significant portion of it will be dedicated to social services. I am firmly against the over-taxation of working families.

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

Before taking a position, I would need a more detailed proposal. Although we cannot ignore the egregious situations where some wealthy individuals abuse the pensions system, I would need to see the structure of the bill including rates and income thresholds. Regardless, I believe the Fair Tax is a significant way to make millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share.

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

We have to revise the Evidence-Based Funding formula to create a more equitable system to fund schools in Illinois. Additionally, we need to fund creative programming options at schools including expanding the successful Parent Mentor program in Illinois. The parent mentor program provides training to help parents develop skills to bring them into the classroom and provide additional support to students. I voted Yes for SB262 which provided $350 million more to fund public schools. I am also a co-sponsor of HB2267 which is the bill to establish an elected school board in Chicago. As a former educator, I understand the challenges in the classroom and am committed to improving our schools with smaller class sizes and making sure our students have access to nurses and social workers.

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

Perpetual gun violence that has consumed our city and our country is a serious problem. A holistic approach that includes stronger policies, fair policing, and a justice system that minimizes the incarceration of young people and instead promotes investment in our youth are key to renewing our efforts to prevent gun violence before it occurs. As a member of the House Firearm Public Awareness Task Force, we review the issue of gun violence and are working to make recommendations designed to reduce gun violence in Illinois. We need to Fix the FOID to correct deficiencies in the system that allows for loopholes. Through our work, we will look to include community members and organizations to come up with bipartisan solutions to take on the tragedies that impact communities in my district and throughout the state. Finding lasting solutions to this issue will also take a regional approach and we must work with neighboring states and federal officials to additionally approach this problem at a higher scale.

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

Campaign finance reform is an issue that I believe deserves higher awareness. Although term limits are reasonable, until meaningful campaign finance reform is passed, having more elections risks increasing the influence that wealthy contributors have on the political process. Wealthy individuals already have a relentless influence and have the ability to spend virtually unlimited amounts of money in the guise of free speech. We need to find ways to remove their wealth from the process. We can’t depend on an election system when that same system is flawed; we have to change the way people become elected.

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?

Fairness should not be a partisan issue. Wealthy individuals are able to spend unlimited amounts of money to grow their influence on all sides. Gerrymandering is a serious issue that impacts people here in Illinois and throughout the country. I believe in the concept, but I believe the issue is best approached when coupled with other reforms to our electoral process including campaign finance reform and renewed commitment to engage 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?

This is a step in the right direction, but more has to be done. The cloud of corruption has created distrust by constituents towards government. The residents of the southwest side of Chicago, in particular, the 14th Ward, have also endured the public humiliation of their elected officials by local, national, and even international observers. Alderman Ed Burke, Senator Martin Sandoval, and County Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski have betrayed the public trust. I am committed to good governance and honest public service and will look to repair the relationship that voters have with their public servants. I will look at strengthening penalties for politicians, lobbyists, and other insiders who commit egregious acts of misconduct.

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?

Consumer privacy is a big priority for me. I believe that we have a responsibility to consumers and to the middle class. I am a supporter of any policy that protects data from misuse. Sensitive consumer data should be held to the highest encryption standards and companies that cut corners or ignore breaches should be held accountable.

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?

I’m committed to increasing the state’s commitment to provide financial stability for students to stay inside the state. I was a sponsor of the RISE Act which allows DACA to qualify for state grants to attend higher education institutions in the state. We must look to fund innovative programming at Public Universities and Community College and establish strategic partnerships with Private Institutions to work together to keep students in Illinois.

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

I am a co-sponsor of the Clean Energy Jobs Act. I am committed to bringing business and labor to the table to create new high-paying jobs in under-served communities. I am committed to expanding renewable energy efforts at the state level and to continue working with groups on the ground to uphold environmental standards. I received a 100% rating from the Illinois Environmental Council.

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.

Harold Washington. From what I have read and heard, his election brought together a strong multi-racial coalition that included groups whom had never been brought into the process before. Black and brown and black unity brought together diverse neighborhoods across the city under a common cause. His administration brought us initiatives that are still delivering positive results over 30 years after his election.

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

I’m a big fan of Peaky Blinders. It’s a show about a powerful family living in England during the First World War. The protagonist, Tommy Shelby, is a wealthy businessman and leader of a gang and runs his operation with an iron fist. The show depicts the power dynamics between the Shelby gang and others in Birmingham, England.