Margaret Croke, Illinois House 12th District Democratic candidate profile

Candidate profile

Margaret Croke

Running for: Illinois’s 12th House District

Political/civic background: Deputy Chief of Staff for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)

Director of Women’s Outreach for Gov. Pritzker’s gubernatorial campaign

Executive Assistant to the Director of Legislative Council and Government Affairs for Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Office

Illinois Regional Field Director to the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign

Director of Scheduling & Advance for Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer.

Occupation: Deputy Chief of Staff for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)

Education: University of Michigan, BA Political Science & Communication

Campaign website: CrokeforIllinois.com

Facebook: Margaret Croke Candidate for Illinois House District 12

Twitter: @Croke4Illinois

Instagram: @CrokeforIllinois

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. Margaret Croke 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 am Deputy Chief of Staff for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). In that position, I manage a multitude of projects on behalf of the Director, and serve as lead liaison to the Governor’s Office, and as Secretary-Treasurer to the Broadband Advisory Council.

Prior to joining DCEO, I served on Governor JB Pritzker’s transition team and was the statewide Women’s Outreach Director for Pritzker’s gubernatorial campaign. I joined the campaign in June of 2017 and strategically networked with stakeholders, elected officials, community groups, and progressive organizations to promote JB’s candidacy. One of my greatest achievements during the campaign included organizing a 600-person Women for JB event with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Before JB’s campaign, I was Executive Assistant to the Director of Legislative Council and Government Affairs for Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Office, Illinois Regional Field Director to the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, and Director of Scheduling and Advance for Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer.

While with Commissioner Gainer, I ran Off the Sidelines Chicago (now known as Cause the Effect) and hosted the first Young Feminist Conference in August 2016. The conference brought together 200 young women from across the city to have a conversation about issues ranging from neighborhood violence to the definition of feminism to campus sexual assault. The conference served as a catalyst for young women to become politically and civically active while recognizing the power and potential of their thoughts and actions.

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.

1. The Casino Bill which could lessen the burden on property owners

2. Funding from the capital bill for the district’s parks and schools.

3. Condo de-conversion

What are your other top legislative priorities?

Crime and Safety legislation

Repealing the Parental Notification Act

Subsidized and affordable child care

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

I fully support Gov. Pritzker’s proposed fair tax because I believe it is the only way to pay off the $3.2 billion deficit and $15 billion in unpaid bills that Illinois has accrued without burdening the middle class or cutting the funding of other vital public services. Moreover, the fair tax ensures that everyone in Illinois is paying their fair share, specifically the wealthy elites, who have gone too long without contributing at the same level of the lower and middle class.

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?

I think passing the fair tax is an important first step in paying back these bills, meeting pension obligations and funding core public services, but obviously it cannot solve all of our problems. I am open to exploring more progressive revenue sources that benefit all residents and not just some.

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

Again, I believe the answer to our imbalance of revenue and obligations begins with the fair tax. I don’t believe in putting the cart before the horse on other tax discussions until then.

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

I believe that the best way to improve schools in Illinois is to ensure that they are fully funded. Increasing school funding in Illinois is essential to providing its residents with a quality, equitable education. Education is fundamental to our lives, but without proper funding teachers are not able to provide students with a quality education without making sacrifices elsewhere. Schools being underfunded and under-prioritized is no longer acceptable, and I will work hard to ensure a future where all schools are made a top priority.

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

While Illinois has fairly strict gun laws, there is still more that can be done. It is vital that Illinois sets an example for our surrounding states that we will not stand by as the gun violence epidemic wreaks havoc on our country. For one, I would propose that all firearm owners should be required to register their firearms, as well as prohibit the transfer or possession of assault weapons, 50 caliber rifles, or large capacity ammunition magazines. Unfortunately, far more crime guns are trafficked into the state of Illinois, so it is important for us to reach out to surrounding states and implore them to comply with similarly strict gun laws in an effort to reduce gun violence. We also must monitor the effectiveness of our red flag law so that families and communities have a way to take action when one of their own has an issue that demands they be prevented from using a firearm.

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

Oppose.

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 a non-partisan redistricting process.

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 think the General Assembly abdicated its responsibility to address the concerns of the voters by passing real ethics reform. We have no useful knowledge about politicians financial holdings or obligations to ensure that they are free of a conflict of interest and our financial disclosure laws need a serious update. Further, we have to address the fact that corruption on contracting pervades Illinois. I would support robust procurement and contracting reform in order to diminish the power of political figures from being able to steer contracts to allies and friends.

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?

Illinois has some robust privacy protections and the first thing I would do is make sure that social media companies and big tech companies do not revoke those laws as they have tried on multiple occasions. Second, I would push for the general assembly to pass a law similar to the California Consumer Privacy Act.

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?

We have to grow our financial commitment to our state universities. As a measure of current dollars compared to the year 2000, we have cut more than 40 percent of the funding stream to our public universities. That is unacceptable. I am also supportive of the University of Illinois’s proposed Discovery Partners Institute which I think will develop businesses in Illinois, keep university graduates in the state, and develop our entrepreneurial workforce.

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

Considering my district’s proximity to Lake Michigan, my top priority would be to ensure we keep Lake Michigan clean and keep invasive species out. Lake Michigan has been at risk of invasion from Asian carp for some time, and I think investing in infrastructure that will ensure the safety and health of our great lake is a big priority.

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.

Jane Addams. I believe that if you decide to be a public servant, you have to have a mission that you draw strength and inspiration from every day. Jane Addams was committed to women’s suffrage, the well-being of women and children, and public education. She was a pragmatic reformer who was able to accomplish so much for the City of Chicago because of coalition building.

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

West Wing. I started watching it on Netflix after the Hillary Clinton campaign. My parents used to watch it when I was younger and I never understood how they could keep up with everyone talking so quickly. After the election, it brought me back to a sense of normalcy that I think our political system can ultimately return to. I have hope that our federal government will once again be run by smart and rational people who tackle complex issues thoughtfully and protect our country. The show’s theme song is currently my ringtone.