Larry E. Hug, Illinois Senate 49th District Democratic candidate profile

Candidate profile

Larry E. Hug

Running for:Illinois State Senate Dist. 49

Political/civic background: Currently Joliet City Councilman District 1 (2011-Current)

Occupation:Licensed Independent Insurance Agent

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Communications; Northern Illinois University (1987)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Larry-Hug-For-Illinois-Senate-Dist-49-156441914406813/

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. Larry E. Hug 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.

When I was first elected to the Joliet City Council, I began a push to create the city’s first-ever Economic Development Committee. I was met with resistance from entrenched council members and the mayor at the time. It took me 3 ½ years to get the votes I needed to form the committee. The long and the short is that by 2014 the committee was formally established. In 2015 I was named as the Chairman and we swiftly went to work hiring the city’s first-ever Economic Development Director. The work we immediately embarked on brought in $1.5 billion of new development between 2015 and 2019. This new development brought in enough new revenue that we did not have to raise any taxes or fees in that same time period. I am confident I can duplicate this in Springfield.

I am also very proud of my ongoing work with the Plainfield Schools District 202 Foundation for Excellence. As a current board member, and past executive board member, I’ve helped the Foundation raise money through private donations and fundraisers which allows the Foundation to award monetary scholarships to students and teachers to continue their education. Education will continue to be a passion and priority for me in Springfield.

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.

Taxes. Let’s be clear and recognize the 800-pound gorilla in the room. The increasing total tax burden for residents in the 49th, and throughout the state, is a concern for the vast majority of residents regardless of who they are, what party they belong to or where they live in the state. While there are many good causes that state government can and should support, the question must always be “how will we pay for this.” Virtually all initiatives carry a cost. Anymore there seems to be absolutely no discussion about prioritizing the budget or scrutinizing spending, only about raising yet another tax or fee. We cannot continue to raise taxes and fees to address these priorities. We have hit the “tipping point” where a noticeable number of residents are giving up on Illinois and moving away. We must do more than give lip service to cutting pork, unnecessary wasteful spending and eliminating corruption. I address this more specifically in subsequent questions.

Infrastructure. The 49th is the hub of Illinois’ booming logistics industry. With that economic success comes transportation and infrastructure challenges. Meeting these challenges costs money. We need more state and federal dollars to address the highways, roads and infrastructure issues that are an outgrowth of this new development.

Local government budgets. The state must stop raiding local budgets in an attempt to improve their own. They need to reverse the additional fees and revenue cuts they instituted back in 2018 to such local revenues as the local Home Rule and Non-Home Rule Sales tax and the Local Government Distributive Fund. This translates into millions of lost revenues to cities, towns and villages across the 49th and across the state.

What are your other top legislative priorities?

Among the top concerns for my Senate District, and any Senate District in the state is 1) Taxes 2) Education 3) Infrastructure and 4) eliminating corruption.

Instituting the Stoplight Budgeting program could head off future tax increases and ease the current tax burden on our residents. This is explained in more detail in a subsequent question below.

Identifying a firm and sustainable state funding source for schools would allow for a reduction in local property tax. Additionally, a statewide prohibition on school districts giving property tax incentives to businesses and developers would further reduce the property tax load on residents. It has been my experience that school districts often feel obligated or pressured, by other taxing bodies, to give away such incentives because they are concerned another school district might do it if they don’t. They don’t want to be blamed for “killing development”. A ban on this practice would level the playing field statewide while protecting the current lion’s share of school funding.

The 49th Senate District is made up Will and Kendall Counties. Will County is ground zero for the booming logistics industry in Illinois. Kendall county is headed in that direction as well. Infrastructure as a whole is important to the entire state. Truck traffic and its effects on roads is at the forefront in the 49th. While the 10-year, $40 billion capital bill addresses some of these issues and is a big step in the right direction we need to do more. We need to work with our federal elected officials to fund the transportation improvements and maintenance we deserve as that would reflect the 3% of the U.S. GDP, and over 90% of state GDP, that passes through our district. To put it in perspective, 3% of total projected 2020 federal revenues would be nearly $110 billion.

We must do more to eliminate corruption and hold corrupt individuals responsible. I expand on this below in a subsequent question about corruption.

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

I support it as long as a new progressive, graduated flat tax is enshrined in the constitution and requires a 3/5 super-majority to change once enacted. My suggestion is to base the graduated flat tax schedule on the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and/or the Dept. of Labor’s average household income as published each year. The graduated flat state income tax could then be based on a multiple of that average. An example could be as follows. Below the average household income, there would be a 1% flat tax on individuals in that household. From the average household income to twice the average, there would be a 2%. Twice the average to three times the average there would be a 3%. Three times the average to five times the average there would be a 5%. Above five times the average there would be a 7%. Most importantly, this must be enshrined in the state constitution or at least require a three fifths majority to change so that there will be some protection from easy increases to the 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?

Most every issue comes back to the same answer, how do we pay for it without further tax and fee increases. Prioritizing expenditures is the key. I have an initiative in mind I refer to as “Stoplight Budgeting.” We need to create a non-partisan budget team, similar to the Federal Congressional Budget Office, within the State Comptroller’s office that would “grade” the budget each year. Green flagging indicates expenditures for critical and necessary basic state services. Yellow flagging indicates expenditures which are non-critical but impact the entire state. Red flagging would be for items that are non-essential, pork and unnecessary. A line item analysis would objectively flag the entire budget line by line with this coding. This would be done prior to applying revenues to the budget. The legislature would then apply the available revenues to Green first, Yellow next and if any revenue is left it can be applied to the Red items or towards a reduction in budget spending which can be translated into a tax reduction to Illinois residents. It is my belief that doing so could free up 10-30% from the current budget.

This is an extremely brief and rudimentary summary of my plan. Yes, the devil is always in the details and paramount to this program working is assigning realistic values to the Stoplight Budget flagging system. This system would have to be instituted as a requirement by statute, not as an optional system.

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

It’s not as simple as “tax the wealthy.” First, we would have to determine the threshold for “wealthy.” Sounds simple, but believe me, it won’t be. Also, “Retirement income” is a broad term. It would include Social Security, pensions and retirement investment accounts such as 401(k)s, IRAs and Annuities. Any investment principal that was taxed as income prior to investing should never be taxed on withdrawal. The percentage that is a capital gain on the initial investment could be viewed as new, untaxed income. The entire investment account could be viewed as new, untaxed income in tax deferred investments. Something to consider is taxing capital gains as income, both before and after retirement. However, increased taxes to Illinois citizens have to be a last resort. I would like to see the actual results from my Stoplight Budgeting proposal before entertaining yet another tax on any Illinois residents.

Also, Social Security should never be taxed. However, the FICA tax should have no limit on income. With an average household income of $52,000 in Illinois that would indicate that the vast majority of Illinois (and U.S.) citizen pay FICA on their entire income. To be fair, everyone should pay on the entire income. Of course, this is a federal issue.

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

Let the teachers teach for the love of Pete! A bunch of politicians, who are not professional educators, making up rules and mandates, most often unfunded, that only serve to distract the teachers from teaching is insane. I would really prefer to institute a program whereby actual educators, on the front line, would formulate education programs and proposals. Not politicians.

Dependable, adequate funding from the state would go a long way in improving many elementary and high schools throughout Illinois.

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

This is more complicated than guns alone. Guns were easier to obtain decades ago yet people weren’t shooting each other at unprecedented rates. While today’s weapons are more advanced technologically, we’ve had guns since the creation of our nation and automatic weapons since at least the 1920s, such as the Browning automatic rifle and the Tommy Gun. The state of mind to kill another is a mental health issue basically. We need to approach and solve it as a mental health issue. Additionally, it should certainly be everyone’s focus to do what’s necessary to keep all guns out of the hands of those who should not have them.

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

I believe this question is best answered at the polls in the form of a referendum. I would support and abide by such a referendum. As a citizen, I personally opposed term limits as I do not like the state telling me who I may consider, or vote for, in any free election. I believe term limits should be applied at the election polls where someone can be voted out. Campaign finance and lobbying reforms are the real answer.

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?

Gerrymandering is a strategy that serves the interest of a few, not the many. I live in a purple district. You have to appeal to all residents, not just a select group. It seems Iowa has it right. I would support using the “Iowa Method.” This method uses a non-partisan commission to draw the boundaries based on state and federal laws and requirements. It is my understanding that Iowa uses a computer program to begin the process. If the Illinois legislature will not change the way we redistrict it should be put before the citizens on the ballot.

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?

Put some teeth and a real bite into the punishment given to those legislators who violate the ethics rules and engage in corruption. Start by introducing better policing of current ethics regulations while tightening up those same regulations. We should increase penalties for elected officials violating the ethics regulations up to and including removal from office. If there’s no teeth in the ethics regulations they are worthless and amount to nothing more than pandering.

Lawmakers should not serve as consultants or lobbyists while in office or for at least 4 years after they leave office. Any legislator whose employment benefits directly from any legislation should be required to recuse himself or herself from discussion and voting on that legislation or from serving on any committee overseeing such regulation.

There should be a “fire wall” between the legislative inspector general and his/her staff. There should also be a formal selection process overseen by the Illinois Attorney General, or possibly the Illinois State Supreme Court, with the final choice needing a 2/3 supermajority for approval. Removal of that legislative inspector general should be a process requiring a 2/3 majority of the state senate under the supervision of the Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court.

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? *

This is an issue most effectively tackled on the federal level through the FCC or FTC. I oppose this type of “personal information harvesting” and believe it should be prohibited. They can always offer it to the consumer as an “opt in” program and pay the consumer for their information if the consumer opts in.

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?

Simply put, make it more affordable. A possible incentive would be to increase merit-based scholarships at our public universities. This would encourage our “best and the brightest” to remain in state and attend Illinois colleges. I might suggest a merit-based scholarship program offering 100% tuition reimbursement for maintaining an A average, 80% for a B average, 70% for a C average and no reimbursement for anything lower. College is not for everyone. Some will be successful entering the trades or another alternative career path.

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

Water. More and more municipalities are facing the need to find a new source of water as current sources dry up. We must improve and maintain the quality of our water sources, such as lakes and rivers, to meet this growing need. This is not to say that there are not many other environmental issues and considerations we must address. But none or more basic to human survival than water.

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.

Paul Simon. The late Senator Simon was a man of integrity who believed in honesty and transparency. He didn’t just talk the talk. He spent his entire career in public service walking the walk. He was socially compassionate while being fiscally conservative, describing himself as a “pay-as-you-go” Democrat. He was the real deal and his sincerity was obvious.

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

Law & Order. It’s an entertaining and fairly realistic show that demonstrates the challenge and complexity of government “getting it right”, while exploring social issues that confront our society.