In January 2024, Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ editors emailed a questionnaire to candidates in contested March 19 primary races for the Illinois General Assembly, requesting biographical information as well as their views on issues ranging from corruption in state politics to Illinois’ longstanding pension crisis. Answers have been lightly edited for typos, minor grammar and consistency in styling, but not for content or length. Age was calculated as of Feb. 6, 2024.
Justin Q. Slaughter: Addressing corruption in Springfield should be a priority for every legislator in the General Assembly. I believe that instilling confidence in government requires a continual effort that should be led by a bipartisan working group and/or taskforce.
Abuse of power has always been my priority; In this current General Assembly, I was very pleased to vote in favor of our House Chamber Rules that ensured term limits on legislative leaders for the time in Illinois History. In addition, last year in 2023, I helped work across the aisle to appoint a former Federal Judge to serve as the State’s Legislative Inspector General.
As a member of the 102nd General Assembly, it is important to note that I voted in favor of: 1) Expanding the statement of economic interest that officials must file to bring more transparency into the process and reveal conflicts of interest; and 2) Expanding lobbyist disclosures so that everyone being paid to influence our elected officials is known to the public.
Restoring trust in government is more than just passing ethics reforms; it’s also about advocating for a government that effectively works for the people and working class families. To this end, I will continue to defend a woman’s right to choose; advance violence prevention initiatives and get weapons of war out of our communities; address wellness disparities by making healthcare more affordable; and stimulate our economy by expanding access to workforce development.
Rebuilding trust in government is also about engaging with your constituents. Throughout my tenure as State Representative I have spent valuable time walking door-to-door to hear the issues and concerns of residents; hosting town halls and resource fairs, and regularly attending block club, church, and community meetings.
Justin Q. Slaughter: Our pension crisis has developed over time, and the people of Illinois must understand that the solutions will also take time to implement. It is imperative that current and future General Assemblies make sound (and smarter) fiscal decisions that are not based on political negotiations, but are based on real evaluation and analysis. In regards to Tier 2 pensions, our future Illinois retirees deserve pensions that keep up with inflation; and so it is critical that we put forth a solution that does not violate the Federal ‘Safe Harbor’ rule. We must have honest and robust collaboration with stakeholders and the people of Illinois about the state’s financial health and the obligations to working families.
I am proud to be a legislator that has helped Illinois significantly improve its fiscal status. While we have a lot more work to do regarding the state’s finances, the smarter financial decisions we have made during my tenure as State Representative are returning Illinois to fiscal health. As a legislator that represents predominantly African American communities, I have voted for critical budgets for our state. More specifically, these budgets have turned Governor Bruce Rauner’s $17 billion debt into a surplus, established and grown our rainy day fund, and went above and beyond our required pension payments to save taxpayers more than $1 billion in the coming years. We are being better stewards of taxpayer dollars and it is being recognized by financial experts, as Illinois has recently received nine credit rating upgrades and earned A ratings from every rating agency.
Justin Q. Slaughter: First and foremost, I believe we must continue to pass impactful balanced budgets. Our recent nine credit upgrades has undoubtedly put Illinois in a stronger financial position to help establish and grow businesses in our State. In addition, it is important that we continue to optimally utilize statewide job growth incentives, such as the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credit and the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV) tax credit. These economic development tools have successfully leveraged our State’s economic assets: world class infrastructure, technology, higher education institutions, and both target industries (i,e. agribusiness, manufacturing, energy, biotech) and emerging industries (i.e. gaming, cannabis, data centers, electric vehicles).
Most importantly, job growth must be fostered through a socio-economic perspective and must prioritize under-served communities. I was delighted to support $200 million in new funding for child care assistance so that residents in my district don’t have to choose between working and caring for their children. In addition, I supported $26 million in new funding to support youth employment, which helps young people have successful future careers, while making our streets safer.
Equally important, it is critical that the State assist small businesses and would-be employers in disadvantaged communities. To this end, we need to expand our Angel Investment Tax Credit program, which helps minority-owned ‘start-up’ companies. In addition, we must continue to grow our Advantage Illinois program, which provides low-interest loans to small businesses - with a focus on minority-owned businesses.
Our State must also leverage Federal resources and initiatives. To address community revitalization in under-served communities, Illinois should position itself to be a national model for utilizing Federal Opportunity Zones, while ensuring that minorities are included in job growth. Illinois should also prioritize the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. Through these national laws, Illinois should cultivate partnerships with local business and labor stakeholders to produce jobs and to provide once-in-a-generation career, technical, and vocational training to minorities.
Legislatively, in the 103rd GA, I have been at the forefront of advocating for job growth initiatives in Black and Brown communities. I am the lead sponsor for HB 3418 (The SAFER Communities Act), which gives a tax credit to small businesses located in disadvantaged areas when they train and hire formerly incarcerated individuals. HB 3418 also provides a wage subsidy for small business owners to help pay employees a living wage. I am also the lead sponsor on HB 5650, which uses the State’s violence prevention provider network to create local workforce development training centers.
In my district, I have always made a concerted effort to partner with local and regional workforce development organizations to host community job and career fairs. I have also leveraged the State’s Muli-year Capital Plan, Rebuild Illinois, to secure funding for major infrastructure projects that will produce critical jobs in my district. These projects include: The Chicago Park District’s new Jackie Robinson Park Fieldhouse and Campus; the Morgan Park Commons (mixed use housing and retail development); the expansion of the Roseland Medical District; and Chicago Transit Authority Red Line Extension.
Justin Q. Slaughter: As a current state representative that represents African American communities I am amenable to collaborating to make changes to our redistricting (remap) process; however, what is most important, is that any proposal must protect minorities and ensure that their voices and voting rights are not diminished or disenfranchised.
In addition to advocating for minority voting rights locally, I believe we must also advocate for these efforts nationally. This is important so that all States are operating within the same rules; and all States prioritize a fair map-making process that allows communities to elect candidates of their choosing.
It is also important to note that educating, engaging, and empowering voters is not only about redistricting. I believe that redistricting should fit into a broader discussion regarding engagement (especially amongst minorities) and expanding voter participation.
Justin Q. Slaughter: The most pressing issue that my constituents want to address is inner-city crime and violence; in particular, gun violence.
My approach to addressing violence is to treat it as a public health issue and to focus on the root causes of violence. As a result, I spear-headed the Reimagine Public Safety Act (RPSA). This initiative represents the largest investment in violence prevention in the history of Illinois. The $250 million investment in local community violence interventions has become a national model for other states to follow, as it creates a ‘first-of-its-kind’ Office of Firearm Violence Prevention (OFVP). As the lead sponsor of this initiative, I was proud to recently see the President of the United States of America and the White House launch its first ever OFVP, which is modeled after Illinois’ RPSA.
Our efforts in violence prevention have focused on a variety of different initiatives that have produced a very robust community provider network. Since the RPSA has been implemented, Illinois has granted resources for the following services: 1) building capacity for smaller neighbor providers; 2) youth engagement and development; 3) community outreach; 4) training; and 5) the Peace Keepers Program (best practice).
Our overall approach with the RPSA is a transformative framework that encompasses significant efforts to achieve the following: 1) bolster intergovernmental partnerships to address violence by coordinating programs and services with local municipalities; 2) prioritize partnerships with local social service providers to address all social determinants of health that under-served communities are disproportionately impacted by; 3) implement best practices and pilot emerging practices; and 4) develop initiatives to foster impactful community revitalization.
The RPSA has and will continue to be my priority for the State and my district. As we continue to implement this transformative effort my focus will now be on sustaining funding. Our goal is to successfully collaborate with the Federal government to provide a state-level healthcare strategy that allows violence prevention services to be eligible for medicaid reimbursement.
Justin Q. Slaughter: As the Illinois House Chair of the Judiciary Criminal Committee and current House Chair of the Illinois Black Caucus, I have served our great State honorably with distinction. I have become a national leader in criminal justice reform and I believe I am well positioned to continue to move Illinois forward as it relates to safety, accountability, fairness, and equity. As our State’s leader on public safety matters, I have emerged as a critical voice in our State’s Democratic Party.
In my district, it is important to my constituents that their State Representative have experience with the State’s budget and legislative process. I have successfully demonstrated that I can effectively advocate for resources and deliver vital programs and services to my district. As a State Representative that persistently advocates for community revitalization, I have secured historic infrastructure investments in my district that total over $70 million. Equally important, I have developed valuable intergovernmental partnerships with local elected officials that have allowed me to serve my constituents more robustly. As a ‘consensus builder’, I understand the needs of my constituents and how to collaborate with community stakeholders to be most impactful.
