Democratic candidate for Illinois House in the 5th District: Felicia Bullock

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On Jan. 30, Felicia Bullock appeared before the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board. We asked her why she’s running for the Democratic nomination in the Illinois House of Representatives 5th District:

My name is Felicia Bullock and I am running for state representative of the 5th District. I have an undergrad degree in political science from Northern Illinois University. I also served on the school board as a senator for two years while I was there. A specific cause of mine is education. I’m a product of Chicago Public Schools so I’m extremely passionate about making sure that we have adequate funding for our school system.

Safety. Everyone I went when I was petitioning that was the number one concern that people had. Their safety in the community. So I would like to implement programs and work with the alderman on this. Implement some programs where we can mend the relationship between law enforcement and the community. I think that is extremely important and I think that it is the first step to having safer communities.

The Chicago Sun-Times sent the candidates seeking nominations for the Illinois House of Representatives a list of questions to find out their views on a range of important issues facing the state of Illinois. Bullock submitted the following answers to our questionnaire:

TOPIC: Top priorities

QUESTION: Please explain what your specific cause or causes will be. Please avoid a generic topic or issue in your answer.

ANSWER: I want my constituents to have access to quality education and healthcare, but mostly importantly I want them to be safe. I spoke with so many people who were concerned with their safety and that just breaks my heart. I want to continue to engage with my constituents about what exactly would make them feel safer. Some say that higher police presence would make them feel safer but others say it would not because of the damaged relationship between the police and the community. I want to repair that relationship. I would work hand and hand with the commanders of my police districts and the CAPS program to not only publicize programs that are already going on, but to create more community policing programs where residents young and old, have a chance to interact with officers in an environment that’s not inadvertently hostile to young men of color.

Felicia Bullock

Running for: Illinois House of Representatives 5th district

Political/civic background: First Race

Occupation: Buyer (Procurement)

Education: B.A. Political Science

Campaign website: feliciabullock.com

TOPIC: Top district needs

QUESTION: Please list three district-specific needs that will be your priorities. This could be a project that is needed in your district, or a rule that needs to be changed, or some federal matter that has been ignored.

ANSWER: As mentioned above, this district needs for its constituents to feel safe. One of my first projects would involve mending the community’s relationship with CPD.

TOPIC: Pension debt

QUESTION: In 2017, Illinois’ unfunded pension liability ballooned to at least $130 billion. Do you support re-amortizing this debt? Please explain your answer. And what is your position on a constitutional amendment that would reduce the liability of the pension debt?

ANSWER: The reduction in liability of the pension debt is critical to the fiscal solvency of Illinois. Yes I do support the re-amortizing of our pension debt. The cost that we are paying now would not be so high if we as a state would have been making our monthly or even quarterly obligation payment.

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TOPIC: Minimum wage

QUESTION: Cook County and Chicago are on their way to paying a $13 hourly minimum wage. Many suburbs in the county, however, have opted out of the wage increase. Should Illinois raise its minimum wage from $8.25 an hour? Please explain. And if you favor an increase in the state minimum wage, what should it be?

ANSWER: When you look at the cost of living in IL and particularly Chicago, without question the minimum wage should be raised. Everyone deserves to be able to live comfortably and while no one will achieve that

Working for the minimum wage. By increasing it, we allow citizens of the state of IL to afford more of the necessities of life.

TOPIC: Marijuana

QUESTION: Should recreational marijuana be legalized in Illinois? Please explain.

TOPIC: Casinos

QUESTION: Would you support more casinos in Illinois, including in Chicago. What about racinos? Please explain.

ANSWER: While I know money can be generated from casinos. And I would support more, I think we should wait and let the revenue of the current casino’s rise before we decided to open up more. They revenue generated has not supported opening more. I am in support of a casino in Chicago.

TOPIC: Property tax freeze

QUESTION: A property tax freeze in Illinois has been proposed frequently since Gov. Bruce Rauner took office. What’s your position? If you favor a freeze, how many years should it last? Should the freeze exclude property tax increases to service the debt, make pension payments or cover the cost of public safety? Again, please explain.

ANSWER: Population loss in Illinois has been attributed to the high taxation and cost of living in the state. The property tax freeze is needed to help keep citizens in Illinois and out of neighboring states. Regardless of what the revenue is used for the freeze is needed to keep residents here in the state. It should last 4 years.

TOPIC: School funding

QUESTION: A revised school funding formula was approved this year by the Legislature and the governor, but a bipartisan commission has concluded that billions more dollars are needed to achieve sufficient and equitable funding. Should Illinois spend more on schools, and where would the money come from?

TOPIC: Opioid abuse

QUESTION: How can the Legislature best address the problem of opioid abuse and addiction? Please cite specific laws you have supported or would support.

TOPIC: Guns

QUESTION: Do you support a state ban on gun silencers? Please explain.

ANSWER: Yes, there is no reason we need silencers on guns (especially here in the city) other than to commit crimes.

QUESTION: Should all gun dealers in Illinois be licensed by the state? Please explain.

ANSWER: Yes, with all the violence that’s taking place in Chicago, we have to hold gun dealers accountable.

QUESTION: Should family members be empowered to petition courts for the temporary removal of guns from emotionally or mentally disturbed people who may be a danger to themselves or others? Please explain.

ANSWER: Yes, I believe they should. If family members are concerned about a certain individual owning a gun, we should also be concerned. These kind of situations should be investigated, it’s “better safe than sorry” in these cases.

TOPIC: Medicaid

QUESTION: What would you do to ensure the long-term viability of the state’s Medicaid program? Do you support continued Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act? Should the state continue on a path toward managed care for Medicaid beneficiaries? Should everyone be permitted to buy into Medicaid?

ANSWER: As someone who spent a short time working in the healthcare industry, I truly value what Medicaid does and how it helps our state. I would do whatever is takes to get my colleagues aligned on protecting our Medicaid program.

TOPIC: College student exodus

QUESTION: Illinois is one of the largest exporters of college students in the country. What would you do to encourage the best and brightest young people in Illinois to attend college here at home? Does Illinois have too many state universities, as some have argued?

ANSWER: Marketability and affordability are driving our students out of state. Our universities are some of the most competitive in the state, but we don’t market them competitively enough to where a student will want to stay. Also affordability is a huge factor. When you look at the cost of attending the flagship university for our neighboring states, versus UIUC. You the price is dramatically cheaper. This in turn makes young people go else where.

TOPIC: Gov. Rauner

QUESTION: Please list three of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s principles, or decisions he has made, with which you agree. Also please list three of the governor’s principles, or decisions he has made, with which you disagree.