Democratic candidate for Ill. House, 28th District: Kimberly Nicole Koschnitzky

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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. Kimberly Nicole Koschnitzky 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: My campaign is based on the idea that there are simply not enough women, especially young women, with a voice in the room in government. I am passionate about education and am appalled at how Governor Rauner has shortchanged out public schools. I will fight for equal funding for all schools in the city and the suburbs. It is not fair that in the 28th district, some public schools flourish well others fail their students. I also believe we need to fully fund social services, especially senior services. The current leadership in Springfield is ignoring all of these priorities.

Kimberly Nicole Koschnitzky

Legislative District: 28th House

Political/civic background: None

Occupation: Connected Vehicle Specialist for General Motors

Education: Bachelor’s Degree, Illinois State University

Campaign website: kimforillinois.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: The top priority is our schools need to be fully funded. All throughout the district there are construction needs. I would fight hard for funding to repair roads and bridges in my communities.

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: I would support a tax on millionaires and billionaires directed at paying the pensions down. I do not support changing the constitution because I think retirees don’t deserve to take the blame for the pensions not being paid by the government. I would need to study how re-amortizing works before I can take a position on that.

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: Yes, I support raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

TOPIC: Pot

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

ANSWER: Yes, I would support legalizing and taxing to help get more money into the state.

TOPIC: Casinos

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

ANSWER: Yes, I support a casino in the south suburbs. Right now everyone just goes to Indiana.

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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: I would have to study it more, but I know schools rely on property taxes so I worry that our schools would suffer if we completely freeze taxes.

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?

ANSWER: Yes Illinois needs to spend more on schools. If we tax the wealthy to pay down the pensions that would free up a lot more money for education.

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.

ANSWER: We need to fully fund rehab programs and start earlier. Every high school should have experts in place to identify the signs of opium abuse and take steps to limit the damage.

TOPIC: Guns

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

ANSWER: Yes, I support banning silencers as they have nothing to do with hunting or home protection.

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

ANSWER: Yes, gun dealers should be licensed and regulated because it is necessary to enforce gun laws.

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. If a relative is a danger to themselves or others, they should be able to intervene.

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? – I support the Affordable Care Act in general. I would need to study more on managed care before making a decision.

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: I am a proud graduate of a state school and I think it’s terrible how Bruce Rauner has gone to war with our colleges. We should fully fund the MAP program and give students greater incentives to attend Illinois schools. Our colleges and community colleges need to be stable in order to attract students.

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.

ANSWER: I’m not sure I can come up with three, but I agree with him on signing the bill to protect abortion access

I think the governor gets most of the blame for the fact that we haven’t had a budget in years and the damage that it’s done.

I disagree with how the governor has tried to make unions and working people the enemy