Candidate: Brandon Adams, Illinois 100th House District

Editor’s note: Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election is underway in Illinois. The State Journal-Register asked some candidates in contested races to answer questions related to the office they seek.

Date of birth: April 30, 1975

Family: I don't have kids yet and reside in Jacksonville near my mother, father, and sister.

Education: Jacksonville High School graduate and Midwest Technical Institute welding and pipefitter certification.

Occupation: Professional welder and American Welding Society certified welding inspector

Relevant experience: I was appointed precinct committee person in 2018, elected alderman on Earth Day, 2019 and elected precinct committee person in the 2020 primary. I hold these positions because my constituents know I am just like the community I represent, and will do the same as state representative.

Why are you the best person to represent the 100th House District?

I awoke after a two-month coma from West Nile virus and a $321,639.93 hospital bill. While living in public housing during my medical rehab, I received vocational training for future employment in welding inspection from the Illinois Division of Rehabilitation Services. Giving back to my country by becoming a public servant was extremely rewarding and postponed my previous career. I personally realized the serious need for improvements in health care, education, job training, and housing, like so many of our friends and family are currently experiencing. Speaking out and fighting to fix these issues affecting us has been my main focus since becoming politically involved.

What specific ethics reforms do you feel should be enacted?

Not should be, must be enacted! It starts with campaign finance reform to a publicly funded system. People's perception of politicians as wealthy and out-of-touch must change into a trustworthy member of their community who represents the majority of constituents. A term limit debate must happen at the General Assembly in order to bring representation to the next generation. The redistricting map must have a nonpartisan/bipartisan commission to equally divide each district without party bias, thus ensuring equal representation for the voters first and foremost. Any issues showing favoritism to the state instead of the people, must have some reexamination legislatively.

There is increased focus on structural racism and police brutality in the country. What steps should the state pursue to address those issues?

As alderman, I've requested in both September City Council meetings that the city of Jacksonville reconsider four police conduct issues, and the state should do the same.

First, ban the police use of chemical weapons on civilians. It is an international war crime as stated by the United Nations from the Geneva Convention in 1925 and reaffirmed in 1997.

Second, end civil asset forfeiture. The Supreme Court decided 9-0 against this very practice in the 2019 Timbs v. Indiana case, but many police departments still unconstitutionally sieze assets. Third, remove the use of the carotid neck restraint. The similar chokehold technique is banned from usage in many police departments because of its misuse. Fourth, limit or end the use of no-knock warrants that have recently caused unrest in Louisville, Ky., from the police harm to civilians using this technique.

Is the state taking the correct approach to addressing the coronavirus pandemic? If not, what should be changed?

Unfortunately, there isn't a united state plan by our federal government where a national approach and funding to the pandemic is needed. This leaves each state dependent on its own program for the safety and responsibility of their own citizens. Like other precautionary states, Illinois is listening to the experts in infectious diseases. Those experts say the best practices for controlling COVID-19 remains to be proper physical distancing, wearing a mask as confirmed by the CDC director, and following examples like the U of I and the Whitehouse that use COVID-19 testing preformed multiple times a week on everyone! The state can provide some but not all of the financial relief needed for citizens and small businesses. The people, with the help of the General Assembly, must petition and demand the U.S. Congress appropriate this money to help not only Illinois, but the nation during this tumultuous time.

What specific steps do you support to control state pension costs?

Pension reform will remain difficult because of the many previous administration's records of shorting the pension fund going back decades. That act was unconstitutional as the Illinois Constitution quotes "the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired." Each state worker contributed their portion mandated by law and must expect the state will uphold its end of the financial bargain. Pension costs are a manageable percentage of total revenue, and again, if the revenue increases from the social economical improvements and infrastructure, then the pension percentage total would be less.

What steps should be taken to control property taxes?

The fair tax amendment will help curb the constant increases in property tax by making the wealthiest 3 percent of Illinoisans pay their fair share of income tax. A discussion needs to debate why capital property isn't taxed with other physical properties. If an investment is in land, that property is taxed yearly. If that same amount is invested into a shed full of gold bars, only the shed is taxed as actual property. The same goes for stocks, they have a daily stock market value but only get a capital gains tax, sometimes decades later, when sold. This gives the wealthiest a tax avoidance option for their capital property that the average citizen doesn't own. Those same average citizens now can't afford the increases in their own property taxes after the lack of contributions by those who can afford it, but legally avoid it.

How should the state address efforts to promote clean energy?

The majority of power produced in Illinois is coal dependent. This is a huge opportunity because of coal's need for state and federal subsidies. This funding can be redistributed to more energy efficient producers of power. Tax credits and funding are currently available to entice owners into investing in renewable technology. There is a big effort to divest from fossil fuels and provide more funding to help create important opportunities in wind, solar, and geothermal. A combination of these improvements are essential to leave this planet more habitable than when we were born.

What should the state do to promote job creation and economic development and stem the exodus of people from Illinois?

Illinois is on the right path by taxing the wealthy, raising the minimum wage, the nation’s largest investment into fiber optic broadband, and the legalization of cannabis, all since 2019. Improving on these same initiatives will help more citizens gain meaningful education, technical training, and living-wage employment. Once the investment into the future generation is evident, then the people will not only stop leaving, but start returning and thriving in an economy that's productive for the working-class community.

Speaker Madigan has been implicated, but not charged in the federal investigation of Commonwealth Edison. In light of this, what should the House response be?

I am wholeheartedly against corruption no matter what party does it! The United States Constitution has protective amendments and due process written into law. The governor has asked the speaker to step down if these allegations are true, as would I.

With the governor asking agencies to identify possible budget cuts, what specific cuts to which departments/programs do you support?

I'm all for an independent commission to investigate wasteful spending in the state, but the conversation needs to be about increasing revenue. If the state invests in technology and infrastructure to improve commerce and better the education system, these improvements would lead to an enormous increase in state revenue funding. These economic improvements would start to pay down our past debt that previous unsuccessful austerity measures have tried addressing.