2024 Election Questionnaire: Linda Robertson, Illinois House District 65

Full Name: Linda Robertson

What office are you seeking? Illinois General Assembly District 65

What is your political party?

What is your current age?

Occupation and Employer: Semi-retired environmental microbiologist

What offices, if any, have you previously held? Democratic Precinct Committee Person

City: St. Charles

Campaign Website: votelinda65.com/

Education: Bachelor's degree in microbiology at Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, Graduate Work at University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Community Involvement: American Association of University Women: Batavia , Geneva , St. Charles Branch

We Can Lead Change

Geneva Learners Co-Facilitator

Mask Up Kane County

Former Board Member League of Women Voters of Central Kane County

Marital Status/Immediate Family: Yes, I am married. I have two daughters and two grandchildren.

Why are you running for office? Scientists don't typically run for office, but for me, that changed in 2022, when yet another school shooting took the lives of 19 children and two of their teachers in Uvalde, Tex. Standing at a courthouse vigil for the victims of mass shootings, I became determined to fight for safer communities. Then just weeks later, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, stripping women of rights for their own bodies. I was outraged. The current IL65 representative does not support common sense gun-safety laws or a woman's right to choose. I knew we deserved better representation that accurately reflects our communities – that's when I decided to run.

As I've talked with residents across the district, it's clear families need a proven problem-solver in Springfield — someone who will fight for climate solutions, protect reproductive rights, and ensure access to healthcare is easier than access to guns. I'll work for affordable childcare, housing, mental health services, fair taxes, and living wage jobs.

Will you honor the results of the November election, including the presidential race? Yes. I believe in democracy and the voice of the people. I am troubled by the groups that are trying to restrict access to voting and the lies that were spread about the last election.

How would you assess the SAFE-T Act? Are there any changes/adjustments that you would like to see made? I am committed to keeping citizens safe in our communities. The SAFE-T Act has reduced the adverse impacts on people who do not have the money to post bonds. It also makes it more difficult for violent offenders with money to be released. I believe these measures improve the legal system by making it more equitable, more consistent and safer. A recent Loyola study reported no overall increase in crime, although there is variation within communities. Police chiefs, officers and prosecutors tell me they believe there should be additional categories of detention. Amending the SAFE-T Act to expand the detention nets will give prosecutors the ability to ask that dangerous offenders be held until trial.

It is common for bills of this magnitude to require amendment. As a legislator, I will be committed to working with the state's attorneys and law enforcement to utilize actual statistics and case examples to analyze the effectiveness of the bill. We need to make this law work for us and ensure we are not allowing people to buy their way out of the legal system. Our residents deserve to be safe.

What policies would you support to ease the burden on Illinois taxpayers? Please be specific I am in favor of examining our tax structure based on needs and income. We need to make certain that taxes are fair. As a fiscally pragmatic Democrat who has knocked on nearly 10,000 doors, I know people feel overburdened by taxes, which rely heavily on property taxes.

We need to assess Illinois' funding needs and our tax base. I would support a commission to evaluate our needs. Currently, in contrast to Wisconsin, Illinois taxpayers bear the burden of high property taxes, but have relatively lower income tax. This affects everyone whether they are renters or homeowners. Incomes rise and fall, but property taxes tend only to rise, especially as housing values increase. A graduated income tax would remove the unfair burden on working families who already pay a disproportionate amount of user taxes for things like gas, licenses, sales tax, etc. We also need to make sure that regulations are fair and effective; the processes for doing business or getting a license should be streamlined and applied statewide. As a Democrat, I would have a voice at the table to stand up and represent my district.

The Chicago area has been a destination for migrants, often with no housing options when they get here. What would you do in Springfield to help migrants when they appear, and to help local communities prepare when groups show up unannounced? People need to be treated with compassion and dignity. Asylum seekers want safety for their families. As a parent, I understand what might lead someone whose children were hungry and living in unsafe conditions, to take such risks.

The underlying problem rests at the federal level where immigration reform is badly needed. Illinois should press the federal government to strengthen the border. The process to determine eligibility must be streamlined. Funding must be increased to provide for enough judges to determine who qualifies for asylum and who does not. There needs to be federal funding for the immediate needs of migrants such as housing support, food and education.

The wait time for getting work permits must be reduced so that legal migrants can become independent. Illinois must focus on building strong partnerships (including funding support) for neighborhood organizations and social agencies that provide daily wraparound services such as housing assistance, clothing, food, legal services, citizenship workshops and language classes. Federal funding should be disbursed where the need is greatest.

We also need to take care of our current citizens who are without homes and marginalized. It is obvious that we need more attainable housing built. As the climate becomes more extreme, the entire globe is seeing people migrating north from areas that no longer provide stable living conditions. This is another reason why dealing with climate change is important.

What programs are you in favor of that could make home-buying more affordable for first-time homebuyers? I am in favor of the IDHA program that provides up to $10,000 to first-time borrowers. The underlying problem is that we need to create more housing that is attainable for young families. Builders in my district prefer to build high-end homes with higher profits; few new homeowners, with limited budgets, can afford these houses. After years of suppressed building after the 2008 recession and the COVID period, there is a severe shortage of housing. Young teachers, firefighters, police and other workers find housing difficult to attain within the district. We may also want to review the requirements that increase the prices of multi-home buildings to see if they provide a good return on value.

The last census showed that Illinois is losing population, and that rural areas are were hit harder than urban areas. Is that a cause for concern and, if so, what can you do from Springfield to ensure rural communities don't disappear? Rural areas have been losing population since my grandmother was a child. The size of farms has increased, requiring fewer workers, and the towns supporting farmers have dwindled as the population has decreased. Mechanization and corporate farms have decreased the need for people in these areas. In addition, rural families face the reality described in the old song that says show them the lights of the city and they will never go back to the farm.

To attract families to these lower housing cost areas, they will need high speed broadband internet, functional hospitals, stores and good schools.

Should Illinois impose a state parks fee that is earmarked for maintenance of those facilities? If so, how should it be implemented? I have mixed feelings on this. Most states have fees for camping and even fees for making reservations of campsites. I have no problem with this. Day fees are more of a concern since there is competition with the free county forest preserves and the fact that we want to ensure that people have an outlet to the outdoors and an affordable place to enjoy nature.

I believe it is fair to ask state park users to pay a reasonable user fee that is earmarked for the maintenance of the facilities they are enjoying. However, I would not want fees to become a barrier to people coming to the park, such as school groups and social service programs.

Purchasing the environmental license plates is a voluntary way for residents to now support our state parks, but few people know about this. Another option adopted by many states is to charge an annual vehicle admission fee or a daily access fee to properties the DNR manages. We should also consider charging out-of-state cars or campers a higher user fee.

With hospitals closing and/or downsizing in northern Illinois, what can be done to ensure rural residents have access to quality health care? This is a huge problem with no easy solution. While the 65th House district has ample world class medical facilities, this is not the case for rural areas. Hospitals are expensive and require a minimal population base in order to operate effectively. Telemedicine can be helpful and adequate in some situations, but it is inadequate for emergency and/or serious conditions. An option that could be considered for rural areas is the creation of small Critical Access Facilities that provide essential services, including emergency care and obstetrics to stabilize patients before transferring them to larger hospitals if necessary.

A novel idea is the use of Maternity Waiting Homes, which are residential facilities located near hospitals or health centers where pregnant women can stay as they approach their due dates. This ensures that they are close to medical care when labor begins, reducing the risk associated with long travel times.

Funding remains an issue.

Do you support Karina's Bill, which aims to strengthen enforcement of the removal of firearms from those with orders of protection against them? More broadly, are Illinois laws too strict – or not strict enough – when it comes to gun rights and gun control and what changes would you advocate for? I fully support Karina's Bill and believe we must pass it. This legislation would protect domestic partners by requiring law enforcement to remove firearms from people who have emergency orders of protection filed against them. This bill will save lives.

But we can do more. I believe in the Second Amendment, but I also believe that gun ownership comes with responsibility. Our children depend on us to protect them. Gun violence is not only tragic, it is avoidable. We have the right to be safe. We need to work together to prioritize ending gun violence in our communities.

I am proud to support common-sense gun safety principles. The assault weapons ban, the concealed weapons law and the Safe Storage Law save lives. The Illinois General Assembly must continue to focus on common-sense gun safety measures such as Red Flag laws. We must also work to get people to use biometric safes to store their guns and require guns left in cars be secured, since so many guns used in crime are stolen from motor vehicles. Unfortunately, states surrounding Illinois have lax gun laws. Until there is a federal ban on assault weapons, Illinois residents will be vulnerable to weapons brought in from out of state.

Should Metra, Pace and the CTA be combined into one agency? What should be done to address the fiscal cliff facing the public transit agencies? Public transportation should be a priority not only in Chicago, but throughout the state. Unfortunately, public transit in northeastern Illinois is heading toward a fiscal cliff that would drastically reduce service with an annual deficit estimated to be 730 million per year going forward.

My position is that I support transit. It's good for the economy and it's good for people's lives. I also support the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning's (CMAP) Plan of Action for Regional Transit (PART), which recommends several options for governance reform including consolidation. However, I also am running to support the people of the 65th District and will only support reforms that ensure their voice is heard.

A Metropolitan Mobility Authority (MMA) that would unify the transit systems is still in the developmental stages, but I applaud the Senate for diving deep into the issue and the House as it begins its work. However, I can't say I support or oppose the MMA until we know the full picture, which includes proposed sources of revenue that have not yet been discussed. I look forward to learning more as the General Assembly continues its work.

In your capacity as a private citizen, have you or any business entity in which you have a ownership stake received a federal PPP loan? If so, what was the amount and is it repaid, forgiven or still outstanding? No.

Have you ever been convicted of or charged with a crime? No.