Marriage Equality
I believe that the question of marriage equality is one of fairness and freedom. As a Republican, I have always believed that the role of a limited government is to make laws that hold all people equal before the law, not to devise rules that make moral judgments of any particular class. Today, in Illinois, we cannot say that gay and lesbian couples — and their families — have equal opportunities. Allowing civil marriage for these couples will resolve this disparity, as well as strengthen families and foster social stability in our communities. These interests should be as valid and protected as the right of a religion to make its own decisions about marriage; this is why my support of the current bill relied on the presence of strong religious protections.
Marriage is rooted in the values of responsibility, love, and lifetime commitment; the government should not stand in the way of any couple who is prepared to make those promises to each other, regardless of orientation. For these reasons, I proudly support marriage equality.
Read what I shared with the Chicago Tribune about my personal and family evolution on this issue.
Marriage is rooted in the values of responsibility, love, and lifetime commitment; the government should not stand in the way of any couple who is prepared to make those promises to each other, regardless of orientation. For these reasons, I proudly support marriage equality.
Read what I shared with the Chicago Tribune about my personal and family evolution on this issue.
Pension Reform
Illinois now has nearly $100 billion in unfunded pension liability. The citizens of our state can no longer afford to shoulder this massive debt, and the government needs to address that. We are well past the time for political posturing about who brought us to this point; instead, we need action from both sides of the aisle to create practical solutions and achieve real reform. I have been open to reviewing any plan that is put forward, and to date have supported bipartisan legislation such as the Nekritz-Biss-Cross plan.
The above video is my reaction this January to Governor Quinn's State of the State address, where I explain why our government needs to get serious about resolving this extremely important problem.
Second Amendment Rights
I am a strong supporter of the right to bear arms that the Second Amendment affords to Illinois citizens. I also support a comprehensive plan for concealed carry that would ensure strong protections to guide the appropriate place for firearms in our society. Presently, the majority in the General Assembly is choosing to attempt a litany of test votes instead of facing the whole of this issue before the court-mandated deadline: June 9, 2013. I feel that the majority could throw the state into a constitutional crisis if we pass this date without a solution.
Paid for by Citizens for Sullivan
