The four Democratic candidates running in the 79th Illinois House District all say they support legislation to bolster the district’s economy through job creation and various tax reduction methods.
Kankakee County Board member Robert Ellington-Snipes, Monee Township Trustee William “Billy” Morgan, Kankakee Elementary District 111 Superintendent Genevra Walters and college student Dylan Mill are running in the district that stretches north to include Monee, University Park and Park Forest.
The winner of the primary will face incumbent Republican Rep. Jackie Haas, who has held the seat since 2020, in November.
Morgan, 33, said as the cost of consumer goods increases, he’d like to grow the economy by offering businesses incentives. Morgan also said he would support a state child tax credit to help working families with childcare and an annual state property tax refund to offset property taxes.
Morgan also said he would support legislation to protect a woman’s right to make health care decisions and expand services for people with disabilities and older residents.
“I’m running to make sure that working families have a decent shot. Everybody deserves a fair break, and we need to remember that real reform bubbles up from the grassroots not from the top down,” Morgan said.
Ellington-Snipes, 63, said he would seek to eliminate credit card fees at restaurants. He’d also propose legislation to protect older residents from fraudulent calls, which sometimes result in a loss of savings, Ellington-Snipes said.
Ellington-Snipes wants to amend the state’s pension system to only account for base wages to save money. The state raises taxes to cover the pension payouts, Ellington-Snipes said, so reworking the system would ultimately decrease taxes.
Ellington-Snipes said while the SAFE-T Act, a major public safety bill that became law, was a good start, he’d like to amend it to “make it more smooth sailing,” which includes ensuring people don’t lose jobs if they are held in prison and ultimately found not guilty.
“I want to be a watchdog over the rights of the people, especially the poor, seniors and just the working class in general. We need to have individuals in Springfield that will move laws in that regard,” he said.
Walters, 55, said she supports legislation to bring well-paying jobs to the community, including Walters said, opportunities for students to have well-paying jobs that don’t affect their school schedule.
Walters also said she’d like to address youth development and the effect of gun violence on communities. Walters would like to increase resources for families to support their children.
“When people think about education they think about school buildings and teachers. But really, students are educated in communities. If the communities are healthy, then the youth development is healthy,” Walters said.
Dylan Mill, 23, said he wants to address poverty and unemployment by bringing jobs to the district. He’d also focus on education, with more investment into trade schools.
“Whether people like it or not, my generation is going to be the next generation of leaders,” Mill said. “I talk to everyone, regardless of your party. I think ultimately that’s what will bring us closer together as a society.”
When Crete-Monee School District 201-U considered in 2018 closing Coretta Scott King Magnet School in University Park and Talala Elementary in Park Forest, Morgan said he and other community members fought to allows voters to decide through referendum.
Morgan, who grew up in Crete Township, said the group of residents knocked on doors, gathered signatures and got the issue on the ballot. Ultimately, voters agreed the two schools should remain open, and that win inspired Morgan to pursue public office.
“That’s the kind of fight that I think the 79th District needs right now in Springfield. I don’t think we have that kind of on the ground leadership that we need,” Morgan said.
Ellington-Snipes, who lives in Kankakee, said he wants to be “that voice for those who feel they are voiceless” at the state level. He would bring a sense of communication and collaboration to Springfield, he said.
“I’m a people’s person, and I work and advocate for the people,” Ellington-Snipes said.
Walters, who will retire as superintendent June 30, said she decided to run after talking to people. She recalled working as a school social worker, which showed her students and families can’t be successful in broken systems.
“Politics is a part of the system. All the decisions that are made in Springfield affect the communities and the families that live in those communities,” Walters said. “I have proven experience as a leader, as an innovator and a servant.”
Mill, who lives in Kankakee, said he decided to run to make a difference in people’s lives.
“Growing up here, I’ve noticed a decline in a lot of different areas around Kankakee and around the district, and I just want to make a difference in people’s lives,” Mill said.
Morgan is the associate director of communications at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. He graduated from the University of Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in American history, he said.
Morgan was an adviser to Gov. Pat Quinn from 2013 through 2015. He is the treasurer of the Crete-Monee Education Foundation and vice president of the Monee Historical Society.
Ellington-Snipes is supervisor of the Crisis Intervention Programming Stabilization. He is a lifetime member of the NAACP, the president of the Kankakee County Community Services Inc., member of Operation PUSH.
Walters, who graduated from Kankakee High School, has a doctorate in special education from Illinois State University. She serves on the superintendents’ Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity, and is past president of the commission. She also is vice president of the Large Unit District Association.
Mill, who graduated from Herscher High School in 2019, is attending Kankakee Community College with plans to pursue his law degree after graduation. He works as a machine operator at AHF.
Over the last five years, Mill said he volunteered for various political campaigns, including for state Sen. Patrick Joyce’s campaign.
akukulka@chicagotribune.com
