Dan McConchie: Candidate profile

Bio:

Name: Dan McConchie

City: Hawthorn Woods

Website: DanMcConchie.com

Twitter: @DanMcConchie

Facebook: /DanMcConchie

Party: Republican

Office sought: State Senate, 26th District

Age: 45

Family: Married with two daughters

Occupation: Legislator

Education: - MA, Christian Thought from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL

- BA, Bible from Central Bible College in Springfield, MO

Civic involvement: - On the board of Informed Choices Pregnancy & Parenting in Grayslake and Crystal Lake

- Former member of the Board of Regents of The Fund for American Studies

Elected offices held: Senator since 2016

Questions & Answers

Would you vote to approve a graduated income tax? If so, what qualifiers would you impose and where would you set the brackets? What would the top tax rate be?

No. A graduated income tax would likely result in a significant tax increase for the middle class. The only proposals I've seen introduced include tax rates that would result in a huge income tax increase across most income brackets.

How big a problem is the level of property taxation in Illinois? If you view it as a problem, what should be done about it?

When I ask my constituents why they consider leaving Illinois, the number 1 reason stated is property taxes. As a state, we have the second highest property taxes in the nation and Lake and McHenry counties, which I represent, have some of the highest property taxes in the state. Fundamental property tax reform is vital to my area.

The first thing we need to do is put people back in control of their local property taxes through a change in state law to allow for people to go to referendum to lower their property taxes, not just to raise them. This year, I introduced SB2670 to give voters that power. Unfortunately, it was not even brought up for a hearing.

Property taxes are regressive in nature inordinately effecting middle-income taxpayers, those on fixed income, and small and new businesses. A town or community declines in value over time and the resulting increase in property taxes prevent the area's capacity to recover. We need to move away from our reliance on property taxes as soon as possible.

What is your evaluation of Gov. Rauner's job performance? Please specify what you view as its highs and lows.

Governor Rauner ran for office promoting a list of 44 priorities to help keep business in the state and stem our population loss. Sensing political opportunity, the legislative leadership has worked tirelessly to prevent any of those ideas from becoming law in order to deprive the Governor of a "win". That set the stage for the endless war between the executive and legislative branches over the past four years.

The continual warlike footing, especially on the budget, has not helped to provide solutions for Illinois's problems. However, this doesn't mean big things couldn't have been accomplished. We did see major reform on education funding accomplished when the leaders put aside ego for the good of the state.

What is your evaluation of Senate President John Cullerton's job performance? If you voted for him for president in the last legislative session, please explain your vote.

President Cullerton has repeatedly demonstrated his interest in working with all legislators, regardless of party. During the budget crisis, he attempted to create the "Grand Bargain" to solve it and incorporate some reforms that was ultimately stymied. The Senate rank and file from both sides of the aisle actually get along rather well. Unfortunately, the Speaker and special interests still exercise an outsized influence over the Senate preventing many good ideas from seeing the light of day.

Should there be term limits for legislative leaders? If so, what would you do to make that happen? What other systemic changes should be made to strengthen the voice of individual legislators, limit the control of legislative leaders, encourage bipartisanship?

Yes. Leader term limits could address the problems created by the handful of powerful lawmakers who have created the current mess. We actually have leader term limits in the Senate, which were put into place last year. However, no such rule exists in the House.

Additionally, there are several rules that should be changed to make the process of legislating fairer to legislators and their constituents. For example, I support requiring 24-hour notice before a final vote on any normal legislation that cannot be waived and 72 hours before a final vote on the budget (given its size and complexity).

Sometimes legislation is not assigned to committee because the leader opposes it. I support a rule that allows a majority of legislative members to overrule the leader on any bill and allow it to come up for debate and vote.

Sometimes legislation is prevented from advancing through committee by a chair who personally opposes it. I support a rule that would require any bill to be heard in committee when a legislator gets at least five other members to co-sponsor it.

How concerned should we be about Illinois' population loss? What needs to be done to reverse the trend?

Illinois's population loss is a very serious issue. We are the only state in the Midwest that is losing population. That population loss means fewer consumers, fewer taxpayers, and less opportunity for all.

The first policy change that would fundamentally reform the state is to prohibit a sitting elected official from being their party's chairman. That change would break the stranglehold that currently exists over the legislature in Springfield.

Next, it is important for us to provide certainty. That means living within our means with a balanced budget and stop talk of raising taxes and increasing regulations. Uncertainty coupled with a high overall tax rate encourages families and businesses to move to a more predictable climate.

Where possible, we should reduce regulatory burdens and lower taxes, especially property taxes. We should continue to increase funding for education from the state level with the goal of ensuring every school provides a quality education and providing a path for property tax relief.

Please provide one example that demonstrates your independence from your party.

In January 2017 I was one of only three Senate Republicans to vote yes on SB 14, a bill that would have allowed the City of Chicago to make changes to help prevent the Municipal and Laborers' Pension Funds from going insolvent in the next decade. The governor opposed the bill saying it was "like trying to fix a drought with a drop of rain" and that we should come up with comprehensive pension reform instead.

However, this was Chicago acting to solve its own problems, problems the city created on their own, without asking for a single dollar in taxpayer money from the rest of the state. Instead of opposing such taking of personal responsibility, I believe we should encourage efforts like this at every turn.

What other issues are important to you as a candidate for this office?

Government consolidation - we have too many units of government. We need to expand our work to consolidate units of government to bring greater efficiencies and lower property taxes for taxpayers.

Pension reform - our pension system is unsustainable and unaffordable. Fundamental reform is necessary. I am proud to have promoted an idea of pension buyouts that was incorporated in this year's budget that is projected to save the state over $400 million per year. However, there's more work to be done. Other states have been in similar situations and solved their pension crisis when all parties came to the table and negotiated. Many ideas have been put on the table, but so far the public sector unions have refused to negotiate on the fundamental issues that must be addressed.

In addition, here a few questions meant to provide more personal insight into you as a person:

What's the hardest decision you ever had to make?

Knowing that political opponents are willing to say almost anything to win, including things that aren't true and may injure your family, I would have to say that the hardest decision I ever had to make was deciding to run for office.

Who is your hero?

Arloa Sutter of Breakthrough Urban Ministries in East Garfield Park, Chicago. For 24 years, she has helped homeless men and women find a future where many have thought there was none.

Each amendment in the Bill of Rights is important, but which one of those 10 is most precious to you?

The first amendment - without the freedom of speech, assembly and religion, freedom itself isn't possible.

What lesson of youth has been most important to you as an adult?

The value of learning to budget. At 16 I was required to budget my own money within the safety net of being at home.

Think back to a time you failed at something. What did you learn from it?

I learned that you never stop picking yourself back up and going back at it again.