Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz: 2024 candidate for Illinois House District 17

Bio

Party: Democrat

Office Sought: Illinois House District 17

City: Glenview

Age: 55

Occupation: Legislator, State Representative

Previous offices held: State Representative (current)

How should the state respond to the influx of migrants bussed here from Southern states?

As an immigration attorney, a state representative, and a human being, I am outraged by this unnecessary, manufactured humanitarian crisis. The bussing of migrant families into Illinois is a clear and abject moral wrong. People have suffered and died because politicians like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are eager to score political points in an election year.

These out-of-state politicians have intentionally bussed migrants into harm’s way, leaving Illinois without the resources or policy levers to adequately address the humanitarian needs of both migrants and legacy homeless populations.

Local and state governments have risen to meet the moment but the additional strain on already-tight budgets is a serious issue. The authority to address the root causes of this issue rests solely within the purview of the federal government and that is the only place where a real solution can originate. As state lawmakers, we must work closely with our federal partners to help them deliver that solution.

Are you satisfied with the state's existing ethics policies for senators and representatives? If so, what about the policies should reassure Illinoisans that elected leaders abide by high standards? If not, what changes need to be made?

High profile examples of corruption have eroded public trust, and earning that trust is among our highest responsibilities as elected officials. Consistent with my commitment to restoring public trust in government, I was among the first of 19 House Democrats to publicly call for former House Speaker Madigan to step down because I believed then — and still believe — it was the right thing to do.

I have supported term limits for legislative leadership, ending the legislator-to-lobbyist “revolving door,” increasing transparency requirements for elected officials and lobbyists.

Illinois should implement stricter oversight on campaign finance to combat the immense influence of money in politics. The Citizens’ United decision in 2010 is largely responsible for the undue power and influence that “dark money” has in politics today. This is one of several key SCOTUS decisions I believe deserves to be overturned.

Would you support a requirement that election petitions include a line asking candidates for their campaign email address?

The foundation of a functioning democracy is an informed electorate — one that is educated on the important issues at hand and the candidates’ positions on them.

This is particularly important in today’s digital era, where artificially-generated content, misinformation, and disinformation can spread around the world in seconds.

Facilitating more robust communication between voters and campaigns can cut through the falsehoods and allow voters to hear directly from candidates themselves.

In that spirit, I would support efforts to include campaign contact information, including email address, on more materials available to the public, including nominating petitions. Campaigns have a duty to be available to voters to answer questions, explain policy positions, and provide information as requested.

How well do you think criminal justice reforms made in recent years are working? What, if any, changes need to be made?

"In recent years, Illinois has taken a smart-on-crime approach that enhances public safety through evidence-based reforms, including transitioning to a pretrial detention process that is more closely aligned with the federal system.

Ending the old wealth-based pretrial detention system has made our communities safer by allowing judges the discretion to detain someone who presents a violent threat, no matter how much they are able to pay.

Recently, four people were horrifically murdered while riding on a CTA train. The alleged killer was apprehended by police and, without regard to ability to post a cash bond, was ordered detained pending trial by the judge and not released back into the community. This represents just one example of how recent criminal justice reforms have made Illinoisans safer.

The key to success is ensuring that law enforcement as well as state's attorneys, public defenders and our courts have the training and resources needed to implement the law effectively."

We now have an assault weapons ban in Illinois. What if any changes should be made to the law? What more can be done to improve gun safety?

I voted and advocated for the assault weapons ban. This law was an absolutely necessary measure to take dangerous weapons of war off our streets and make our communities safer from gun violence, but there is far more that must be done.

I recently sponsored and passed the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act, which cracks down on irresponsible and dangerous marketing practices by firearms manufacturers, including targeted ads for a children’s assault weapon.

Unfortunately, regardless of what laws we pass in Illinois, unlawful firearms can and do pour in from states like Indiana on our border. I will continue to work closely with our federal officials and support them in passing comprehensive national gun safety reform.

We must also pass safe storage laws and Karina's Bill to keep firearms out of the hands of those who should not have them.

Illinois is the only state in the nation that mandates regular behind-the-wheel tests for senior drivers. Do you support any changes?

As Illinois is an outlier on this, I believe that a thorough review and discussion of this mandate is merited.

I would support a study to analyze what efforts in other states have been effective in lowering traffic accidents and fatalities on the road without creating undue burden on the rights of seniors to live independently.

I would be interested in exploring what factors outside of age predict driving risk and consider using those to assess the need for regular behind-the-wheel driving tests instead of age.

What personal qualifications do you bring that would make you an effective legislator?

As a founding member and co-chair of the Illinois Unaccompanied Children’s Task Force, I pioneered the use of pro bono social workers to serve as guardians ad litem to ensure that no child is left to navigate the complex immigration system alone.

I also worked to create access to justice for our community’s most vulnerable residents at the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic including Dreamers, domestic violence survivors, and cases involving victims of severe crime.