Illinois Republicans • Agenda for Action

Creating Jobs While Repairing And Rebuilding Illinois

1. Approve a comprehensive capital program that will reinvigorate Illinois’ economy, create 700,000 new jobs and rebuild and repair Illinois’ crumbling roads, unsafe bridges and overcrowded schools and hospitals.
   

Demanding Fiscal Responsibility And A True Balanced Budget

1. Prohibit unpaid obligations of the State from being transferred from one fiscal year to the next, thereby ensuring a true “balanced budget”.
   

2. Require the State to establish a single, updated, searchable database website accessible to the public at no cost that includes each entity that receives Illinois funding.
   

3. Provide ‘sunshine” to the budgeting process by requiring defined, minimum time periods a budget bill must be made available for inspection and scrutiny by legislators, the public and the media.
   

4. Protect taxpayers by requiring a three-fifths majority vote for any tax increases.
   

Delivering Real Property Tax Relief

1. Increasing the homestead exemption and doubling the property tax rebate for all taxpayers.
   

Enacting The Nation’s Toughest Anti-Corruption Laws

1. Ending the “Pay to Play” culture in Illinois by banning government officials from soliciting contributions from contractors conducting business with their office. 
   

2. Preventing elected officials and other state appointees and employees from receiving fees related to legal, banking and consulting work with state bonds.
   

3. Increase disclosures for investment advisors and consultants with work before a State board or commission.
   

4. Providing greater transparency and accountability on taxpayer-funded grants.
   

5. Allowing voters the option to recall public officials who have violated the public trust.
   

6. Require full, line-item disclosure of member initiative projects in the budget and a strict audit of all such projects upon completion.
   

Providing Security And Safety For Victims Of Domestic Violence

1. Establishing a surveillance program requiring police to electronically monitor violators of orders of protection.
   

2. Creating Cyber-Safety Laws That Protect Children From Online Predators
   

3. Require owners of social networking websites, like MySpace and Facebook, to obtain parental notification and enforce age requirements of minors.
   

4. Ban sex offender access to social networking websites.
   

5. Require technology repairpersons to report to law enforcement any child pornography appearing on any equipment the repairperson works on.
   

Aiding Families In Affording A College Education

1. Increasing State support for higher education to reverse budget constraints and help reduce tuition rates.
   

2. Increasing student financial aid opportunities to a broader number of qualified students to aid working families afford education expenses.
   

3. Requiring State universities to place a greater priority on accepting qualified in-state students for admission.
   

Note: Issues were not placed in any particular order.