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Bomke sent out the survey in February and has received over 500
responses. "This annual survey allows me to find out what is on
everyone's mind," Bomke said. "The more feedback I receive, the
better."
The following are the questions listed on the survey and the vote
percentages:
1. Do you support parental notification requirements before
minors can get an abortion?
Yes -- 86 percent
No -- 14 percent
2. Should Illinois adopt a statewide law to ban the use of cell
phones while operating a vehicle?
Yes -- 67 percent
No -- 33 percent
3. Should there be a constitutional amendment requiring Road Fund
tax revenues be spent only on road improvements?
Yes -- 89 percent
No -- 11 percent
4. Do you support the expansion of gambling as a means of
generating additional state revenue?
Yes -- 43 percent
No -- 57 percent
5. Do you support raising the income tax as a means of generating
additional state revenue?
Yes -- 42 percent
No -- 58 percent
6. Do you support borrowing money to solve the state's budget
crisis?
Yes -- 13 percent
No -- 87 percent
7. Would you support imposing Internet sales taxes on Illinois
companies who sell to out-of-state purchasers?
Yes -- 65 percent
No -- 35 percent
8. Should there be a law prohibiting the governor from diverting
money from special, dedicated funds to pay the day-to-day operations
of state government?
Yes -- 92 percent
No -- 8 percent
9. Should the state raise the income tax to increase funding for
education, if property tax breaks are included?
Yes -- 66 percent
No -- 34 percent
10. Should Illinois impose tighter campaign finance reform laws
to help remove special interest money from state legislative and
executive races?
Yes -- 94 percent
No -- 6 percent
11. Do you favor putting the state's redistricting process in the
hands of a nonpartisan committee to foster more competition in
legislative races?
Yes -- 88 percent
No -- 12 percent
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12. Would you support an open primary law, which would allow
voters to cast a secret ballot in primary elections by elimination
[of] the current requirement that voters publicly declare their
party?
Yes -- 89 percent
No -- 11 percent
13. When a company makes a political contribution to the
governor, should that company be restricted from making a bid on
state contracts for a limited time?
Yes -- 91 percent
No -- 9 percent
14. Should Illinois implement managed care principles within the
state's Medicaid system as a way to provide Medicaid recipients with
a primary care physician and reduce the skyrocketing costs of
Illinois' Medicaid program?
Yes -- 86 percent
No -- 14 percent
15. Would you support lifting the moratorium on the death
penalty?
Yes -- 74 percent
No -- 26 percent
16. Do you think Illinois is headed in the right direction?
Yes -- 14 percent
No -- 86 percent
The survey listed 16 questions and then had a section to discuss
further concerns. The majority of people who responded to the survey
filled in this section. Of the concerns listed, the majority of
people were troubled by the governor's proposed gross receipts tax,
rising property taxes, driver's certificates for illegal aliens and
embryonic stem cell research. A number of respondents also stated
that they were unhappy with the governor because he is not living in
Springfield at the governor's mansion.
Bomke has reviewed the results of the survey and is currently
sponsoring legislation to address many of these issues.
One such issue, ethics reform, is being addressed by a proposed
constitutional amendment.
SJRCA24, sponsored by Bomke, requires final appropriation bills
to be on file for seven calendar days before the General Assembly
budget vote may be taken.
Despite a requirement that the governor submit the budget in
early spring and despite extensive budget hearings, the real budget
has traditionally been put together in the final hours of the
legislative session -- often in secret. Currently there is only a
one-hour notice required, meaning budgets can be forced through the
General Assembly in minutes. This doesn't give lawmakers, the press
or the public enough time to properly digest the intricate
components of state budgets. A seven-day period of debate will
ensure that the public, the media and lawmakers have some
opportunity to scrutinize where taxpayers' dollars are being spent.
"I want to thank those people who took the time to fill out my
survey," Bomke said. "I am planning on doing this again because of
the number of responses I received. It is a wonderful sign that
people are interested in what's going on in their state government."
If you did not fill out a survey and would like to make your
opinion heard, you can e-mail the senator at
senatorbomke@yahoo.com.
[Text from news release sent on
behalf of
Sen. Larry Bomke and received
from Illinois
Senate Republican staff]
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