As the State Senator representing the 45th District in Northwest Illinois, it is important to me to seek input from my constituents on a regular basis. Several weeks ago I mailed a fall survey to households across the 45th Senate District. The survey was mailed without regard to political affiliation. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and others received it to ensure accurate results. While the results cannot be considered “scientific,” they do provide an excellent representation of how those living in this region feel about issues of importance that involve state government. The results also help guide my advocacy during policy discussions at the Capitol.
In addition to being mailed, the fall survey was also made available in a digital format so people could answer the questions and provide feedback online.
Well over 2,700 responses were received, and I thank those who took the time to participate.
I am happy to report that the results align with how I have been voting in Springfield. For example, when asked if constituents support the current budget that includes $1 billion to be spent on migrants and illegal immigrants, 88% of the respondents said they did not support that use of tax dollars while only 8% said they did support the budget allocation. The remaining 4% answered that they were undecided or had no opinion on the issue.
I have been very vocal with my opposition to the siphoning away of tax dollars from vulnerable citizen groups like veterans, seniors, and the disabled, and toward migrants and illegal immigrants. I am pleased to see the overwhelming majority of those I represent feel the same way.
Similarly, when asked if they supported current southern border control policies of the Biden-Harris administration, 89% of the respondents said they were opposed, while only 7% said they favored policies that have allowed millions to cross into the United States via our southern border. Of those who opposed current policies, nearly half recommended more border security, more fencing with walls, and more staff assigned to border security.
Regarding a question about a recent policy change that now requires criminals and offenders to be referred to as “justice impacted individuals,” 87% of the respondents said they did not support the approval of that bill and only 5% said they supported it. As a strong and vocal advocate for our men and women in blue, crime victims and their families, I opposed that legislation and called it a slap in the face to crime victims during the debate.
I also solicited feedback on a variety of tax issues. Ninety-one percent of the survey respondents said they were opposed to state or local government allocating taxpayer funds to the Chicago Bears for a new stadium, and 66% said they were opposed the Democrats’ elimination of the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program. With regard to property taxes, 66% of those who submitted a survey said property tax reform should be at the top of the agenda when lawmakers return to Springfield.
The survey also included two questions pertaining to parental rights. When asked if public schools should make curriculum, course materials, and classroom activity plans available online for parents and guardians to view, 78% said they favored that proposal, while 13% said they opposed it. Relative to Illinois’ current law that allows children under the age of 18 to undergo gender transition surgery or take hormone therapies, only 11% of the respondents supported the current policy. Thirty-five percent said it should be banned for persons under the age of 21 and 28% said it should be illegal for those under the age of 18. Twenty-four percent of the respondents said it should be illegal for people of all ages.
These survey results reaffirm the traditional, conservative family values of Northwest Illinois and support the votes I have taken on my constituents’ behalf during policy debates. The full survey results can be found on my legislative website at https://senatorchesney.com/Chesney_Fall_2024_Survey_Results.
