Years served: June 2006 - Present
Committee assignments: Investigative Committee; Transportation, Regulation, Roads; Consumer Protection; Vehicles & Safety (Republican Spokesperson); Aging; Appropriations-Higher Education; Judiciary I - Civil Law; Juvenile Justice Reform; Environmental Health (Republican Spokesperson).
TAXES AND SPENDING
Tracy voted for a huge electric rate increase.
Tracy helped pass SB1652 – a huge electric rate increase sought by ComEd and Ameren. (2011)
Tracy voted to raise sales taxes and fees.
Tracy voted for HB255 significantly raising the sales tax on a number of grocery related items including beverages, candy, and health and beauty aids. Taxes on beer, wine and other alcohol were also hiked. HB255 also triples the driver’s license fee. Further, this bill legalizes video gambling for bars and taverns. You can call that a “voluntary” tax if you want - but it still represents a big tax hike. Those bars and taverns don’t just hand over a big cut of their gambling machine proceeds to the state out of the goodness of their hearts. It’s a tax that gets the state its share of the machines’ take. (2009)
Tracy voted for the Democrats’ pork-bloated FY2008 $59 BILLION budget.
Tracy’s vote for HB3866 demonstrates inability as a legislator to seriously address Illinois’ chronic fiscal crisis that’s attributable to out-of-control spending, an antiquated pension system, and government corruption. (2007)
Tracy voted to allow the Mayor of Chicago to DOUBLE the telephone tax.
SB0837 would give Mayor Richard Daley the ability to raise the telephone tax from $1.25 to $2.50 per month for all customers. (2007)
EDUCATION
Tracy voted against groundbreaking school choice legislation.
Tracy voted against SB2494 which would have given parents in underperforming Chicago school districts a voucher to cover educational expenses at nonpublic schools. SB2494 represented a lifeline to poor children who face bleak futures as a consequence of the awful and dangerous public schools in the City of Chicago. To read more about this disgrace - go here. (2010)
Tracy voted to increase education spending by nearly $600 million.
Tracy’s vote for HB3866 proves she is incapable and unwilling to address the public education-spending crisis in Illinois. Instead of leading with bold reforms, Tracy follows the Democrats’ dishonest argument that blames school failures on “not enough money.” (2007)
GAMBLING
Tracy voted for the most massive expansion of gambling in Illinois history.
Tracy voted for SB744 which allows for five new casinos (including one Chicago-owned casino), slot machines at the state’s horse racing tracks, slot machines at Chicago’s two airports, more gaming positions at existing casinos, and slot machines and year-round racing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. (2011)
Tracy voted to allow video poker at truck stops and VFW halls and to make it more difficult to regulate gaming operators.
Tracy voted for HB4927 - a controversial video poker bill that state gambling regulators fear will allow operators of illegal machines to stay in business throughout the state. The bill requires a felony conviction on gambling charges before regulators could deny a license to operate video gambling machines in Illinois. HB4927 further expands gambling by adding truck stops and VFW halls to the list of venues that will be allowed to have on-site video gambling machines that make payouts to patrons. (2010)
Tracy voted to allow video poker at OTB locations.
Tracy voted for SB744 allowing restaurants and bars attached to off-track betting locations to have video gambling machines. (2010)
Tracy voted for a massive expansion of gambling.
Tracy voted for HB255 - a massive expansion of gambling in Illinois. HB255 legalizes video gambling for bars and taverns, and permits Internet Lottery on computers and cell phones. Video gambling machines are often called the “crack cocaine” of gambling because of the speed of play and the rapid onset of addiction. (2009)
Tracy voted for a massive expansion of gambling in Illinois.
Tracy voted for the massive gambling expansion bill - HB 2651. Passage of HB2651 would have meant 3 new casinos, new gambling machines at racetracks, the introduction of electronic poker games, plus many other expansions. The good news is this irresponsible bill failed with 55 State Representatives voting “no” and 47 voting “yes.” A three-fifths majority was required for passage. The bad news is it was a big chunk of the GOP caucus led by House Minority Leader Tom Cross who was on Governor Rod Blagojevich’s side in trying to pass HB 2651. (2008)
PROTECTING OUR FAMILIES
Tracy voted against internet filters in public libraries.
HB1727 required public schools and libraries to filter/block internet access to illegal obscenity, child pornography, and material harmful to minors. (2007)
Tracy voted to allow alcohol to be sold near schools.
SB2445 removed the restriction that had prohibited alcohol sales within 100 feet of a school entrance. (2006)
REFORM (or the lack thereof)
Tracy voted to make it more difficult for write-in candidate to get on the ballot.
SB662 changed the deadline for filing to be a write-in candidate to 61 days before an election. The purpose for this change is purely for incumbent protection. (2007)
Tracy desperately opposes a common sense reform that would once again allow ALL Republicans to directly elect the senior leadership of their own Illinois Republican Party.
Tracy continues to keep rank-and-file Republicans from having the same voice all Illinois Democrats enjoy in their State Party. Tracy opposes SB600 - returning to the better system of direct election Illinois Republicans used until the late 1980’s. Illinois has been a “Blue State” ever since the change to the easily corruptible system Tracy dishonestly still protects.
Tracy did nothing to help cleanse the Illinois Republican Party of the tainted National Committeeman Bob Kjellander.
Bob Kjellander could have been removed and replaced with an honest leader a lot earlier, if only Republican “leaders” like Tracy were serious about reform. Tracy never joined the rank-and-file and more serious officials who overwhelmingly called for Kjellander’s immediate ouster. It’s only because Tracy and a tiny handful of other old guard faces refuse to unify on reform that even this simplest of clean-ups remain difficult to accomplish.
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