Years served: 1995 - Present
Committee assignments: Committee of the Whole; Transportation (Minority Spokesperson); Appropriations II; Financial Institutions; Local Government; Pensions and Investments; Trans Subcommittee Special Issues (Sub-Minority Spokesperson); Subcomm.on Pension Enhancements (Sub-Minority Spokesperson); Subcommittee on Payday Loans; Subcommittee on Red Light Cameras; Subcommittee on Mortgages.
TAXES AND SPENDING
Bomke voted to raise sales taxes and fees.
Bomke 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)
Bomke did not vote against Governor Blagojevich’s handout scheme that provides free public transportation to all senior citizens, even the wealthy.
Bomke was in attendance when the vote was taken but did not cast a vote for or against, refusing to take a principled stand. HB0656 concurred with the Governor’s amendment to provide free public transportation to senior citizens aged 65 and older. (2008)
Bomke voted for the Democrats’ pork-bloated FY2008 $59 BILLION budget.
Bomke’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)
Bomke voted against reducing the taxpayers’ burden to the state pension fund by $1.1 BILLION.
According to National Taxpayers United of Illinois, SB0027 limited end-of-career salary hikes for government school teachers and other government employees to 6% instead of the usual 20%. Such a reform would reduce state taxpayers’ contribution to state retirement funds by over $1.1 billion yearly. (2005)
Bomke voted for a state income-tax increase that hits Illinois businesses for $29 million.
According to National Taxpayers United of Illinois, SB2207 redefines that phrase “business income” in a way that benefits the big-spenders in Springfield. (2004)
Bomke voted for a computer software sales-tax hike.
SB2205 raised state sales taxes on computer software by $64 million. (2004)
Bomke did not vote against a $750 million pork spending bill.
Bomke was in attendance when the vote was taken but did not cast a vote for or against, redusing to take a principled stand. SB1239 included $300 million in new pork spending and about $450 million to finish projects started by former Governor George Ryan. $556 million of the pork spending bill was vetoed by Governor Blagojevich. Bomke voted to override most of the Governor’s line item vetoes. (2003)
Bomke voted for Governor Blagojevich’s $10 BILLION bond deal.
Bomke voted to nearly double the state’s indebtedness with the largest bond issuance in Illinois history, by far. Bomke’s vote for HB2660 also helped net controversial Republican National Committeeman Bob Kjellander $809,000 in “finder’s” fees. Kjellander is a key figure in an ongoing probe of corruption in Illinois. (2003)
EDUCATION
Bomke voted to exempt teachers, principals and school superintendents from FOIA disclosure.
At the urging of the teachers’ unions and just months after approving what was billed as a sweeping reform of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, Bomke voted for SB315. The bill exempts from FOIA disclosure of performance evaluations for teachers, principals and school superintendents. Also supporting SB315 was the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 which seeks the same exemption for all public employees who receive performance evaluations. (2010)
Bomke voted to increase education spending by nearly $600 million.
Bomke’s vote for HB3866 proves he is incapable and unwilling to address the public education-spending crisis in Illinois. Instead of leading with bold reforms, Bomke follows the Democrats’ dishonest argument that blames school failures on “not enough money.” (2007)
Bomke voted for a $45 million taxpayer-funded experiment - Universal Preschool.
According to National Taxpayers United of Illinois, SB1497 will once again prove that “universal preschool” schemes yield benefits that simply do not justify the costs involved. (2006)
GAMBLING
Bomke voted for the most massive expansion of gambling in Illinois history.
Bomke 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)
Bomke helped the Democrats massively expand gambling - AGAIN
Bomke voted for SB737 which creates five new casinos – plus transforms six horse tracks into full-fledged casinos by authorizing slots and video gambling. (2010)
Bomke voted to allow video poker at truck stops and VFW halls and to make it more difficult to regulate gaming operators.
Bomke 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)
Bomke voted for a massive expansion of gambling.
Bomke 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)
Bomke voted to legalize video gambling in bars across Illinois.
HB1124 would have legalized gambling on video game “contests” of two or more in bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, and other venues. (2007)
Bomke voted to subsidize horseracing through riverboat casinos.
HB1918 requires riverboat casinos that have gross receipts of more than $200 million in 2004 to pay 3% of their adjusted gross income to the Horse Racing Trust Fund. (2006)
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Bomke voted for the Illinois DREAM Act.
Bomke voted YES and helped pass the Illinois DREAM Act, legislation awarding special rights and benefits to undocumented immigrants in Illinois (SB2185). (2011)
Bomke voted for in-state tuition for illegal aliens.
HB0060 allows undocumented immigrants to attend state universities at in-state tuition rates. (2003)
REFORM (or the lack thereof)
Bomke voted against reducing the size and cost of government.
Bomke voted against SB173 - a bill that would have reduced the size and cost of government through consolidation or elimination of unnecessary units of local government. Illinois now has almost 7,000 taxing districts – far exceeding the number of any other state. Republican lawmakers had an incredible opportunity to strike a blow for limited government, but instead they chose big government over reform. (2011)
SB35 / SB600
Bomke voted against SB600 on April 2, 2009 on the floor of the Senate. Fortunately the reform bill still passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 44 to 13. UPDATE: On April 8, 2011, Bomke did the right thing and voted “yes” on the same bill (now known as SB35). Bomke now joined a unanimous Senate in passing SB35. (2011)
Bomke voted to exempt teachers, principals and school superintendents from FOIA disclosure.
At the urging of the teachers’ unions and just months after approving what was billed as a sweeping reform of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, Bomke voted for SB315. The bill exempts from FOIA disclosure of performance evaluations for teachers, principals and school superintendents. Also supporting SB315 was the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 which seeks the same exemption for all public employees who receive performance evaluations. (2010)
Bomke voted to water down ethics reform law.
Bomke voted to exempt transportation projects from the new ethics law (SB761). Despite the awesome demands of riding around on a High Horse every day since Rod Blagojevich’s arrest lecturing about the need to reform Illinois’ culture of corruption - state lawmakers still somehow found time to gut their own brand new “landmark” ethics reform law. This of course would be the same ethics reform law these same lawmakers hailed as “a big step forward.” (2009)
Bomke did not vote against making 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)
Bomke 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 Bomke were serious about reform. Bomke never joined the rank-and-file and more serious officials who overwhelmingly called for Kjellander’s immediate ouster. It’s only because Bomke 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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