Years served: 2007 - Present
Committee assignments: Public Utilities; Financial Institutions; Aging; Judiciary I - Civil Law; Business Occupational Licenses; International Trade & Commerce; Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness
TAXES AND SPENDING
Coladipietro voted for a huge electric rate increase.
Coladipietro helped pass SB1652 – a huge electric rate increase sought by ComEd and Ameren. (2011)
Coladipietro voted for the Democrats’ pork-bloated FY2008 $59 BILLION budget.
Coladipietro’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)
Coladipietro 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
Coladipietro listened to the teachers’ unions and voted against a Constitutional Convention.
HB0025 urged the electorate to support the calling of a Constitutional Convention. The Illinois Education Association (IEA) and Coladipietro fear giving taxpayers the opportunity to debate and decide upon school funding reforms in Illinois. Instead, the IEA and Coladipietro want to keep the power in the hands of politicians whose votes can be easily bought and controlled by teachers’ union PAC money. (2007)
Coladipietro voted to prohibit parents’ right to alternative education.
HB0232 prohibits the State Board of Education and school boards from establishing, maintaining, or in any way supporting any virtual schools or virtual classes for elementary or secondary students in this State. (2007)
Coladipietro voted to increase education spending by nearly $600 million.
Coladipietro’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, Coladipietro follows the Democrats’ dishonest argument that blames school failures on “not enough money.” (2007)
GAMBLING
Coladipietro voted for the most massive expansion of gambling in Illinois history.
Coladipietro 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)
Coladipietro voted to allow video poker at truck stops and VFW halls and to make it more difficult to regulate gaming operators.
Coladipietro 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)
Coladipietro voted to allow video poker at OTB locations.
Coladipietro voted for SB744 allowing restaurants and bars attached to off-track betting locations to have video gambling machines. (2010)
Coladipietro voted for a massive expansion of gambling in Illinois.
Coladipietro 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)
Coladipietro 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)
PROTECTING OUR FAMILIES
Coladipietro voted to give children access to contraceptives and condoms.
SB0715, “School Health Centers” Act creates 20 new “school health centers.” These school-based clinics can dispense contraceptives, condoms and refer girls for abortions. The Administrative Code for School-Based/Linked Health Centers states that medical services WILL include “family planning” and “prescribing, dispensing, or referring for birth control”. (2007)
REFORM (or lack thereof)
Coladipietro voted to water down ethics reform law.
Coladipietro 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)
Coladipietro 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)
Coladipietro 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.
Coladipietro continues to keep rank-and-file Republicans from having the same voice all Illinois Democrats enjoy in their State Party. Coladipietro 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 Coladipietro dishonestly still protects.
Coladipietro 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 Coladipietro were serious about reform. Coladipietro never joined the rank-and-file and more serious officials who overwhelmingly called for Kjellander’s immediate ouster. It’s only because Coladipietro 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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