Years served: 2003-2005 (House), appointed July 2005-Present (Senate)
Committee assignments: Committee of the Whole; Criminal Law (Minority Spokesperson); Executive Appointments; Financial Institutions; Licensed Activities; Telecommunications & Technology; Transportation; Trans. Subcommittee on Amendments; Crim. Law Subcom Enhance/Redundancy (Sub-Chairperson); Subcommittee on Special Issues.
TAXES AND SPENDING
Millner voted for a huge electric rate increase.
Millner helped pass SB1652 – a huge electric rate increase sought by ComEd and Ameren. (2011)
Millner voted to increase the cigarette tax in Illinois.
HB0556 increases the cigarette tax in Illinois by $0.90 per pack. HB556 also allows the counties of Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage and Will to implement an additional $1.00 tax per pack. (2007)
Millner 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)
Millner voted against electric rate relief.
In January 2007, a 10-year electric rate-freeze expired, exposing thousands of Illinois residents to huge increases in their electric bills. SB1592 provided $1 billion in rate relief to Illinois consumers. More importantly, the law establishes an independent Illinois Power Agency that will be responsible for planning and purchasing electricity at the lowest possible price for consumers. (2007)
Millner voted to increase the real estate transfer tax by $30 million.
SB0075 increased the cost of selling a house in Illinois by adding a $10 tax to closing fees. (2005)
Millner voted to allow non-Home Rule sales tax increases to double.
According to National Taxpayers United of Illinois, SB0272 allows non-Home Rule municipalities to increase their sales tax 100%. Governor Blagojevich rightly vetoed the bill, but his veto was overridden. (2005)
Millner 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)
Millner voted for Governor Blagojevich’s FY2005 Partial Operational Budget totaling $45.5 billion.
SB3340 included substantial increases for healthcare and education but did not address out-of-control spending. According to National Taxpayers United of Illinois, after months of debate in the legislature, the FY2005 Capital Budget was passed totaling $9.1 billion. FY2005’s $54.6 billion state budget represented a 4% or $2 billion increase over the FY2004 budget. (2004)
Millner 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)
Millner voted for a computer software sales-tax hike.
SB2205 raised state sales taxes on computer software by $64 million. (2004)
Millner voted for a $750 million pork spending bill.
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. Millner voted to override most of the Governor’s line item vetoes. (2003)
Millner voted for a property tax hike to increase patronage employees’ pay.
SB1881 will cost taxpayers $31 million per year. Governor Blagojevich vetoed SB1881. Both Houses overrode the veto. (2003)
Millner voted for Governor Blagojevich’s $10 BILLION bond deal.
Millner voted to nearly double the state’s indebtedness with the largest bond issuance in Illinois history, by far. Millner’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
Millner voted against groundbreaking school choice legislation.
Millner 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)
Millner did not vote against exempting teachers, principals and school superintendents from FOIA disclosure.
Millner was in attendance when the vote on SB315 was taken, but did not vote for or against the bill - refusing to take a principled stand. 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, SB315 exempts from FOIA disclosure of performance evaluations for teachers, principals and school superintendents. Also supporting the bill 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)
Millner 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
Millner 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
Millner 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)
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Millner voted to force state and local governments to recognize “consular identification cards” issued by foreign governments.
SB1623 forces state and local governments to recognize the consular identification cards issued by foreign governments and commonly used by illegal Mexican immigrants. (2005)
Millner 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)
Millner did not vote for establishing a commission to work towards reducing the size of government.
Millner was in attendance when the vote was taken but did not cast a vote for or against, refusing to take a principled stand. HB268 establishes a commission of legislative members appointed by the legislative leaders and local government representatives appointed by the Governor to report to the General Assembly on consolidating local governments. (2011)
SB35 / SB600
Millner opposes SB35 (formerly SB600) - a common sense reform that would once again allow ALL Republicans to directly elect the senior leadership of their own Illinois Republican Party. Millner 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, Millner had another opportunity to do the right thing, but chose not to cast a vote for or against the same bill (now known as SB35). Despite Millner’s lack of support, SB35 passed unanimously in the Senate. (2011)
Millner did not vote against exempting teachers, principals and school superintendents from FOIA disclosure.
Millner was in attendance when the vote on SB315 was taken, but did not vote for or against the bill - refusing to take a principled stand. 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, SB315 exempts from FOIA disclosure of performance evaluations for teachers, principals and school superintendents. Also supporting the bill 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)
Millner 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)
Millner 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 Millner were serious about reform. Millner never joined the rank-and-file and more serious officials who overwhelmingly called for Kjellander’s immediate ouster. It’s only because Millner 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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