Years served: 2003 - Present
Committee assignments: Approp-Elementary & Secondary Educ; Insurance; Financial Institutions; Appropriations-Higher Education; Elementary & Secondary Education; Higher Education (Republican Spokesperson); Veterans’ Affairs.
TAXES AND SPENDING
Pritchard voted for a huge electric rate increase.
Pritchard helped pass SB1652 – a huge electric rate increase sought by ComEd and Ameren. (2011)
Pritchard was absent for the vote for the Democrats’ pork-bloated FY2008 $59 BILLION budget.
Republicans who voted for HB3866 demonstrated 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)
Pritchard 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)
Pritchard 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)
Pritchard voted for a computer software sales-tax hike.
SB2205 raised state sales taxes on computer software by $64 million. (2004)
Pritchard 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)
EDUCATION
Pritchard voted against groundbreaking school choice legislation.
Pritchard 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)
Pritchard 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, Pritchard 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)
Pritchard 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 Pritchard fear giving taxpayers the opportunity to debate and decide upon school funding reforms in Illinois. Instead, the IEA and Pritchard want to keep the power in the hands of politicians whose votes can be easily bought and controlled by teachers’ union PAC money. (2007)
Pritchard was absent for the vote to increase education spending by nearly $600 million.
Republicans who voted for HB3866 proved they are incapable and unwilling to address the public education-spending crisis in Illinois. Instead of leading with bold reforms, Republicans follow the Democrats’ dishonest argument that blames school failures on “not enough money.” (2007)
Pritchard 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
Pritchard voted to allow video poker at OTB locations.
Pritchard voted for SB744 allowing restaurants and bars attached to off-track betting locations to have video gambling machines. (2010)
Pritchard 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)
Pritchard 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
Pritchard voted FOR legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
Legalization of so-called “medical” marijuana failed in the House – but not for lack of trying by Pritchard who voted for passage of HB30. (2011)
Pritchard voted to legalize “medical” marijuana.
Pritchard was among the six Republican State Representatives who voted with the Democrats for legalizing “medical” marijuana in Illinois (SB1381). (2011)
Pritchard voted to abolish the death penalty in Illinois.
Legislation abolishing the death penalty (SB3539) only passed because enough Republicans like Pritchard sold out their party to help the Democrats move their liberal agenda. (2011)
Pritchard 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)
REFORM (or the lack thereof)
Pritchard 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, Pritchard 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)
Pritchard voted to water down ethics reform law.
Pritchard 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)
Pritchard was absent for the vote 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)
Pritchard 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.
Pritchard continues to keep rank-and-file Republicans from having the same voice all Illinois Democrats enjoy in their State Party. Pritchard 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 Pritchard dishonestly still protects.
Pritchard 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 Pritchard were serious about reform. Pritchard never joined the rank-and-file and more serious officials who overwhelmingly called for Kjellander’s immediate ouster. It’s only because Pritchard 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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