Years served: 2009 - Present
Committee assignments: Insurance; Financial Institutions; Appropriations-Human Services; Elementary & Secondary Education; Tollway Oversight; International Trade & Commerce; Mass Transit; Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness
TAXES AND SPENDING
Senger voted for a huge electric rate increase.
Senger helped pass SB1652 – a huge electric rate increase sought by ComEd and Ameren. (2011)
Senger voted to raise sales taxes and fees.
Senger 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)
EDUCATION
Senger 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, Senger 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)
GAMBLING
Senger voted to allow video poker at truck stops and VFW halls and to make it more difficult to regulate gaming operators.
Senger 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)
Senger voted to allow video poker at OTB locations.
Senger voted for SB744 allowing restaurants and bars attached to off-track betting locations to have video gambling machines. (2010)
Senger voted for a massive expansion of gambling.
Senger 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)
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Senger voted for the Illinois DREAM Act.
Senger voted YES and helped pass the Illinois DREAM Act, legislation awarding special rights and benefits to undocumented immigrants in Illinois (SB2185). (2011)
REFORM (or the lack thereof)
Senger 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, Senger 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)
Senger 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.
Senger continues to keep rank-and-file Republicans from having the same voice all Illinois Democrats enjoy in their State Party. Senger 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 Senger dishonestly still protects.
Senger 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 Senger were serious about reform. Senger never joined the rank-and-file and more serious officials who overwhelmingly called for Kjellander’s immediate ouster. It’s only because Senger 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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