Years served: 2003 - Present
Committee assignments: Public Utilities; Consumer Protection (Republican Spokesperson); Labor; Electric Utility Oversight; Mass Transit; Revenue & Finance; Property Tax; Executive; Consumer Regulation; Telecommunications Committee.
TAXES AND SPENDING
Sullivan voted for a huge electric rate increase.
Sullivan helped pass SB1652 – a huge electric rate increase sought by ComEd and Ameren. (2011)
Sullivan voted to raise sales taxes and fees.
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan voted for the Democrats’ pork-bloated FY2008 $59 BILLION budget.
Sullivan’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)
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan voted for a computer software sales-tax hike.
SB2205 raised state sales taxes on computer software by $64 million. (2004)
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan voted for Governor Blagojevich’s $10 BILLION bond deal.
Sullivan voted to nearly double the state’s indebtedness with the largest bond issuance in Illinois history, by far. Sullivan’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)
Sullivan voted with the Democrats to greatly increase fees on Illinois trucking companies.
By greatly increasing the fee burden on Illinois trucking companies, SB0841 nearly destroyed the industry in our state. (2003)
EDUCATION
Sullivan did not vote for a Constitutional Convention.
Sullivan was in attendance but did not vote for or against, refusing to take a principled stand. HB0025 urged the electorate to support the calling of a Constitutional Convention. The Illinois Education Association (IEA) fear giving taxpayers the opportunity to debate and decide upon school funding reforms in Illinois. Instead, the IEA wants to keep the power in the hands of politicians whose votes can be easily bought and controlled by teachers’ union PAC money. (2007)
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan voted to increase education spending by nearly $600 million.
Sullivan’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, Sullivan follows the Democrats’ dishonest argument that blames school failures on “not enough money.” (2007)
Sullivan 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)
STEM CELL RESEARCH
Sullivan voted for taxpayer funded embryonic stem cell research.
SB0004 was signed into law at the end of August 2007, capping off a long effort to proceed with all forms of stem cell research, including human embryonic. SB0004 became effective January 1, 2008. (2007)
ABORTION
Sullivan voted to allow a minor girl seeking an abortion to circumvent her parents’ authority.
According to the Illinois Family Institute, HB0317 would all but eliminate a parent’s right to be notified if his or her minor child seeks to have an abortion. This legislation is a blatant attempt to stop the Parental Notification Act of 1995 from going into effect. (2007)
Sullivan voted to impede pro-lifers’ freedom to protest in front of abortion clinics.
HB2486 would make it a misdemeanor to interfere with women entering abortion clinics. Pro-lifers said HB2486 would restrict free-speech rights of protestors. (2003)
GAMBLING
Sullivan voted to allow video poker at truck stops and VFW halls and to make it more difficult to regulate gaming operators.
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan voted to allow video poker at OTB locations.
Sullivan voted for SB744 allowing restaurants and bars attached to off-track betting locations to have video gambling machines. (2010)
Sullivan voted for a massive expansion of gambling.
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan voted for a massive expansion of gambling in Illinois.
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan 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
Sullivan voted to abolish the death penalty in Illinois.
Legislation abolishing the death penalty (SB3539) only passed because enough Republicans like Sullivan sold out their party to help the Democrats move their liberal agenda. (2011)
Sullivan 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
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan 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)
Sullivan fecklessly looked to Democrat House Speaker Mike Madigan to rid the Illinois Republican Party of controversial National Committeeman Bob Kjellander.
Instead of taking serious and mature action, Sullivan joined House Republican Leader Tom Cross’ scheme and Co-Sponsored HB5861, asking the Democrats to help take care of the Kjellander mess, an issue which is solely a Republican responsibility. House Speaker Madigan understandably just laughed at the Republicans’ idea. Madigan rightly told Republicans to clean-up their own Republican house and to stop wasting the General Assembly’s time on what is a purely a matter internal to the State GOP. Kjellander could have been removed and replaced with an honest leader a lot earlier, if our Republican leaders really wanted to get the job done.
END
TWITTER
