Years served: 1993 - Present
Committee assignments: Committee of the Whole; Gaming (Minority Spokesperson); Human Services (Minority Spokesperson); Public Health (Minority Spokesperson); Appropriations I; Energy; Insurance; Deficit Reduction; Subcommittee on Special Issues; Subcommittee on Gaming Activities; Subcommittee - Nursing Home Care.
TAXES AND SPENDING
Syverson voted to raise sales taxes and fees.
Syverson 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)
Syverson did not vote against allowing the Mayor of Chicago to DOUBLE the telephone tax.
Syverson was in attendance when the vote was taken but did not cast a vote for or against, refusing to take a principled stand. 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)
Syverson 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)
Syverson 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)
Syverson 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)
Syverson 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)
Syverson voted for a computer software sales-tax hike.
SB2205 raised state sales taxes on computer software by $64 million. (2004)
EDUCATION
Syverson 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, Syverson 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)
Syverson did not vote against a $45 million taxpayer-funded experiment - Universal Preschool.
Syverson was in attendance when the vote was taken but voted “present” refusing to take a principled stand. 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
Syverson did not vote against taxpayer funded embryonic stem cell research.
Syverson was in attendance when the vote was taken but did not cast a vote for or against, refusing to take a principled stand. 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)
Syverson did not vote against what is referred to by some as the “clone and kill bill”.
Syverson was in attendance when the vote was taken but did not cast a vote for or against, refusing to take a principled stand. HB3589 would have provided state funds for embryonic stem-cell research. This bill, cynically titled the “Ronald Reagan Biomedical Research Act” despite the former president’s strong pro-life convictions, was termed the “Embryonic Clone & Kill Bill” by critics. (2004)
GAMBLING
Syverson voted for the most massive expansion of gambling in Illinois history.
Syverson 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)
Syverson helped the Democrats massively expand gambling - AGAIN
Syverson voted for SB737 which creates five new casinos – plus transforms six horse tracks into full-fledged casinos by authorizing slots and video gambling. (2010)
Syverson voted to allow video poker at truck stops and VFW halls and to make it more difficult to regulate gaming operators.
Syverson 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)
Syverson voted to allow video poker at OTB locations.
Syverson voted for SB744 allowing restaurants and bars attached to off-track betting locations to have video gambling machines. (2010)
Syverson voted for a massive expansion of gambling.
Syverson 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)
Syverson 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
Syverson voted to legalize “medical” marijuana.
SB0650 would have legalized “medical” marijuana. The measure failed 22-29 in the State Senate. Syverson was the only Republican gullible enough to buy what the pot proponents were selling. Only Syverson joined the 21 Democrats who voted “yes” on the bill. (2007)
Syverson did not vote against allowing alcohol to be sold near schools.
Syverson was in attendance when the vote was taken but did not cast a vote for or against, refusing to take a principled stand. SB2445 removed the restriction that had prohibited alcohol sales within 100 feet of a school entrance. (2006)
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Syverson voted for the Illinois DREAM Act.
Syverson voted YES and helped pass the Illinois DREAM Act, legislation awarding special rights and benefits to undocumented immigrants in Illinois (SB2185). (2011)
Syverson did not vote against making it more difficult to enforce the nation’s immigration laws.
Syverson was in attendance when the vote was taken but did not cast a vote for or against, refusing to take a principled stand. HB1744 amends the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act to prohibit employers from enrolling in any Employment Eligibility Verification System. (2007)
Syverson 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)
Syverson voted against reducing the size and cost of government.
Syverson voted against SB173 - a bill that would have reduced the size and cost of government through consolidation or elimination of unnecessary units of local government. Illinois now has almost 7,000 taxing districts – far exceeding the number of any other state. Republican lawmakers had an incredible opportunity to strike a blow for limited government, but instead they chose big government over reform. (2011)
Syverson 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, Syverson 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)
Syverson voted to water down ethics reform law.
Syverson 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)
Syverson 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)
Syverson 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 Syverson were serious about reform. Syverson never joined the rank-and-file and more serious officials who overwhelmingly called for Kjellander’s immediate ouster. It’s only because Syverson 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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