Years served: 2005 - Present
Committee assignments: Bio-Technology; Labor; Railroad Industry; Environment & Energy (Republican Spokesperson); Mass Transit; Environmental Health; Executive; Air Quality; Solid Waste; Water; Workers’ Compensation.
TAXES AND SPENDING
Tryon voted for a huge electric rate increase.
Tryon helped pass SB1652 – a huge electric rate increase sought by ComEd and Ameren. (2011)
Tryon voted to raise sales taxes and fees.
Tryon 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)
Tryon voted for the Democrats’ pork-bloated FY2008 $59 BILLION budget.
Tryon’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)
Tryon was absent for the vote 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)
Tryon 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)
Tryon 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)
EDUCATION
Tryon 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)
Tryon voted to increase education spending by nearly $600 million.
Tryon’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, Tryon follows the Democrats’ dishonest argument that blames school failures on “not enough money.” (2007)
Tryon 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
Tryon voted to allow video poker at truck stops and VFW halls and to make it more difficult to regulate gaming operators.
Tryon 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)
Tryon voted to allow video poker at OTB locations.
Tryon voted for SB744 allowing restaurants and bars attached to off-track betting locations to have video gambling machines. (2010)
Tryon voted for a massive expansion of gambling.
Tryon 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)
Tryon voted for a massive expansion of gambling in Illinois.
Tryon 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)
Tryon 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)
PROTECTING OUR FAMILIES
Tryon voted to give children access to contraceptives and condoms.
SB0715, “School Health Centers” Act creates 20 new “school health centers.” These school-based clinics can dispense contraceptives, condoms and refer girls for abortions. The Administrative Code for School-Based/Linked Health Centers states that medical services WILL include “family planning” and “prescribing, dispensing, or referring for birth control”. (2007)
Tryon 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
Tryon 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)
NANNY STATE
Tryon voted with the Radical Left for a ban on trans fats.
Tryon voted with the Radical Left for a ban on trans fats on food served in restaurants, movie theaters, cafes, bakeries, and through school vending machines (HB1600). Fortunately cooler heads prevailed in the Senate where the nanny staters and their ridiculous bill were defeated. (2011)
REFORM (or the lack thereof)
Tryon 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)
Tryon 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, Tryon 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. (2007)
Tryon 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.
Tryon continues to keep rank-and-file Republicans from having the same voice all Illinois Democrats enjoy in their State Party. Tryon 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 Tryon dishonestly still protects.
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