Prairie State Wire

Former Sen. Paul Schimpf (R) is running to unseat Gov. J.B. Pritzker, with Carolyn Schofield as his pick for lieutenant governor. In mid-March, he revealed his plan to remake Illinois government and give individuals guarantees of their rights. He calls it "A New Start for Illinois."

"If the disease is powerful and corrupt politicians, then the cure is to limit the politicians and empower the people of Illinois. My 'New Start for Illinois' plan begins with the premise that politicians are often the problem, not the solution. We have a state constitution that includes a bill of rights, but politicians have eroded those rights. Legislation that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago is now passing the Illinois General Assembly. I'm focused on limiting the government overreach that is hurting Illinois families and businesses," said Schimpf.

Schimpf vows on his campaign website to trust individuals to make their own healthcare decisions and to clean up corruption in the state, noting that the governor "failed to stand up to corruption. He refused to demand corrupt Speaker Madigan step down after bribery, sexual harassment, and corruption scandals. Instead, he rubberstamped Madigan's backroom deals and unbalanced budgets. And he's hypocritically flaunted his own COVID-19 rules, traveling out of state, protesting with Chicago Black Lives Matter activists, and partying in Boystown while forcing the rest of us to stay home."

In January, Schimpf announced that he had chosen Schofield as his running mate. Schofield is a member of the McHenry County Board and serves on the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. She has been part of the Crystal Lake City Council and the Crystal Lake Planning & Zoning Commission.

According to a press release, the "New Start for Illinois" plan includes a Constitutional amendment that would prohibit governments from charging sales tax (or any percentage-based tax) on taxes and fees; a constitutional amendment clarifying that parents, not the government, determine their children's education and healthcare; "curriculum transparency," making law enforcement officers (including corrections officers) and first responders a protected class under a hate crimes law; emergency administrative regulations that would increase or create fees and penalties would require an affirmative 7-member approval vote from JCAR; and assessors could only increase property value assessments upon legal transfer of the property or a change in the property's zoning.