Mulcahey challenges Bivins for long-time GOP seat in Illinois House

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By Kurt Erickson | Monday, October 20, 2008 11:40 PM CDT | () comments

SPRINGFIELD — For the first time in two decades, voters in northwestern Illinois will not see Todd Sieben’s name on the ballot.

The longtime Republican lawmaker from Geneseo retired in March, and a battle is under way to elect a successor in a district that stretches from the edge of Rockford almost to the Quad-Cities.

Sieben left before his term ended, allowing Republicans in the district to appoint former Lee County Sheriff Tim Bivins to the post. Bivins served as the top county cop for two decades before retiring in 2006.

With a few months of experience in the role of senator, Bivins now faces Democrat Marty Mulcahey of Galena, who is on leave from his job with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.

Mulcahey, the son of former state Rep. Dick Mulcahey, could face an uphill battle in a district that has strong Republican roots.

He says Sieben’s role in trying to give Bivins an early advantage in the race is an example of what needs to change in Illinois politics.

“Voters are robbed of their opportunity to have their voices heard in a fair election,” Mulcahey said.

Heading into the final weeks of the campaign, Bivins had taken a lead in fundraising in the final month. Through the first half of October, his tally for the final stretch run totaled $46,000, while Mulcahey reported getting $37,000 from donors during the same two-week period.

Here is a look at how the two view top issues facing the state.

* Budget

Bivins said getting the state budget under control is his main priority. His first move to improve the budget is similar to something pushed by Republican gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka in her unsuccessful 2006 race.

Bivins says rank-and-file lawmakers are often given just a few hours to review the state’s spending plan before being asked to approve it. Rather than rushing it through with little oversight, Bivins said there should be a seven-day waiting period before the budget can be voted on.

Mulcahey says most of the budget stalemate can be blamed on an ego battle between legislative leaders and Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The retirement of Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, could break the logjam. And, he added, in two more years, Blagojevich himself could be out of office.

* School funding

Mulcahey said he would support increasing the state income tax rate in order to shift education funding away from local property taxes to distribute education funding more equitably.

Bivins said he’s not opposed to raising income taxes to help pay for schools, as long as it is accompanied by a corresponding drop in local property taxes.

* Health care

Both candidates are opposed to the governor’s ongoing attempts to expand state Medicaid programs without approval from the General Assembly and scant attention being paid to how they will be funded.

Bivins decries the ever-growing payment cycle, which means some hospitals, pharmacists and other health providers aren’t getting paid for their services for months on end.

Mulcahey said everyone deserves adequate health care, but he also is concerned that Illinois could become a magnet for people from other states looking for free or reduced health insurance programs. That’s why Mulcahey favors pushing the federal government to take a leadership role in solving the health insurance problems.

* Leadership

Bivins says there is little leadership being exhibited by Democrats who control state government.

“The state is like a ship without a rudder,” Bivins said.

Mulcahey agrees that Democratic leaders have been “embarrassing” in recent years, but points out that politicians on both sides of the partisan aisle have run into trouble dating to the 1950s. Mulcahey said the overall culture of Illinois government needs to be changed and he is committed to cleaning up government to get that started.

“We need to start steering

Illinois in a new direction,” Mulcahey said.

* Construction program

Bivins supports selling the state lottery to pay for a statewide construction program.

Mulcahey said putting the state’s unused, 10th casino license in Chicago could provide money to start a statewide construction program.

Both support the widening of U.S. 20 to improve safety on its two-lane stretches and make it easier for tourists to travel from Chicago to Galena.

Bivins also wants to use the proceeds of the lottery sale to help pay for the expansion of Amtrak in the region. Currently, the nation’s passenger rail service is considering adding routes from Chicago to the Quad-Cities and Galena.

* Thomson prison

Although it is slightly outside the 45th District, opening up the mostly unused prison at Thomson is of regional interest.

Blagojevich wants to close the state’s prison at Pontiac and transfer the inmates to Thomson.

Both candidates disagree. Mulcahey and Bivins said both should be open because the state’s prison system is overcrowded.

“I think there are enough inmates to go around for everybody,” Bivins said.

Kurt Erickson can be contacted at (217) 789-0865 or kurt.erickson@lee.net.