Illinois

Q7 The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become more integrated in the classroom. What policies would you support for AI use by students and teachers in the classroom to ensure that students receive quality science instruction?

I am proud to have signed the three-year moratorium on AI in CPS classrooms, which gives us time to decide the rules ourselves instead of letting vendors decide them for us. Companies are selling into this district faster than we are making policy and creating guardrails. CPS needs a Chief Privacy Officer. Student data is being collected at a scale nobody here is positioned to oversee, and we must protect our students and our families.

In science specifically, there is real risk around implementing AI without these guardrails. Students learning about the scientific process are learning about forming a hypothesis, running an experiment, and reckoning with a result they did not expect. If we hand our students the answer, we skipt the part that actually teaches them to think. Whatever we eventually allow has to protect the PRACTICE of doing science rather than just the science content.

I am a special education teacher, so I know assistive technology can be transformative for students- so I do not want to lump all technology together as “bad”. But we need tools to prove they improve learning rather than that it just saving money or creating “efficiency”.

Q7 The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become more integrated in the classroom. What policies would you support for AI use by students and teachers in the classroom to ensure that students receive quality science instruction?

I have signed the pledge for a three year pause while we evaluate and study the role and impact of AI on our students learning conditions. I am very concerned about the use of AI in classrooms and the impact it may have on the development of our students’ critical thinking skills.

Q7 The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become more integrated in the classroom. What policies would you support for AI use by students and teachers in the classroom to ensure that students receive quality science instruction?

AI can be useful in a science classroom, but it can also produce an answer that sounds convincing and is completely wrong, and can never entirely replace the benefits of in-person instruction by a qualified educator. That’s exactly why students need a strong foundation in science before relying on these tools. A student should be able to explain what happened in an experiment, where their data came from, and whether a conclusion is actually supported by the evidence.

I support CPS’s existing requirements around approved, age-appropriate tools in certain contexts, while accounting for student privacy and teacher preferences. Beyond that, I support a flat prohibition on using AI tools outside of tightly defined parameters set at the district level. Teachers also need practical training on checking AI-generated lessons and deciding when a tool adds something useful to instruction. Students should learn how AI works, where it makes mistakes, and how to verify its claims.

Fundamentally, I would be concerned about any approach that uses AI to replace experiments, independent reasoning, or a teacher’s judgment. With limited funding, I’d rather invest in giving teachers the training and support to use these tools well than spend money on technology without a clear, demonstrable educational benefit.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

I support expanding practical, science-based tools that help Illinois farmers prepare for heavier rainfall, flooding, drought, and extreme temperatures while protecting farm income and the long-term productivity of our land.

Illinois should continue investing in agricultural research through its universities and Extension programs, especially work on soil health, water conservation, crop resilience, drainage, and sustainable production. Research findings should be translated into timely, usable guidance for producers.

I also support voluntary, incentive-based programs that help farmers adopt cover crops, erosion controls, improved drainage management, efficient irrigation, and other locally appropriate practices. State programs should offer technical assistance and prioritize measurable improvements in soil health, water quality, and weather resilience.

The state should also strengthen flood- and drought-preparedness assistance and protect productive farmland from unnecessary development, particularly in growing communities such as those in Lake and McHenry counties.

Policy should be developed with farmers, agricultural organizations, researchers, Illinois Extension, and local conservation districts. Farmers understand their land; government’s role is to make reliable information, technical expertise, and well-designed financial assistance accessible without imposing one-size-fits-all solutions.

This approach respects producers’ experience, uses evidence to target public investment, and focuses on results that keep Illinois farms productive and economically competitive.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

I am fully aware of the importance of agriculture to the state’s economy. I am also particularly cognizant of the potential impact of changing weather patterns since my family owns a small farm in eastern Nebraska which is subject to the risk of diminishing rainfall on crops. Illinois experiences similar issues, although in parts of Illinois it is increased rainfall that causes challenges. I believe that farmers have shown significant resilience in the past and will find ways to adapt to changes, but I also support state and federal assistance where warranted. This can take the form of crop insurance or other types of targeted assistance, as well as collaboration with university agricultural research, and I am committed to work collaboratively with the Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

To provide more financial security to the agricultural community, I support more insurance options to address financial hardships that result in a bad growing season or severe weather experience. A bad growing season definitely creates great financial hardship for the agricultural community. Another concern for the environment, and for food and national security, is the loss of farmland consumed from solar, wind, and battery projects. To install the equipment, they strip the topsoil and bury posts deep in the ground. Because the land is stripped, this soil can never be farmed productively again. Illinois energy policies subsidize these energy companies at the taxpayers’ expense. Current State legislation supersedes local government control and allows companies to place these projects on large amounts of agricultural acreage. In addition, these industrial uses do not require any change in zoning. Residents and other businesses do not receive the same benefit and must adhere to a zoning change application process. However, Springfield has stripped away local government authority on the specific uses of wind, battery, and solar. Will County and other counties throughout the state continue to lose precious farmland to these projects and have even been ordered by local judges to approve these projects. My family has farmed since they came to this Country in the 1600’s. Farming is important to me. I am a member of the Illinois, DuPage and Will County Farm Bureaus. Springfield does not hear our voices regarding this issue.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

I just recently attended several county board meetings, where I was among the majority of people who voted down a proposal to allow revised zoning that would have allowed farms to sell off five acre parcels for new home construction. We pushed back hard to keep the existing rules of no less than 40 acre parcels. The importance of this zoning is embedded in the need to protect and preserve the driftless region where we live, so as not to destroy the natural ecosystems. (I recently received an endorsement from the Sierra Club for my work in preservation of our farm land.)

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

Climate change is affecting farmers across the country, no less here in Illinois. Planting and harvesting seasons are different today than they were for our fathers and grandfathers. I believe farmers want to be nimble and have a robust market for their products. However, we cannot fall into the trap to merely farm the subsidy. Illinois soil can grow the widest diversity of crops in the world, and if the market no longer rewards field corn and soybeans as richly as it once did, farmers must have the freedom to diversify.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

Changing weather patterns can be detrimental to crops and to farmers’ livelihoods. Since many farmers already grow more than one crop, investing in scientific research that might be able to guide farmers to the best crop to grow, based on and upcoming season, will provide the greatest yield for that year. Ensuring that farmers have markets for a changing crop will also be imperative.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

As a member of the Agriculture and Conservation Committee in Springfield, I will continue to listen to farmers and work with them, the Illinois Farm Bureau, agricultural researchers, and my colleagues from across the state to help Illinois agriculture adapt to changing weather. Our farmers are on the front lines of more extreme weather, from drought to flooding, and all of us feel the effects in food prices, our economy, and the health of our environment. I will continue to support: Soil health and conservation practices, like cover crops, that protect farmland and yields Risk protection, including crop insurance and disaster relief, that helps family farms recover from severe weather Research and technical support through our universities and extension programs, so farmers have the tools to adapt Water management and infrastructure that reduce flooding and drought damage and protect water quality

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

I was proud to be the House sponsor of the Climate Displacement Act to address this very question. We’ve created a task force to study the effects of climate change on Illinois, including and especially on our agriculture. The group will provide us recommendations for legislative action — and it’s going to be informed by climate scientists and academics in the field.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

Illinois agriculture is essential to our economy, food supply, and rural communities. Unpredictable rainfall, flooding, drought, and extreme heat increasingly threaten farmers’ productivity and financial stability.

I would support greater investment in agricultural research through the University of Illinois, Illinois Extension, and partnerships with farmers. Priorities should include resilient crop varieties, soil health, efficient water management, and improved weather forecasting. I would also support cost-sharing programs and technical assistance for voluntary conservation practices, including cover cropping, reduced tillage, and responsible nutrient management. These practices can protect farmland, reduce erosion, and improve long-term resilience.

Small and family-owned farms should have access to conservation programs, crop insurance education, disaster recovery assistance, and resources to manage severe weather losses. Investments in rural infrastructure, flood mitigation, and watershed management can further protect agricultural land and surrounding communities.

I would work with farmers, agricultural scientists, and conservation experts to develop practical, evidence-based policies that reflect local needs. Illinois can maintain its agricultural leadership by investing in research, helping farmers adapt to changing weather patterns, and protecting the soil and water resources future generations will depend on.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

First, it is critical that we speak directly with Illinois farmers to understand how their needs are changing due to extreme weather patterns. No one knows the land and weather patterns better than the farmers who have worked in Illinois for generations. I support partnership with stakeholders in agriculture and environmental policy to put forth responsible climate solutions and policy. Investing in clean energy, moving forward with the regulations passed in our nation leading Clean and Equitable Jobs Act, and working directly with farmers will help set us on a path to support Illinois agriculture.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

I believe in utilizing the U.S.’s rich natural resources to generate energy and grow our economy. I believe changing weather patterns occur over time, naturally, but do not support climate change theories (they have made a lot of money for people like Al Gore but have set Illinois back rather than moved us forward). I love family farms and those currently involved in regenerative farming, to restore healthy soil conditions and discontinue the use of harmful fertilizers and pesticides that have infected our food supply and caused adverse health conditions. Agriculture done right is incredibly important for Illinois’ farm owners and the preservation of its farmland for food production. I oppose the green energy intiatives that incentive coverning productive Illinois farmland with ugly solar panels. They must be disposed of when no longer used and the environmental impacts are as bad or worse than impacts from the operation of former coal plants. I support policies and plans that allow a return to healthy, natural food production and animal grazing on our beautiful farmland. I oppose allowing China to purchase our farmland. Note: China is building coal power plants.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

I would encourage the Federal government to move money into the USDA and EPA from the entitlements and defense appropriations. We should focus more on domestic issues than spending on the wars and needs of other countries. Illinois special interest groups should have lobbyists helping in terms of our state agricultural interests.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

I want to make Illinois a state that uses less fossil fuels so I want to make it mandatory for all gas stations to have a EV charger so we can promote less emissions. Unfortunately we truly need this done on a federal level to make a difference though.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

The impact of the changing weather patterns on our agriculture is complicated, and it needs coordination among many different sectors to address it. First, we need to do everything we can to mitigate the human impact to changing weather patterns. Second, we need to identify crops, both specific types and broad types, that are resistant to big changes in water, temperature, and fertilizer changes. The most difficult aspect of the changing weather patterns is the unpredictability of it; some weeks are incredibly wet with severe storms, only to be followed by weeks of drought. This seriously complicates identifying crops that can withstand a growing season, as the weather becomes more unpredictable. The third step that I want to see taken is improvements on how we fertilize and irrigate our crops. Advancements have been made over the years to improve water conservation for crops, but as we confront statewide issues of depleted aquifers, we need to continue research into water conservation. Likewise regarding fertilizer, the use of fertilizer greatly improves the yield and quality of crops, but at an incredibly high costs, especially this year. Sustainable farming research should also be continued to improve farming practices that limit the need for fertilization.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

I want to work with farmers to identify their needs and advocate for a future agricultural sector that isn’t reliant on fossil fuels. We must also work to expand Right to Repair laws and protections in Illinois, as they directly affect farmers’ ability to maintain their own equipment without incurring large fees and downtime. Addressing changing weather patterns will require federal investment, but at the state level, we can continue to advance green legislation.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

First of all, I oppose the use of our vital farmland for solar farms and data centers. I will support funding to farmers to help with methods that reduce runoff, soil erosion, research, and other solutions that help to guard our farmlands against the negative effects of our changing weather patters.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

Agriculture is one of Illinois’ greatest economic strengths, and protecting it means protecting the farmers, soil, and water resources that make it possible. I serve on the Board of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance specifically because I care deeply about the future of Illinois agriculture and am concerned about large corporate farming interests coming into our state, exploiting our rich soil and putting additional pressure on our aquifer systems. Once we damage those resources, we cannot easily get them back. Changing weather patterns make protecting those resources even more important. Illinois farmers are increasingly dealing with periods of drought, extreme heat, heavy rainfall, and flooding. I support policies that help farmers adapt to these conditions while keeping family farms economically viable. That includes supporting soil-health and conservation practices such as cover crops, crop rotation, reduced erosion, and responsible water management. Healthy soil retains more water during dry periods and absorbs more water during heavy rains. I also support agricultural research through our universities and Extension programs so farmers have access to the best science, technology, and information available to respond to changing growing conditions. Water must be part of this conversation as well. Illinois needs to better understand and protect its groundwater and aquifer systems, particularly as agriculture, communities, industry, and data centers place competing demands on our water supply. We should not allow any large corporate interest to deplete a resource that surrounding communities and future generations depend upon. I also want our policies to work for farmers, not simply impose new requirements on them. Farmers are often among the first to experience changes in weather and growing conditions, and they should be at the table when agricultural and conservation policies are developed. Whenever possible, we should provide incentives, technical assistance, and research that help farmers adopt practices that protect their land while maintaining productive and profitable farms. For me, this comes down to stewardship. Illinois has some of the richest farmland in the world and tremendous water resources. Our responsibility is to protect them so that Illinois agriculture—and the family farms and communities that depend on it—remain strong for generations to come.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

Having visited the Illinois State Fair for the past three years I learned that Illinois is number in the nation for soybean and corn production. And that is where my knowledge on this ends. In my brief google research I learned there are climate-smart farming techniques, local agricultural advocacy, and targeted research investment. I realize there is so much I don’t know or understand on this so as a state senator I’d reach out to farmers as well as conservation organizations, to better understand what lawmakers can do to help.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

I would always support the farmers of Illinois. I would surround myself with the people that actually do this for a living (the farmers). I would listen to them, I would take what they said to Springfield and I would fight for farmers.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

As our climate continues to change, I plan to work with environmental groups and agricultural agencies to consider legislation that would help protect and support our communities.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

I support practical, science-based policies that help Illinois farmers prepare for flooding, drought, extreme heat, and changing growing seasons while keeping farms profitable.

I would support voluntary cost-sharing programs for soil conservation, cover crops, efficient irrigation where appropriate, and improved water management. Farmers should have technical assistance and flexibility to choose practices that work for their land.

I would also support agricultural research and University of Illinois Extension services to improve weather forecasting, develop resilient crops, and help farmers apply new techniques. Working with our congressional delegation, I would advocate for reliable crop insurance and timely disaster assistance.

These steps would help protect harvests, conserve soil and water, and strengthen our food supply. Farmers should be partners in developing solutions, with programs that are affordable, accessible, and accountable.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

Yes, Illinois is an agricultural hub. I support basic research that has a high probability of success. I also support collaboration with industry.

Q3 Illinois is an agricultural hub, making it an important factor for the state’s economy. What policies or plans do you have, or support, to support Illinois agriculture against changing weather patterns?

I support helping Illinois farmers adapt to changing weather patterns through practical incentives rather than mandates that make farming more expensive. I would expand state support for soil-health practices such as cover crops, no-till and strip-till farming, improved drainage and water management, and drought- and flood-resilient infrastructure. Illinois already has programs that provide financial incentives for cover crops and conservation practices, and I would work to protect and expand those investments.

I also support incentives that allow farmers to participate in renewable energy without taking productive farmland out of agricultural use unnecessarily. That can include on-farm solar, energy-efficient equipment, battery storage, methane recovery, and other technologies that help lower operating costs while creating additional income opportunities.

At the same time, farmers need affordable crop insurance, access to emergency assistance after extreme weather, stronger local water infrastructure, and continued agricultural research so producers have better seed varieties and farming practices for changing conditions.

My approach is to make resilience economically worthwhile. Farmers should not be forced to choose between protecting their land, keeping their operations profitable, and adapting to changing weather. State policy should help them do all three.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

I support requiring data centers to cover the infrastructure costs they generate and undergo transparent reviews of their energy use, water demand, environmental effects, and community impact before approval. These facilities support the digital economy, but their expansion must not threaten public health, natural resources, or affordable utilities.

Before a project is approved, developers should disclose projected electricity and water demand, grid and utility upgrades, groundwater effects, noise levels, and impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. Approval conditions should include enforceable conservation, noise-control, monitoring, and public-reporting requirements.

Residential and small-business customers should not subsidize infrastructure built primarily for large commercial users. I support Illinois Commerce Commission oversight and rate structures that assign project-attributable grid and utility costs to developers while protecting existing ratepayers.

Any state or local economic-development incentive should include measurable public benefits, transparent terms, compliance reporting, and provisions to recover benefits when commitments are not met. Local approval processes should also provide residents with timely information and a meaningful opportunity to participate.

These steps balance economic opportunity with long-term public health, environmental, and financial responsibility. They also ensure that decisions with decades-long consequences are based on evidence and that project costs are not shifted to the public.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

First, we need to recognize that data centers are a necessity for any modern data (and, increasingly, AI) driven economy. As such, the question cannot be whether to have data centers or not, but how to manage the responsible development of data centers. I am not opposed to the construction of new data centers, but would impose the same standards as for any other business: The developer has to present a plan on how to address any potentially adverse consequences, whether it is with respect to water or electricity usage or to noise pollution, and how to mitigate them. “Noise pollution”, for example, is a fairly easy one, and no different than other noise intensive factories that require proper site selection and appropriate buffers, but that’s really a question for local communities rather than for state legislators to handle. Electricity usage and the impact on the electricity grid is a genuine concern, but we also need to recognize that part of the issue is the result of the state’s energy policy that has been too restrictive for too long, particularly in its refusal to enable new nuclear power generation.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

Data centers should not create any tax burdens for residents, and they should not be subsidized. Data centers should not depend on public-funded economic incentives such as credits, rate reductions, or abatements. Significant learnings have already occurred regarding environmental impact which should be incorporated into the approval process. Environmental and health impacts of new data centers need to be part of the evaluation process.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

I support legislation that requires data centers to provide clearly written documents, explaining the energy costs incurred, and who is required to pay for those additional costs, to the county boards and city councils, in those communities where the centers are being proposed. Full transparency of the amounts of water and any other resources used, must be provided in new proposals, as well as existing data centers. I do not currently have a plan for mitigation of the utility costs for residents. I would like to serve on a committee to develop a plan in the very near future.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

Development of data centers in general must be conducted carefully, responsibly, and safely. Every county considering the development of data centers must provide ample opportunities for community feedback, and every concerned citizen must be heard. County boards and municipalities must also allow for a full public airing of the risks and benefits associated with these developments. Nobody wants corporate conglomerates taking over our communities and decimating our water and electric infrastructure.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

There needs to be a complete moratorium on data centers until strict policies and restrictions can be established that protect the environment; water, air, noise, and land; as well as protecting the community where one might be built. No resident should have to foot the bill for the electrical use of a data center. Before any data center is built, money should be required to be in escrow for remediation for when the data center is no longer in use, and it should be enough to return the land to its original state once the center is gone.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

Data centers are an issue where Illinois needs to balance economic development with protecting our communities and the resources we all depend on. These facilities can bring investment and economic opportunities, but residents should not be left wondering how much water is being used, how much electricity is being consumed, or whether they are ultimately being asked to pay for the additional infrastructure. I support greater transparency and believe the state should build on proposals such as the POWER Act and data center transparency legislation that would require companies to disclose their energy and water use and give the public and regulators better information about their impact. This legislation would also require reporting on water consumption and examine the impact of data centers on utility ratepayers. I would also go a step further in discussing the need for state wide standards for responsible data centers and ensuring local electeds have the necessary information for community benefit agreements and local control.

The Governor opposes state incentives and as residents of Illinois: We must also consider how local incentives are used by municipalities. Community members should know the full cost and benefit of a proposed data center. Developers should be responsible for the infrastructure and resource demands they create, and not shift those costs onto taxpayers or communities. We should make sure communities have a meaningful opportunity to understand and weigh in on major projects that could affect their water, energy, and environment.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

I’m a strong supporter of the POWER Act, which will require data centers to bring their own electricity, meaningfully engage local communities, mitigate their water usage and environmental damage, and be transparent and accountable to the state. I also supported an end to the state’s tax incentive for data centers, which the Governor paused in his most recent budget.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

I would support legislation requiring data centers to disclose energy and water usage, undergo environmental reviews, and meet enforceable standards for noise and water conservation. Local communities should have a meaningful voice in making those decisions.

Residents should not subsidize infrastructure upgrades primarily needed by large industrial electricity users. I would support utility policies requiring data centers to pay their fair share of grid upgrades and energy costs. I would also encourage renewable energy, energy storage, and closed loop cooling systems.

To address rising utility bills, I would support stronger oversight of rate increases, targeted assistance for low-income households, and expanded energy-efficiency programs. Tax incentives should be tied to measurable public benefits, including quality jobs and local revenue. My goal is to welcome innovation while ensuring economic development does not come at the expense of residents’ health, affordability, or access to essential resources.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

Concerns over data center development, the environmental impact of these developments, and rising energy costs are among the chief concerns I hear as I am knocking on doors in the 49th District. Across the state our constituents are asking for statewide regulations, and our municipalities, county, city, and village boards are looking to the state for guidance. That is why I strongly support the POWER Act, a comprehensive bill that establishes meaningful, responsible regulations for data center development. This important piece of legislation is still being negotiated with stakeholders from environmental coalitions, labor, and science.

As currently written the POWER Act would require cumulative environmental impact assessments, public notice, and community benefits agreements. An important component of the bill would prohibit nondisclosure agreements that could keep communities from understanding a project’s impacts. The Power Act would also require water-resource planning, quarterly water-use reporting, water-scarcity plans, and Water Impact Permits with public hearings and five-year renewals. On the energy side, it establishes stronger energy-efficiency requirements and annual energy and water reporting. The bill would require data centers to bring their own clean energy and capacity to Illinois, protecting communities from higher energy costs and ensuring strong environmental standards.The legislation also creates public-benefit and affordability funds supported by fees based on peak electricity demand, helping ensure data centers contribute toward the infrastructure and costs they create.

My constituents are asking for transparency, meaningful regulations that prioritize clean energy, and relief from increasing energy bills. I believe that the POWER Act speaks to these priorities and I look forward to working towards its passage.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

Illinois has the 3rd largest data center market in the U.S., Virginia and Texas are the top 2. Data centers are already being held accountable to be self-sufficient. I support state policies that will require existing and future data centers to provide and pay for the construction, maintenance, and operation of their own on-site power plants, water cooling systems, and noise reduction improvements, to avoid negatively impacting the local area communities’ electricity generation or costs of service, their water supply, and/or their peaceful, quiet living environment. I support policies that require local zoning and permit approvals that would be free from state coercion and control. I oppose the state’s grant of subsidies to special interests that interfere with these ideals.Local area residents should have a say in where new data centers are built, preferably in industrial parks, not residential areas. Many residents and politicians have suggested that we stop data centers, or place a moratorium on future construction. I support moving forward with data centers to keep pace with those being developed in other countries, for reasons related to national security. I support continued development with the controls I’ve mentioned. Local control is most important. I support equal job opportunities for American citizens: not just for minorities, not for illegals.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

Existing data centers should be taxed more and new constructions should have more regulations to ensure that the burden passes are not going to consumers. These steps would make a sensible balance between business and consumer needs, while improving environmental concerns.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

I fully support the POWERS Act that is being proposed in legislation currently. We must protect our natural resources at all cost. I want all data center owners to fully pay for all energy costs and to also reinvest into our environment as well.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

Data centers across Illinois have gone up very quickly in recent years, often with no or very little public input. I have heard claims that “closed loop” data centers are much less impactful on water usage and contamination, but I have yet to see the studies confirming that. As it stands today, we have surging energy costs, critical water shortages affecting quality and aquifer stability, and continuing to build data centers that worsen these issues is irresponsible. I support policies that will require existing data centers to mitigate negative community impact such as noise, water, and light pollution, as well as energy and water usage. I support legislation that would require community input before new data centers are constructed, as well as requiring data centers to include with development green energy solutions (ie solar). I support legislation requiring third-party studies to determine impact of data centers on our communities on an ongoing basis.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

I believe we should require data centers and AI companies to power their own facilities and pay higher rates to access residential power. I believe we must add residential priority to energy supply laws, requiring the grid to supply homes, hospitals, schools, and other essential civilian infrastructure before data centers. Consumer protections that stop data centers from pushing energy costs onto working people, and end all tax credits and subsidies to AI and social media companies. Our greatest asset in Chicago is the Great Lakes and the river we have worked so hard to clean up. Significant water use and noise pollution are destructive to a city that sits almost entirely on marshland. I’d prefer these steps because we cannot ask taxpayers and working people to keep carrying the burden; everyone is too strapped to watch their tax dollars go to another billionaire’s next yacht.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

I believe that Data Centers should fall under the jurisdiction of local municipalities. Therefore, policies or legistlation should include a requirement for community engagement, local decisions on the placement of data centers, research on environmental impacts and a requirement for Data Center owners to bear the cost of electricity and water usage. The costs and environmental impact of data centers should not be hidden or passed on to residents of the community. Policies should include these key protections.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

Data centers are part of our growing digital economy, but their rapid expansion has outpaced the rules needed to protect residents, our electric grid, and our natural resources. I do not believe working families should see higher electric or water bills because a multibillion-dollar data center moves into their community. That is why I support a statewide framework that requires data centers to pay for the infrastructure and grid upgrades their enormous energy demands create, rather than shifting those costs onto residential ratepayers. Data centers should also be required to publicly report their energy and water use, meet strong energy-efficiency standards, and demonstrate that adequate water and electricity are available before a project moves forward. We also need meaningful standards addressing noise, environmental impacts, and proximity to homes, wetlands, farmland, and other sensitive areas. At the same time, I strongly believe in local control. The state should establish a minimum floor for consumer, environmental, and transparency protections, while local governments should retain authority over siting and be able to impose stronger requirements based on the needs of their communities. Local residents deserve to know what is being proposed before agreements are made—not after the decisions have already been made. I support many of the concepts contained in the POWER Act, and I am hopeful the General Assembly revisits that legislation and its proposed revisions during the veto session. Illinois needs comprehensive data center guidelines now, before additional development gets ahead of us again. I also support the Governor’s decision to pause new data center tax incentive agreements while the legislature develops those protections. The original incentive program resulted from bipartisan legislation passed in 2019 and signed by Governor Pritzker, at a time when the scale of today’s energy and water demands was not fully anticipated. We now have more information, and public policy should respond to that information. This issue is particularly important to me because I hosted a Data Center Forum in August with environmental advocates, labor, community activists, and a Lake County Board member. I wanted residents to hear directly from people with different perspectives and to separate facts from misinformation and disinformation. What became clear is that this cannot simply be a debate between being “for” or “against” data centers. It is about responsible development. My priority is protecting ratepayers. Data centers should pay the costs associated with the additional generation, transmission, substations, and other infrastructure necessary to serve them. I also support exploring a separate utility rate structure for extremely large energy users so residential customers are not subsidizing their operations. Illinois can benefit from technological investment and the jobs that come with it, but those benefits cannot come at the expense of families who are already struggling with utility bills. Growth should pay its own way, protect our natural resources, and provide a real benefit to the communities being asked to host it.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

This is an issue I’m still learning about, and I’d need to better understand the pros and cons on residents before supporting specific policies. I think it’s important to work with local officials, legislators, experts, and the people directly affected to try and find a balance between encouraging economic growth and protecting residents from higher utility bills and any other negative impacts.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

I would require new data centers be built at least a mile away from homes. I would also require them to supply their own energy and use a closed water system like we use out at our steel mill. They essentially run the water through the machines to cool them, then the water goes through a cooling tower to bring the temperature back down, and it goes through the machine again to cool the machine and back through the cooling tower and so on and so on. We actually use a closed system like this out at US steel in Granite City, and it is extremely efficient on water usage. Of course, you still have to add some, but nowhere near the amount that is being discussed in the news. And as far as electricity goes, I would never agree to anything that’s gonna drive rates up more. We already have some of the worst rates in the nation

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

I believe that data centers need to be held under strict regulations, and also be held accountable. The draining of wells that Illinois residents use, as well as the use of clean drinking water communities depend on, is not sustainable and cannot continue at the rate it is. Additionally, the cost burden of these data centers being built should not fall onto the residents of the area, and as such, there needs to be clear restrictions outlining how these data centers can continue to operate, and where additional are allowed to be built. Community affordability, worker safety, and environmental considerations are of the utmost priority when looking at data centers, and I am committed to working on different legislation that can help Illinois residents in these areas.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

I support data center investment when it brings clear benefits to Illinois without burdening families. Companies should pay for the additional electricity, grid, and water infrastructure they need, rather than passing those costs to residents.

I would require reviews of proposed projects, public reporting of existing facilities’ energy and water use, efficient cooling systems, and enforceable noise and environmental standards. Residents should have a meaningful voice in local approvals, and any tax incentives should be tied to verified jobs and investment.

To ease utility bills, I support targeted assistance and home-efficiency programs for qualifying households, along with careful review of utility rate increases. These steps protect affordability, natural resources, and neighborhoods while allowing responsible economic growth.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

Regarding proposed data centers, I favor local jurisdictional control and final decision making based on full and complete transparent information provided by the vendor and/or economic developer(s). Such information must provide complete (1) Detailed resource requirements (power, water, environmental, siting, emergency back-ups, etc.), (2) Life-cycle operational requirements and staffing (3) Construction requirements and resources needed for construction (4) Labor requirements (5) Depending on the scale, hyper-scale, etc. developer provides power (preferably separate from the grid), (6) developer provides utility rates that increase caused by the data center are not transferable to the community. (7) That the economic benefits claimed are independently reviews by a third-party agency chosen by the community. My role is to response to constituent needs. Regarding existing data centers - respond to constituent needs.

Q1 Illinois currently has 138 data centers, with 8 underway, and plans for 29 more. Additionally, the cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. Data centers also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers? What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

I support responsible technology and economic development, but I do not support placing large-scale data centers in residential neighborhoods or immediately adjacent to homes, schools, and other sensitive uses. Data centers can create investment and jobs, but those benefits should not come at the expense of residents through higher utility bills, excessive water use, constant noise, traffic, or diminished quality of life.

I would support statewide minimum siting standards while preserving strong local control. Those standards should include meaningful setbacks and buffers from residential property, public notice and hearings before approval, independent assessments of electricity, water, noise, traffic, and environmental impacts, and disclosure of projected energy and water consumption before construction begins. Illinois lawmakers are already considering proposals that would strengthen municipal authority over data-center siting and require greater energy and water disclosure.

Most importantly, residents should not subsidize the enormous infrastructure demands created by private data centers. I would support requiring the Illinois Commerce Commission to establish data-center-specific utility rates that ensure these facilities pay the costs of new substations, transmission, distribution upgrades, generation capacity, and other infrastructure needed primarily because of their demand. Those expenses should not simply be shifted onto residential customers. I also support exploring a data-center affordability fund, financed by large data-center operators rather than households, to help offset residential energy costs and expand efficiency and weatherization programs. A similar public-benefits and affordability concept has already been proposed in Illinois legislation.

Water protections must be just as strong. Large facilities should disclose water consumption, demonstrate that adequate supplies exist before approval, prioritize recycled or non-potable water where feasible, and have conservation plans for drought or water shortage conditions.

Q6 How do you view the role of science in K-12 education? What policies or investments, do you support, or have supported to ensure and improve the quality science instruction for students, and explain why these are your policies?

Science should be a core subject in every CPS school (starting in Kindergarten) rather than something that happens when the schedule allows, and right now it is not rolled out evenly. Some of our schools have labs, equipment, and a teacher with a real science background, while others have one teacher covering science alongside three other subjects with no materials and no prep time. Our district is short science teachers, and that shortage hits hardest in the schools that already have the most vacancies.

We have Grow Your Own pathways that can help us develop science teachers from the communities our schools actually serve. We also cannot teach lab science without a working lab. Currently, our buildings are in need of repair and renovation in order to provide contemporary science facilities.

As I said up top, we need to start earlier with Science. Elementary science gets squeezed out by reading and math, and by the time students reach high school we are asking them to cram on a subject that is somewhat new to them.

One of my platform planks is around career pathways. We need more STEM pathways in health care, environmental science, and engineering - built with real employer and union partners and paid work experience - so a student can see where science leads and where it can take them.

Q7 The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become more integrated in the classroom. What policies would you support for AI use by students and teachers in the classroom to ensure that students receive quality science instruction?

I am proud to have signed the three-year moratorium on AI in CPS classrooms, which gives us time to decide the rules ourselves instead of letting vendors decide them for us. Companies are selling into this district faster than we are making policy and creating guardrails. CPS needs a Chief Privacy Officer. Student data is being collected at a scale nobody here is positioned to oversee, and we must protect our students and our families.

In science specifically, there is real risk around implementing AI without these guardrails. Students learning about the scientific process are learning about forming a hypothesis, running an experiment, and reckoning with a result they did not expect. If we hand our students the answer, we skipt the part that actually teaches them to think. Whatever we eventually allow has to protect the PRACTICE of doing science rather than just the science content.

I am a special education teacher, so I know assistive technology can be transformative for students- so I do not want to lump all technology together as “bad”. But we need tools to prove they improve learning rather than that it just saving money or creating “efficiency”.

Q6 How do you view the role of science in K-12 education? What policies or investments, do you support, or have supported to ensure and improve the quality science instruction for students, and explain why these are your policies?

I view science as an increasingly important subject for all our students. I have, and will continue to, fight for fully funded schools so all students can have access to modern facilities such as science labs. I will also continue to fight for equity so that it is not just selective enrollment schools or those with ‘friends of’ groups to assist with funding who can have a wide range of courses and modern facilities.

Q7 The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become more integrated in the classroom. What policies would you support for AI use by students and teachers in the classroom to ensure that students receive quality science instruction?

I have signed the pledge for a three year pause while we evaluate and study the role and impact of AI on our students learning conditions. I am very concerned about the use of AI in classrooms and the impact it may have on the development of our students’ critical thinking skills.

Q6 How do you view the role of science in K-12 education? What policies or investments, do you support, or have supported to ensure and improve the quality science instruction for students, and explain why these are your policies?

A well-constructed K-12 science education is the key to students becoming thoughtful, engaged adults. When I taught middle school math, I saw how much more students learned when they could work through a problem themselves instead of simply being told the answer. Science education can work much in the same way: students must have opportunities to experiment, to understand how evidence supports a conclusion, and to question conventional wisdom through rigorous analysis.

All of this requires qualified teachers, functioning labs, sufficient classroom supplies, and enough instructional time for both teachers and students to actually do the work. I support protecting those resources in school budgets and prioritizing schools that have historically had less access to them. Given CPS’s financial constraints, we also need to pursue outside funding for equipment and teacher training, including from the State of Illinois.

On the Board, I was the chief sponsor of the Healthy Green Schools resolution, which passed unanimously in 2025. It calls for clean-energy projects at 12 neighborhood schools, with career and technical education built into the work. I want students to have as many opportunities as we can give them to learn about energy, engineering, and environmental science through projects they can see come to life in their own schools.

Q7 The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become more integrated in the classroom. What policies would you support for AI use by students and teachers in the classroom to ensure that students receive quality science instruction?

AI can be useful in a science classroom, but it can also produce an answer that sounds convincing and is completely wrong, and can never entirely replace the benefits of in-person instruction by a qualified educator. That’s exactly why students need a strong foundation in science before relying on these tools. A student should be able to explain what happened in an experiment, where their data came from, and whether a conclusion is actually supported by the evidence.

I support CPS’s existing requirements around approved, age-appropriate tools in certain contexts, while accounting for student privacy and teacher preferences. Beyond that, I support a flat prohibition on using AI tools outside of tightly defined parameters set at the district level. Teachers also need practical training on checking AI-generated lessons and deciding when a tool adds something useful to instruction. Students should learn how AI works, where it makes mistakes, and how to verify its claims.

Fundamentally, I would be concerned about any approach that uses AI to replace experiments, independent reasoning, or a teacher’s judgment. With limited funding, I’d rather invest in giving teachers the training and support to use these tools well than spend money on technology without a clear, demonstrable educational benefit.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

I support a coordinated state response centered on vaccination access, rapid disease surveillance, clear public communication, and protection for people at greatest risk. As a Doctor of Nursing Practice with more than 30 years in emergency and trauma care, I understand how quickly preventable outbreaks can threaten patients and strain healthcare systems.

Illinois should follow evidence-based immunization recommendations and make vaccination convenient and affordable through healthcare providers, pharmacies, schools where appropriate, and local public-health programs. Public information should be timely, understandable, and transparent about vaccine safety, effectiveness, and disease risks.

The Illinois Department of Public Health should coordinate with local health departments, epidemiologists, physicians, nurses, laboratories, schools, and community organizations. I support adequate capacity for timely reporting, laboratory confirmation, contact tracing, exposure notifications, and rapid deployment of personnel and supplies when outbreaks occur.

Response plans should prioritize infants, immunocompromised people, and others at increased risk of severe complications. The state should also identify and reduce barriers involving cost, transportation, appointment availability, healthcare access, language, and misinformation.

I would evaluate progress using vaccination coverage, reporting timeliness, outbreak size and duration, and access in underserved communities. This combines scientific guidance with operational accountability and helps Illinois prevent outbreaks, respond quickly, and maintain public trust.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

My overarching sense on this and similar health issues is that it is not an area where legislators have to engage. I believe that this is first and foremost a function of the executive branch, and that the legislative branch should show some restraint in trying to “legislate out of existence” every issue. I would therefore defer to the Illinois Department of Public Health as the appropriate agency to deal with illness outbreaks but would certainly be willing to collaborate to the extent it makes sense. Incidentally, we need to extend the list of “stakeholders” to include community leaders and influencers, as it pertains to communities with lower measles vaccination rates. And as a final note, the case of whooping cough increases is another illustration of the complexity of the “role of science,” since at least a significant driver, if not the primary cause of increasing cases is the switch in the 1990s from whole-cell to acellular vaccines, which were not known at the time to have the diminished effectiveness that is now known to be the case.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

Additional efforts must be made to educate the population about the risks to their children and encourage them to vaccinate their children. An additional concern for public health is the rise in tuberculosis. I sit on the Illinois Council for Tuberculosis to address the rise of tuberculosis cases in the United States. Many of these cases are in the immigrant population and the populations that travel back and forth to their home countries. But it is also very contagious and spreads throughout the population in our schools and other public places. It is critical to raise awareness, identify the latent population and provide the proper treatments for the tuberculosis patient at an early stage. As with each of these diseases, education and advocacy is important. The medical community needs to be diligent to properly diagnose and identify these cases in their patient base. The Illinois Council conducts a conference every year to provide education and networking opportunities to health care providers and policy makers throughout the State. On a personal note, I have a personal connection to tuberculosis because my grandfather died of tuberculosis in the Philippines. To be able to give back and advocate for the community has been very rewarding to me.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

Again, if an opportunity to attend a meeting on this subject arises, I will do my best to attend and participate. In the meantime, I do ask doctors questions on this subject, in an effort to educate myself. I am a huge proponent of vaccines and have never “shyed away” from speaking out in favor of both childhood and adult vaccinations.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

I am a firm believer in following protocols of the CDC and following recommendations of pediatricians and other medical professionals. Covid-19 showed everybody how unprepared we were for a global pandemic, both at the national and local levels. Preparedness is the best policy, which means we have to equip local health authorities with the best information and tools they need to do their jobs.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

I will mitigate this problem by not only presenting facts to the citizens, but by addressing their concerns and questions. I would work with the professionals in this field to develop the best method to mitigate the outbreak with the least amount of consequences for the public.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

I believe in adequately funding for our IDPH and when we have the power in Congress, to fund our health institutions. In Springfield we were briefed that a Johns Hopkins study of U.S. outbreaks estimates an average cost of $43,204 per case, rising to $58,591 per case when the public health response is included. It is an issue that each tax payer is facing and I believe in ensuring vaccines for all at a low to no cost.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

I’ve been in communication with the Department of Public Health about this issue a little. They’re trying to use all the tools they have to promote vaccines and make people feel comfortable with them. It’s hard in the maelstrom of misinformation in which we live today to get that message through. Again I’m interested in your ideas about how I can be a better messenger for these ideas.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

As a member of the Public Health Board of DuPage County Health Department for several years, I have seen first hand that preventing infectious diseases is essential to protecting Illinois families, particularly infants, children, older adults, and immuno-compromised individuals. Rising measles and pertussis cases require effective prevention, accessible vaccination, and coordinated public health responses.

I would support adequate funding for the Illinois Department of Public Health and local health departments to strengthen disease surveillance, investigate outbreaks, notify exposed individuals, and improve vaccine access. We have strong leaders like Dr Vohra at the Illinois Department of Public Health who are able to make public health decisions keeping in mind the diverse population of Illinois.

For measles, I would prioritize access to the MMR vaccine and partnerships with schools and healthcare providers to address vaccination gaps. For pertussis, I would support access to age-appropriate DTaP and Tdap vaccines, public education, and prompt reporting of suspected cases.

I would collaborate with epidemiologists, physicians, pediatricians, and local health officials to review outbreak data, identify vulnerable communities, and evaluate prevention strategies.

As a state representative, I would advocate for evidence-based legislation, responsible public health funding, and coordination among healthcare providers and government agencies. Our response should follow scientific evidence and prioritize preventing illness while helping residents make informed health decisions.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

As a mother and former educator, I am extremely alarmed by the rise of preventable outbreaks of measles and pertussis. Policy makers must work with stakeholders from our public health sector to combat vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. I am proud of the work of the Illinois Department of Public Health and our local county health departments to educate Illinoisans and promote responsible vaccination schedules. I will continue to support their work by ensuring that the department is fully funded and to assist with any policy changes they deem necessary.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

My first thought would be to go to the right source to knowing how to mitigate the issues related to increased measles and whooping cough cases. For me, it would be Robert Kennedy and the expert physicians and trusted advisers involved in the MAHA effort.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

I would encourage more people to be vaccinated. Many areas in which measles and pertussis are coming back are against vaccinations. I am regularly vaccinated overall, and I encourage my friends who have young children to vaccinate. Also, this is an area where more regulations are needed to enforce public health standards. I would encourage more short videos and text message/Instagram/Facebook/X communications from scientists and physicians. People are losing attention spans, so short messaging that is impactful can be very useful.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

Since the federal government has reduced itself to an untrustworthy source of information I would like the state health department to lead the charge with public safety. I want to have our stakeholders to regularly communicate all outbreaks and statuses with me and the state. Then the state must be more transparent in those findings

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

I support closing loopholes that allow people to forego vaccines, such as religious exemptions. Vaccines are a public health concern, and I believe that anyone who comes into contact with others through work or school should be required to receive vaccines determined to be critical by a team of medical experts.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

I trust science and I would work with the relevant stakeholders to ensure science and facts are put at the center for how we address public health. We need a state action plan for the case of a failing executive at the national level being unwilling or unable to comprehend science and medicine. I would work with local and state officials to find funding that could be directed to work on preventive plans to combat deadly diseases.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

I believe educating the public on outbreaks, and ensuring the safety and effects of vaccines and other preventative measures are the best way to approach any community outbreaks. I also believe that we should be willing to learn from the mistakes, misrepresentations, and false information that occurred during the covid outbreak. Honest reporting without cover-up and corruption at the heart of public information is vital to regaining public trust and cooperation in times of public health crisis.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

The rise in measles and whooping cough cases should concern all of us, especially because children and medically vulnerable people can face the greatest consequences. We know vaccines have saved lives and prevented serious illness for generations. When diseases we once had largely under control begin coming back, we need to pay attention and act. This issue is personal to me in another way. I am a Rotarian, and Rotary has spent decades working toward the worldwide eradication of polio. That effort has helped bring the world incredibly close to eliminating a disease that once terrified families and left children paralyzed. No one wants to go back to a time when parents had to fear polio. Yet misinformation about vaccines threatens the progress we have made, and we have to take that seriously. This is exactly the kind of issue I wanted people talking about when I hosted my Healthcare Forum. Dr. Altshuler spoke about people not getting vaccinated and the repercussions we are now seeing, particularly for children. Our Lake County panelist also explained something I think is extremely important: the county helps uninsured and underinsured residents get the vaccinations they need. People need to know that help is available. Access matters, too. With changes and cuts to federal health programs, including Medicaid and Medicare, I am concerned about families falling through the cracks. If someone loses coverage, can’t find a provider, or simply cannot afford preventive care, vaccinations can get delayed. We need to make it easier—not harder—for people to protect themselves and their families. I am also proud that Illinois has taken steps to keep science at the center of our public health decisions at a time when confidence in federal public health leadership has been undermined. Illinois has joined the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, giving our state access to international expertise and information about emerging disease threats. Illinois has also strengthened its own Immunization Advisory Committee and is relying on respected medical organizations and scientific evidence to guide our vaccine recommendations. As a legislator, that is the approach I will support. I will listen to epidemiologists, physicians, scientists, local health departments, schools, and the people working directly with families. I want to know where outbreaks are happening, why vaccination rates are falling, what barriers people are facing, and what the science tells us will actually work. I will also continue doing what I have already started doing: bringing experts directly into our communities. I believe strongly in public forums where people can ask questions, separate fact from misinformation, and learn where to go for help. If someone wants to protect their child but doesn’t have insurance or can’t afford a vaccination, we should be helping that family get access to one. For me, this is what public health should be about: good science, accurate information, access to care, and bringing people together to solve problems. We have already defeated or dramatically reduced diseases that once devastated families. We should be moving forward, not allowing misinformation or lack of access to take us backward.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

My knowledge on measles and whooping cough is very limited. I’d need to learn more about the recent outbreaks and the best ways to address them. I’d reach out to public health professionals, physicians, for reliable information and guidance, and then work with local health departments and legislators to see what steps we take that could help protect our communities.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

I think my best to encourage people to get vaccinated. These are time-tested and proven vaccinations. and I just believe it is irresponsible not to get them. I would use my platform to work with all relevant people regarding this issue.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

I am very concerned about vaccine hesitancy based upon misinformation. While I believe patients need to make decisions in consultation with physicians, it is also important to have public information, meetings, and shared data to help patients come to the best decisions.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

As a healthy lifestyle coach, I value prevention. As state representative, I would support recommended measles and pertussis vaccinations, affordable access to immunization, and clear public information that addresses families’ questions respectfully.

I would work with IDPH, local health departments, epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, and school nurses to identify gaps in vaccination coverage and bring accessible clinics and multilingual education to underserved communities.

I would also support reliable funding for disease surveillance, testing, and rapid outbreak response. Medical and public health experts should guide exposure notifications, isolation recommendations, and preventive treatment when appropriate.

My priority is to protect children and vulnerable residents through evidence-based prevention, trusted communication, and coordinated action. I would track vaccination coverage and outbreak trends to assess results and adjust our approach.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

My plan is to work with relevant stakeholders to have a commonsense understanding and approach and a full understanding of the consequences of any decision affecting public health policy.

Q5 Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) cases are on the rise in Illinois, with multiple outbreaks in 2026. How have you, how do you plan to, address this public health concern? How will you plan to work with relevant stakeholders (epidemiologists, scientists, physicians, for example) to mitigate this problem?

As Chair of Health, Education and Welfare, I see this as both a public health and education issue. My approach is prevention, clear information, and coordination, not panic. Illinois has already seen measles outbreaks in 2026, and IDPH continues to stress vaccination, rapid reporting, and close coordination with local health departments and providers.

I would work with IDPH, local health departments, epidemiologists, physicians, school districts, and community organizations to identify areas with lower vaccination rates, expand access to vaccines, and make sure families receive accurate information from trusted medical professionals. I also support using data tools, including school vaccination coverage and outbreak modeling, to target resources where they are most needed.

As HEW Chair, I believe good public policy means bringing the experts to the table early, listening to the science, communicating clearly with residents, and making sure our schools and communities have a coordinated plan before an outbreak becomes a crisis.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

I support stable federal research funding and targeted state investments that help Illinois institutions compete for federal and private grants. Scientific research improves patient care, public health, technology, workforce development, and economic growth.

At the federal level, I would urge Illinois’ congressional delegation to support stable, sustained funding for the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and other research agencies. Sudden funding cuts can waste previous investments, disrupt long-term studies, and push skilled researchers out of the field.

At the state level, I support competitive grants and carefully designed matching funds that help Illinois universities, research institutions, healthcare systems, and industry partnerships attract outside investment. Programs should use transparent eligibility criteria, independent scientific review, and clearly defined goals.

Because Illinois has competing budget priorities, state investments should be fiscally responsible and evaluated for scientific merit, measurable public benefit, outside funding leveraged, and progress toward stated outcomes.

I would also support stronger coordination among state agencies and research institutions so Illinois can identify funding opportunities, build competitive collaborations, and respond quickly when federal grant opportunities arise.

My nursing career has shown me how research becomes better care and better outcomes. As a legislator, I would apply that experience by protecting sound investments, consulting experts, and demanding transparent results.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

A lot of worthwhile activities depend on federal funding. Unfortunately, with the federal budget showing increasing and unsustainable deficits, some cuts are unavoidable. That said, realistically, state legislators are in no position to tell the federal government how to allocate funds beyond broadly appealing to the federal government for a fair and non-partisan distribution of funds. Aside from that, I would point out that a lot of cutting-edge, meaningful scientific research is done at private companies or in collaboration with private companies. I would encourage the deepening of such ties between research facilities at universities, government agencies, and private research labs, and am open to suggestions about how smart legislation can help foster such collaboration.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

The future of federal funding at this time may be uncertain for some aspects of the state economy in health and science. As a state senator, I will continue to work with federal agencies to increase funding and growth in research. We must identify opportunities to reduce the risks of relying on any single source of funding. For example, I would work to develop state-federal relationships with the goal of reducing funding friction. I would look to public-private partnerships that mitigate reliance on government funding. The overall approach would be to strengthen the association to federal funding while simultaneously increasing other funding sources such as state and private funding.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

Again, no current plan for research money, however, I would welcome the idea of serving on a committee that could provide such a plan.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

Our state universities in Illinois honor our state, not only with their innovation and research, but also in welcoming thousands of students every year from around the world. Science education lies at the heart of primary, secondary, and higher ed, and Illinois is a global leader in numerous fields. We reap the benefits of large and growing aerospace, agribusiness, and energy sectors and I want to work with leaders in these fields to address many of our toughest challenges we face today.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

As a scientist, I fully support the funding of scientific projects and programs. We need to ensure that adequate funding is set aside for continued support of scientific research that has been established as well as new innovative research.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

I believe in advocating the Federal Government to assist with adequately funding our Scientists in Illinois. The state has made historic investments in spaces like Quantum Computing and we must continue funding our STEAM careers to build a workforce for the 21st century.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

There’s no substitute for the federal research funds that have driven American innovation for nearly a century. We need Congress to act to restore these vital funds. We’re on the cusp of tremendous, life-changing breakthroughs in energy, healthcare, and other areas; it’s exactly the wrong time to step down our commitments to research.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

Scientific research strengthens Illinois’ economy, improves public health, supports agriculture, and drives innovation. Federal funding uncertainty should not undermine our universities and research institutions. With a Masters’ Degree in Wildlife Science I firmly believe that funding scientific research can change our lives for the better in every sphere of our lives.

I would support sustainable state investments in competitive research grants, university laboratories, and partnerships among universities, hospitals, nonprofits, and Illinois businesses. Priorities should include biomedical research, agricultural innovation, clean energy, and public health. I would also support fellowships that help retain talented researchers in Illinois. As the Chair of the Environmental Committee on the DuPage County Board I have worked with the EnergySense Resilience Institute of University of Illinois, Champaign. I have seen first hand how collaborative approach can help businesses get Green Certified and establish a strong Public-Private sector partnership that fuels clean energy growth at the state level, when we adequately fund scientific research.

At the federal level, I would work with Illinois’ congressional delegation to advocate for stable funding for research agencies. These agencies support discoveries, train future scientists, and fund research that may not receive sufficient private investment. Investing in science is investing in Illinois’ future. Strong research institutions attract employers, create skilled jobs, develop treatments and technologies, and help solve challenges facing our communities. My goal is to protect Illinois’ research capacity through sustainable state funding and continued federal support.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

Fermi National Laboratory is located within the 49th District and is an important part of our community. Not only does the work of the lab contribute to national research and world-leading discovery, but the lab supports and sustains the natural prairie and biodiversity of its site, raises bison, and gives back to local schools and organizations. All this to say, Fermilab is part of what makes the 49th District unique and I support efforts to mitigate the challenges being handed down by the federal government.

The number one way the state of Illinois can ease the harms of the federal government is to raise progressive revenue that protects working and middle class people. I support a millionaire’s tax that would ask the ultra-wealthy to pay their fair share. Progressive revenue will allow us to take care of our most vulnerable neighbors and fill critical funding gaps created by our federal government. While there are critical gaps to fill in SNAP benefits, health care, and childcare cuts, progressive revenue could also be used to secure funding for the National Labs and institutes of higher learning in Illinois.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

I would support policies that secure funding for scientific research to benefit Americans, improve the U.S. economy and maintain high standards to achieve positive, meaningful results that solve problems or advance technologies for positive change. I would not support non-scientific research or activity geared toward serving a globalist agenda, advancing far-left radical Marxist communist agendas, destroying our constitutioinal republic, or intentionally harming Americans like COVID and COVID “vaccines” did. The Obama and Biden Administration’s bad policies damaged our economy and world standing.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

I would pass laws that increase science grant research and encourage private foundations to focus parts of their investments in STEM. On the state level, I would aim to divert funding from social sciences, humanities, and affinity research into STEM programs.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

Science is the only way forward and if federal funding is drastically cut then I would like to look into tapping funding by taxing the wealthy to pay for it.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

I support funding for scientific research, and have been extremely disappointed to see cuts at the federal level. While I do not have specific policy plans to secure funding at the state or federal level, I would support others’ plans to provide funding.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

I would like to work on multi-year authorizations that help medical researchers avoid coming back to the table to ask for funding when politics could change. Medicine and research don’t care about politics; science doesn’t respond to a D or R next to its name, so we can’t let political fickleness determine our ability to combat deadly diseases. I’d be interested to know what increased state partnership with high-quality research institutes and the university system could do to insulate us from DC’s inability to act like adults. UIC has been a long-standing and respected institution in human health research, and I would like to find a way to get back to fully funding their research.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

I support federal funding for science research. Illinois should continue to receive this funding and use it to fund the science research that is vital to the citizens of Illinois. Audits of state spending is key in order to prevent funds from being redirect from research and used for non essential programs.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

Scientific research may not be my area of expertise, but I strongly believe government has a responsibility to support research that improves people’s lives. Many of the medical advances we take for granted today began with publicly funded research. Research helps us prevent disease, find new treatments and cures, improve public health, and understand emerging threats before they become crises. I am concerned when federal funding decisions put that work at risk. Illinois is home to world-class universities, hospitals, national laboratories, and research institutions. Their work benefits patients and families, creates jobs, attracts investment, and strengthens our state’s economy. As a state legislator, I would advocate for Illinois’ congressional delegation to protect federal funding for the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and other critical research programs. At the state level, we should look for ways to protect important research when sudden federal cuts threaten work already underway. That doesn’t necessarily mean replacing federal funding with state dollars. I would first look at how Illinois can leverage existing resources and strengthen partnerships among universities, research institutions, health systems, foundations, and private industry. We should prioritize research that can improve people’s lives, particularly disease prevention, medical treatments, and public health. These investments can also save money over the long term. Preventing disease is better for families—and less costly to our health care system—than treating it after someone becomes seriously ill. I’ve always believed government works best when it looks ahead instead of waiting for a crisis and then trying to catch up. Scientific research is one of the ways we do that. Illinois should continue to be a place where research and innovation improve lives, create good jobs, and help build a healthier future.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

I’m not familiar enough with the details of science research funding so I can’t say what policies I would support. I’d like to learn more about how federal funding affects research in Illinois and then explore what role the state can reasonably play in supporting important research while being responsible with taxpayer dollars.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

I would always want to fund science. It is an essential part of a society surviving. My main objective would be to get politics out of science. Everyone is so divided, you couldn’t get the two parties to agree that the sky is blue. We have to get rid of that and bring common sense back into the equation.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

As a State Representative, I have to look at the funding the state of Illinois can provide. I believe it is important to work with science research organizations and agencies in order to understand where funding is needed. I know the impact of the federal cuts will likely impact those areas heavily, and I plan to fight for programs to be protected.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

As a Purdue graduate in biological sciences, I value research that improves health, advances knowledge, and creates opportunities in Illinois.

As state representative, I would support stable funding for public universities, competitive research grants, and targeted, temporary funding to help strong research projects survive unexpected federal disruptions. I would also support state matching grants and partnerships with businesses and foundations to diversify funding while protecting scientific independence.

At the federal level, I would work with Illinois’s congressional delegation to advocate for reliable NIH and National Science Foundation funding.

Funding decisions should use independent scientific review, transparent budgets, and clear accountability. Illinois cannot replace every lost federal dollar, but we can protect important research, retain talented scientists, and help institutions secure additional funding.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

With a MS in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Illinois is understand the need for basic research. And that there are competing needs for funding. I do take issue that the future of scientific research is less assured. It depends on the nature, purpose, and expectant results of that research and where it fits in the overall priority of all research efforts. With national security as a priority. Not all research requires federal funding. I will apply a commonsense approach, on a case-by-case basis for projects that prove to be a benefit Illinois.

Q2 Research activities in Illinois heavily depend on federal funding. However, federal funding cuts for science research and agencies like the NIH and National Science Foundation leaves the future for science research less assured. What policies, if any, do you support or plan to implement to secure funding for continued science research at either the state or federal level?

I believe Illinois must protect its research institutions while continuing to aggressively pursue federal dollars. Our universities, hospitals, laboratories, and research institutions depend heavily on agencies such as NIH and NSF, and institutions like the University of Illinois have already been planning for uncertainty in federal research funding.

As a State Representative, I would support creating an Illinois Research Continuity and Matching Fund to help universities and nonprofit research institutions bridge temporary federal funding gaps and provide state matching dollars when those funds make Illinois more competitive for major federal grants. I would also support expanding programs that connect universities with Illinois businesses. Illinois is already investing $3 million in its Innovation Vouchers Program to support research partnerships between companies and Illinois institutions of higher education; I would build on that model.

Federal research opportunities have not disappeared—for example, NSF announced more than $1.5 billion in new foundational research opportunities in August 2026, but Illinois must position its researchers to compete successfully for every available dollar.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

Evidence-based decision-making has guided my nursing practice for more than 30 years, and I would apply the same discipline to public policy.

I begin with credible, peer-reviewed research and reliable public data. I examine the strength and limitations of the evidence, compare findings across sources, consult experts with relevant experience, and ask who will be affected by a proposed policy. I also seek differing perspectives and remain willing to revise my position when stronger evidence emerges.

My work on workplace-violence prevention as President of the Illinois Emergency Nurses Association illustrates this process. Rather than relying only on individual accounts, our advocacy has required reviewing incident data, identifying reporting gaps, comparing prevention strategies, and consulting nurses, hospitals, professional organizations, and policymakers about what can be implemented effectively.

That process strengthened my view that recognizing a problem is not enough: policy must pair reliable reporting with practical prevention measures and clear accountability. It also reinforced the need to test whether a proposal produces measurable improvements rather than judging it only by its intent.

As a state senator, I would use this approach across healthcare, education, environmental protection, and economic development: ask precise questions, weigh the quality of the evidence, listen to people with direct expertise, and adjust when new information warrants it.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I don’t know that I agree with the premise that the influence of scientific issues on public policy is increasing. Solid public policy has always been informed and influenced by good, objective science and research. I generally believe in science and encourage an open and honest dialogue between politicians and the scientific community. Where appropriate, I would push for the evaluation of political proposals by relevant experts. For example, as an actuary, it pains me that legislators in Springfield have routinely made policy decisions on retirement matters without consulting expert advice on the true cost of the new promises.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

Without a doubt, science impacts public policy in many ways. In an increasingly complex world, science will continue to be important to solving the problems faced in this state. I seek out information from a variety of sources, including research provided by primary sources, reference to expert input, and provided documentation. I read a lot and ask a lot of questions. The challenge is that knowledge is continuously expanding and decisions need to be made at a point in time given the best information available at that moment. One example impacting public health policy is the cost and availability of pharmaceuticals. The drugs that are used to treat tuberculosis are produced in China. Because we cannot purchase these drugs from an American company, this gives the Chinese market an advantage, increasing the financial burden to purchase these lifesaving drugs. I have reached out to the federal administration with the goal of bringing back the production and research of vital pharmaceuticals to the United States.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I try to attend meetings on these subjects whenever possible. I must admit, my ability to do this at this time is rather limited at the present time, as I am extremely busy going door to door with my election campaign. I do spend some time researching online. For example, I have attended several county board meetings in recent months, and one particularly good meeting regarding data centers.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

Among voters today, trust in science is eroding with little true reason for it. We have an Army Corps of Engineers that takes responsibility for water and flood control at Lake Shelbyville. We have engineering and science departments at our universities with talented researchers, doing work that is growing more relevant all the time. I want to make sure researchers have a voice in policymaking, and that their voice is heeded.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I have over twenty years experience in the scientific world and have taken others input constantly to ensure my science can move forward in the most expeditious manner. I always begin by gathering data through peer reviewed publications and speaking to experts on the subject matter. It is important to get varying views, as data can be interpreted in different ways. It is important as a scientist, or an elected leader, to weigh the data that is given before making a decision, or that decision can have dire consequences that are not easily rectified.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I believe in listening to many sides of each argument. I have done that as a hospice chaplain throughout my career, and I bring that same listening to public policy. When a policy question involves science, I start with the evidence from peer-reviewed research/data from trusted sources such as public health agencies, universities, and nonpartisan research. I talk with the people who know the issue best, including researchers, clinicians, and the experts who testify in committee. I ask where experts agree, where they disagree, and what remains uncertain. When I serve on the House Public Health Committee, I rely on this to test each proposal against the evidence before I vote. Working on the front lines of healthcare during the AIDS crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic showed me why this matters. Policy works best when it is grounded in science and shaped by the experiences of real people, and when we stay open to new information as issues arise.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I think we don’t have good enough pathways for this! I’m very interested in learning from you about how the scientific community can help us bring a science-informed perspective to our policymaking. Mostly I depend on the experts and organizations that have a lobbying presence in Springfield — I try my best to defer to their expertise when issues come before the GA.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

Scientific evidence should be a foundation of responsible policymaking. I would consult peer-reviewed research, universities, government agencies, and independent experts while listening to residents and communities affected by proposed policies. I have made a concerted effort in bringing on board several high school and college interns on my campaign to make sure that their voices are also heard in the process.

I would work with the various stakeholders to evaluate the quality and limitations of studies, look for consistent findings across credible sources. I would also consider costs, benefits, unintended consequences, and impacts on diverse communities.

I would encourage transparent discussions with experts and support measurable goals and periodic reviews to determine whether policies are effective as new evidence emerges. Science cannot answer every policy question, but it helps us understand risks, likely outcomes, and make educated and informed decisions. I am going to use my scientific training to make evidence-based decisions rooted in science and empirical data, wherever applicable.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

One of the first lessons I learned in this job was that it is impossible to be an expert in everything. It is critical to build relationships with trusted stakeholders across policy areas and look to them for guidance. In my first term the General Assembly passed the Clean and Equitable Jobs Act which was sweeping clean energy legislation that set a phase-out plan for fossil fuel in Illinois. It was a monster of a bill and I looked toward experts in energy production, capacity, and clean power generation to help me assess policy and make recommendations. I worked especially closely with experts at the National Resource Defense Council, and their guidance was extremely helpful. We have a lot of tough policy decisions ahead of us, whether they be centered on clean energy, data centers, or responsible AI regulations. I look forward to working with experts in all of these fields to craft effective and responsible policy.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

To ensure I am well informed, I seek out information from the experts who know more than I do, and read information from reliable and provides credible sources. For example, I joined a group called Affordable Naperville (AN) whose mission is to keep electric energy costs affordable for Naperville residents. They are attempting to persuade the Naperville City Council to extend Naperville’s contract with IMEA to the year 2050. The mostly woke council voted last February 2026 not to extend it, which will almost certainly significantly increase Naperville’s electric energy costs. ComEd rates are 20-30% higher than IMEA rates.. The AN group of concerned residents is comprised of many experts who have worked in the electric energy industry, or have been leaders in energy companies or on local boards. The AN website it top-quality. My experiences with this top-quality group make me a better advocate for transparent, affordable energy and responsible fiscal policy in Naperville. Citizens deserve clear answers about decisions that affect their utility bills. I support AN’s efforts to make the City Council accountable for fiscal responsibility and energy reliability.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I seek out information via periodicals, conversations with experts in their fields, and examining academic journal articles. If I do not understand something, then I will frequently email the auditors and authors of the more complex journals. I used to think that having more hybrid cars would help the environment, so I contacted experts at Brookings Institute and American Enterprise Institute, and later sought a grant to study further at their Joint Center. What I did not consider was that the cost of driving would fall with less gasoline used, which may cause more pollution and road congestion. I also did not fully measure the effects of how tax policies can influence decisions depending on deductions versus credits. I wrote my thesis on this subject, and subsequent researchers are following it in the full examination of CAFE standards as well as electric cars.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I like to get all the information from people who are more knowledgeable about science than myself. I would call all the scientists into a meeting and discuss the positives and negatives on a certain topic. I love science but I leave the information I absorb from the experts.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

When seeking out information on any topic, I look for sources from subject matter experts that cite peer-reviewed articles. I look for studies that question and build off each other, and I look to experts to analyze the quality of the date that is collected.

When considering the efficacy and safety of vaccines, I look to studies by medical doctors, and the testimony of medical doctors in further analyzing those studies. My own experiences have been that the flu vaccine did not prevent my children from contracting the flu, though as a new parent I expected them to be fully protected. I learned from their pediatrician that, while it doesn’t fully protect someone from contracting the flu, it does make it less likely, and it very likely helped my children’s immune systems to fight it off quickly and with minimal complications. Studies that I have read, and medical professionals who have analyzed those studies have supported those claims.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I haven’t held elected office before, so I haven’t made policy decisions. In my own life, I look to medical experts and doctors to explain topics I haven’t studied and rely on their guidance to choose the best path forward, along with my body’s needs. I will look for peer-reviewed information and experts when planning to make policy recommendations or working on legislation.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I listen the experts on the subjects in question, I research claims and findings on the subject in question, I examine current or proposed legislation on the subject (if any), I get input from constituents and I formulate an opinion based upon scientific evidence and common sense. This method may not always align with the popular opinion, but this is my preferred method of decision making.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I believe the best public policy is made when you bring the right people to the table, listen to the experts, examine the evidence, and also listen to the people who will actually be affected by the decisions we make. As an attorney, this process is not unfamiliar to me. My work has required me to research complicated issues, evaluate the credibility of information, ask questions, and understand different sides of an issue before reaching a conclusion. I would bring that same discipline to policymaking. Legislators cannot be experts on every scientific or technical subject, but we have a responsibility to seek out credible information, ask the right questions, and be willing to learn before making decisions. My Data Center Forum is a good example. As data centers began generating significant concern in our communities, there was also a great deal of misinformation and disinformation surrounding them. Rather than simply taking a position, I brought together environmental advocates, labor, community activists, and a Lake County Board member so residents—and I—could hear different perspectives on energy use, water, jobs, environmental impacts, and local control. That discussion helped reinforce my belief that Illinois needs statewide protections for ratepayers and natural resources while preserving a meaningful role for local communities in siting decisions. I took a similar approach with my Healthcare Forum. Health care policy affects patients, providers, hospitals, insurers, employers, and taxpayers, and you cannot fully understand the consequences of a policy by listening to only one of those groups. Bringing people with different experiences and expertise into the same conversation helps identify both the intended and unintended consequences of legislation. When evaluating scientific information, I want to know where the evidence comes from, whether it is supported by credible research, whether there is broad agreement among experts, and whether financial or other interests could influence the information being presented. I also think it is important to recognize the difference between established evidence and emerging research—and to be willing to say when we simply don’t know enough yet. That is how I would approach difficult issues in Springfield: do the research, bring scientists, experts, affected communities and other stakeholders to the table, ask questions, follow the evidence, and then make a decision based on what best serves the public. Good policymaking isn’t about pretending you already have every answer. It’s about doing the work necessary to make an informed decision.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

In my personal life I listen, ask questions, and consider reliable information before making decisions, especially on subjects I’m not familiar with. As state senator I would do the same. I would have to get information from qualified experts, do my homework on the research, and of course listen to the people affected by what ever the issue is. An important part of serving responsibly is being willing to learn.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I always try to get my information from multiple sources. I go to people I trust. and I still use my own judgment. One example of this was during Covid, while everyone kept saying to get the shot and the fact that my family had already tested positive, I did not want to get the shot because I believe in herd immunity.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I lean heavily on experts in the field when it comes to decision making on policies. Academic and industry expertise partners are a crucial part of working through different aspects of lawmaking. This was an important part of planning for the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), as I consulted with climate experts to make the best choices for Illinois.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

My background in biological sciences at Purdue and my work as a personal trainer have shaped my respect for evidence and practical results.

When evaluating a scientific issue, I would consult peer-reviewed research, credible public agencies, and experts with relevant experience. I would examine study quality, funding sources, whether findings have been independently confirmed, and where uncertainty remains. I would also listen to affected residents to understand how a policy would work in everyday life.

My approach to data centers illustrates this balance. I support investment and jobs, but evaluating their electricity and water demands means looking beyond the investment announcement. My position is to require infrastructure reviews, environmental safeguards, and protections against shifting costs to households.

I would explain the evidence behind my decisions and remain willing to update my position when stronger evidence becomes available.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I apply the scientific method, commonsense, historical perspective and past lessons, and advice from various sources.

Q4 Scientific issues increasingly influence public policy. When developing policy positions or making decisions on topics involving science, how do you seek out information, evaluate scientific evidence and expert input, and ensure your decisions are well informed? If you can, please share an example of when this process influenced your perspective or decision.

I start with facts, not politics. I look at the research, talk to people with subject-matter expertise, compare credible sources, and ask how a policy will affect everyday people before I make a decision.

A good example is renewable energy. I support it, but after looking at issues surrounding large data centers, including energy demand, water use, noise, and potential costs to residents, my position became more specific. I support renewable-energy development, but I also believe we need strong protections so residential communities and utility customers are not asked to carry the burden of someone else’s economic development.