Illinois State Rep. Kate Cloonen | Courtesy of the Illinois House Democrats
Illinois State Rep. Kate Cloonen | Courtesy of the Illinois House Democrats
Democratic State Rep. Kate Cloonen (D-Kankakee) is facing criticism after being filmed playing Candy Crush during a debate session last month on the Illinois House floor concerning a $453 million higher education bill.
Cloonen has since released a statement saying she has been focused on the state’s budget problems.
“If playing Candy Crush during session is being ‘focused,’ God help us from whatever havoc Kate Cloonen will wreak on Illinois whenever she decides to put down her iPad,” Aaron DeGroot, spokesman for the Illinois Republican Party, said. “Illinois has gone nearly a full calendar-year without a budget. Our unpaid bill backlog is exploding, as is our unfunded pension liabilities. House Democrats like Kate Cloonen would rather play Mike Madigan’s ‘Game of Drones’ than pass a balanced budget."
A statement from the Illinois GOP said that after realizing onlookers saw her playing the game, Cloonen put the device away.
"Legislators must act before it’s game over for Illinois,” DeGroot said.
The bill that was being debated consisted of additional funding for public universities and colleges. In April, a bill was signed that provided higher education institutions with $600 million in funding so that their respective summer sessions were supported.
Matt Porter, capital bureau chief of WCIA-TV, said that Cloonen has yet to express any regret about the incident.
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