Kankakee Times

Kankakee and Bourbonnais residents featured in a recent commercial spoke of Republican candidate for state House District 76, Lindsay Parkhurst’s caring manner and ability to get the job done.
Parkhurst is facing incumbent state Rep. Katherine Cloonen (D-Kankakee) this fall.

"Kate Cloonen is a very nice person, but that does not mean she's an effective legislator," Kankakee resident Chris Bohlen said.

Amid other complimentary remarks, Bohlen stated that Parkhurst is "a force to be reckoned with."

Parkhurst is known as a tenacious advocate for youth. She served for nine years as a Kankakee County assistant public defender for juvenile and abuse and neglect cases. Prairie State Legal Services awarded Parkhurst its 2014 Volunteer Attorney of the Year Award for her pro bono work.

The candidate's campaign platform includes term limits, a balanced budget, education and job creation. She has pledged to limit herself to six years in Springfield, setting an example for other lawmakers in the Illinois General Assembly.

As one of her first duties as a legislator, Parkhurst has pledged to oppose House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) and remove him from the position. If term limits are implemented, they will affect the 45-year veteran lawmaker and his colleague, Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago), who served in the Illinois House from 1979 to 1991 and is in his 25th year in the Senate.

Parkhurst vehemently opposes Madigan and his followers in the House. She believes that the powerful politician controls the House and its Democratic legislators through corrupt practices, patronage and donations from special interests. Parkhurst favors bipartisan leaders who are willing to work together to resolve the conflicts that resulted in a budget stalemate in 2015 and the passage of a $7 billion-in-the-red budget debacle in May. Though the House passed the unbalanced budget, the Senate voted against it. This left Illinois without a budget for the second year in a row.

At the end of June, however, the legislature met and passed a temporary stopgap budget that funded education, social services and other crucial needs. That budget expires after the November election and must be addressed when the legislature reconvenes. Parkhurst continues to support a balanced budget with no borrowing or tax increases. She also supports a property tax freeze to protect homeowners from further tax increases.

Education and full school funding is a major issue for Parkhurst. She continues to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves -- the children who are vital to the success of Illinois. She believes that all children deserve a quality education. She also stated that local communities should not have their funding reduced to benefit the Chicago Public Schools.

While the 30-second spot only took a small swipe at Cloonen, Parkhurst recently used social media and her website to blast her opponent for donating large sums from Cloonen's campaign contributions to Madigan's hand-picked Democratic candidates' political campaigns.

"Each dollar Kate Cloonen gives Mike Madigan is more proof that she is looking out for his Chicago political machine and not the voters of the 79th District," Parkhurst said. "Cloonen just committed $200,000 to help Madigan consolidate his grip over Illinois. We need a representative who understands that Madigan’s 30 years of power is what has bankrupted this state."

Parkhurst and Cloonen will face off in the Nov. 8 general election.

The campaign ad for Parkhurst was paid for by Liberty Principles PAC. Liberty Principles PAC was founded by Dan Proft. Proft is a principal of Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which owns the Kankakee Times.