Metro East Sun

Job creation tops the list of priorities for Mike Babcock, the Republican candidate for House District 111.

Babcock has focused his campaign on a triad of issues: job creation, Illinois' budget and breaking the stranglehold of the Democratic majority in the legislature. Jobs and job creation are a major concern as Illinois continues to lose employers and employees alike to other states.

The state has lost 290,000 workers in the last 10 years. A weak job market and heavy taxes have been cited as factors driving the outward migration. After the Great Recession of 2007-2009, Illinois' job market sputtered while surrounding states recovered and added new jobs. Weak demand for products produced by Illinois-based manufacturers, such as Caterpillar; high taxes; and business regulations continue to make Illinois unfriendly toward existing businesses and start-ups.

In addition to larger businesses moving out of state, residents pay the second highest property taxes in the nation. Unlike other states, Illinois has few tax deductions to offset its high taxes, forcing workers to look for jobs outside the state, where taxes are lower.

The manufacturing industry in Illinois has continued to lose jobs. The latest job figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) show that Illinois lost 4,400 manufacturing jobs in August and had a total loss of 11,800 jobs over the past year. Manufacturing job losses comprised more than half of August's decrease in non-farm jobs.

Illinois' fiscal woes have exacerbated the job situation. The legislature and Gov. Bruce Rauner have been locked in a battle over the unbalanced budget -- as well as structural, pension and worker's compensation reforms -- since 2015, which resulted in the absence of a state budget last year and the passage of a temporary stopgap budget in June.

After the House passed a last-minute, unbalanced budget in May, Babcock expressed dismay at opponent Dan Beiser's (D-Alton) vote in favor of the bill.

“We can’t fix all of the social issues until we bring companies and jobs back to Illinois again, and we can’t do that unless there is a balanced budget,” Babcock said. “(House Speaker) Michael Madigan and my opponent, Dan Beiser, have been voting for unbalanced budgets ever since Dan has been in office, which has been 12 years. And they’ve created such a large debt right now, and they want to add $7 billion to the debt.”

The House budget bill was voted down by the Senate; the Senate budget bill was, in turn, voted down by the House. After the failure of both bills, the legislature adjourned. This left the state without a budget for the second year in a row.

"Isn't it disappointing that Dan Beiser would leave Springfield without passing a balanced budget?" Babcock said. "Failing to do so puts our schools, prisons and social service providers at risk. By voting for Madigan’s phony budget that spends over $7 billion more than the state takes in, Beiser made it clear that he supports a massive, job-crushing $1,000 tax hike on every Illinois family. Illinois can’t afford Dan Beiser's and Mike Madigan’s funny business -- it's time for a change, Illinois."

The legislature hammered out a stopgap budget in late June. Although this compromise has funded education and other essential services, the stopgap agreement requires the legislature to revisit the full budget and the question of pension reform in November, following the general election. Currently, the state has a growing backlog of unpaid bills that could reach $14 billion if not addressed before the end of the year.

Babcock continues to support reforms to make Illinois more business-friendly. By implementing structural changes; reforming the state's pension plans and workers' compensation regulations; reducing business regulations; and passing a balanced budget, he hopes to stem the exodus of workers and encourage new job creation in the state.