Metro East Sun

A 1 percent sales tax increase and who will take four seats in the General Assembly is high on the minds of Madison County voters going into the general primary election on March 20.

As written, the sales tax proposal, formally added to the ballot late last year,  is intended to benefit local schools. The increase would not apply to the purchase of items such as groceries, prescription drugs or motor vehicles. 

The tax increase referendum, as it is expected to appear on the ballot, reads: "Shall a retailer’s occupation tax and a service occupation tax (commonly referred to as a ‘sales tax’) be imposed on the County of Madison, Illinois at a rate of 1 percent to be used exclusively for school facility purposes?"

Jason Plummer of Edwardsville, Republican candidate for the District 54 state Senate seat

Madison County voters also will decide on two state Senate races and two state House races.

Edwardsville resident Jason Plummer is seeking to continue the Republican tradition in Illinois' District 54 by taking the position currently held by fellow party member Sen. Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon), who is not seeking re-election. 

Plummer, a Navy Reserves intelligence officer and former lieutenant governor candidate, told the Metro East Sun last month that Illinois currently fails to provide the economic environment necessary to foster growth and opportunity. In the same interview, Plummer said if he is elected, he will "be focused on working directly with state agencies to make needed changes to the regulatory system and coordinating with local units of government within the district to address their needs from the state."

Plummer is facing Rafael Him, George Barber and Benjamin L. Stratemeyer in the general primary election. 

The district encompasses all of Bond, Fayette, Clinton and Marion counties, as well as parts of Effingham, Madison, St. Clair and Washington counties.

In another state Senate race, Belleville radio talk show host Bob Romanik is seeking the Republican nomination against Tanya Hildenbrand in the race to take the seat currently held by the incumbent Sen. James F. Clayborne, Jr. (D-Belleville) in the 57th District. Clayborne said in September that he will not seek another term, ending his 22-year hold on that seat. 

Romanik has been roundly criticized for making racist and inflammatory remarks on his radio program and was rebuked in a statement by the St. Clair County GOP. 

Hildenbrand is a veteran with an accumulated 28 years in the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard where she currently holds the rank of lieutenant colonel. As part of her service Hildebrand has spent time in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Guantanamo Bay.

The 57th Senate district is in Madison and St. Clair counties.

Over in the state House, 20-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran Don Moore is seeking the 108th House District seat currently held by incumbent Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Okawville). 

Moore recently told the Metro East Sun that there are "serious problems in Illinois that need the attention of our legislators" and that it's time to "prod them to get to work answering what they are doing to improve the economic health of Illinois."  

The 108th House District is in Madison, St. Clair, Clinton and Washington counties.

In another state House race, Glen Carbon Republican Dwight Kay wants to get the 112th State House District back from Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville). 

First elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 2010, Kay lost the seat to Stuart in 2016. 

Kay recently told Metro East Sun that he's been hearing from members of his community who "have no respect for state government based on the way they are treated on things like taxes. They know they are paying more then most counties and they know that the state has some of the highest taxes in the nation. They're made to feel like renters instead of owners." 

Kay faces Wendy Erhart in the general primary election. The district includes Glen Carbon, and parts of Maryville, Edwardsville, Collinsville, Granite City and O'Fallon.