Metro East Sun

Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Vandalia) added his name on the ballot for re-election for the Illinois State Senate’s 55th District in the upcoming June 28 Republican primary.

“It is humbling and not a duty I take lightly,” Plummer wrote on Facebook. “I’m proud to work hard on behalf of Southern Illinois and the Metro East.”

He has held his office since Jan. 9, 2019. Ballotpedia wrote prior to that he was the chairman of the Madison County, Illinois Republican Party and interned for Sen. Peter Fitzgerald and the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.

According to his campaign website, Plummer’s platform includes term limits, ethics reforms, and the rights of the unborn. He wants safe schools for students and supports the Second Amendment and law enforcement.  

He has added his voice of concern regarding Illinois’ regulation of cannabis. Recent reports of an incidence  of mold found in pre-rolled joints could not be confirmed by the state

“If a state lab finds an issue with a product, I think a state lab, once a confirmation is made, should probably be disseminating that information to the public if there’s a health or safety issue there,” he said to The Telegraph.

He has also raised questions about unemployment fraud. In a January Facebook post, he shared a story from The Center Square that questioned where Illinois' unemployment fraud information was.

“The unemployment fraud ... hit our state because of the failures of Governor J.B. Pritzker’s thin-skinned feckless administration,”  Plummer wrote in a post. “Did we lose $$$Billions or ‘merely’ $$$Hundreds of millions?” 

He called out Pritzker for issuing 100 executive orders regarding COVID-19.

“According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 47 states have attempted to rein in their Governor’s emergency powers since the pandemic began, including 12 states who have successfully enacted new laws,” Plummer’s website said.

He has been outspoken about issues related to ethics, such as the turmoil with the Legislative Inspector General. Former LIG Carol Pope resigned last year, citing the legislative reform bill she said didn't go far enough.

State Senate District 55 includes Charleston, Louisville and Fairfield.