DEMOCRAT WRANGLING DRIVES LEGISLATURE INTO GRIDLOCK by George Kocan, TAPROOT Communications Director

As a result of the conflicts among Democrats, the Illinois legislature has not passed a single thing, said Bob Biggins, State Representative from the 41st District. He offered his analysis of Illinois politics at the monthly breakfast meeting of the TAPROOT Republicans in Lombard, Illinois, last Saturday, July 21.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to increase taxes for his pet projects like free health insurance for children, while other Democrats, among them party leader in the House Mike Madigan, prefer lower taxes, mostly for education, Biggins continued. The House Republican leader, Tom Cross, submitted a modest budget, some taxes going to education. But the success of this budget depends on the Senate Democrat leader Emil Jones, who has not yet allowed it to be called.

Blagojevich does not want to raise the income or sales tax so he put his hopes on the gross receipts tax and casino gambling. One more casino license is yet to be issued. If it goes to Chicago, Illinois will become the third biggest gambling state in the nation.

Replying to Rich John's question, Biggins saw few prospects of passing HB 750. This bill would trade low property taxes for high income taxes. The bill did not go to the relevant committees. "I'm not worried. The tax increases are too big," he said.

Commenting on Sen. Kirk Dillard's television endorsement of Democrat candidate for President Barak Hussein Obama, Biggins said, "We're disappointed. No one knew in advance that this would happen. They were buddies in the Illinois Senate, but they are not buddies anymore."

Regarding State Representative Paul Froelich's defection from the Republican to Democrat Party, Biggins responded that he had a strange voting pattern and put his name on all kinds of bills. Also, when asked about his opinion of a constitutional convention for Illinois, Biggins said that he opposes it.

Among the candidates and other dignitaries that attended the meeting were John Kinsella, Bartlett, who is running for Circuit Court Judge in DuPage County and TAPROOT stalwart Wally Brown, who is running for re-election to the DuPage County Forest Preserve board (3rd District).

The TAPROOT Republicans hold their breakfast meetings, the third Saturday of the month, with some of the most important Republicans in Illinois at the Old Country Buffet, in Lombard, off Roosevelt Rd. Sen.George Ray Hudson and other activists found the organization to educate the public on conservative principles and to help such candidates win elections.

Save the date for the famous TAPROOT picnic August 19. There will be no breakfast meeting in August.