Letter: Chris Nybo Delivered on Promises He Made When He Was Sent to Springfield

Unlike some primary elections where the candidates barely differ, the race between Chris Nybo and Kirk Dillard presents a clear contrast for voters. The race is easy to cast as energetic Nybo versus experienced Dillard or, as some have called it, conservative Nybo versus moderate Dillard. But the best comparison may be promises kept versus promises broken.

Chris was sent to Springfield in 2010 with the charge from voters to clean things up. As a first-term legislator, he got the “Blagojevich billboards” outlawed, so that our tax dollars could not be used to put politicians’ names on our highways. Chris also cleared the legal roadblocks keeping school nurses from administering an EpiPen to children with severe food allergies. Like he said he would, Chris opposed red light cameras, opposed the bill to put five new casinos in our state, opposed a bill to allow Chicago to take citizens’ Illinois tax refunds to pay outstanding city parking tickets, and supported serious pension reform.

Dillard, however, said he opposed gambling expansion, but he took thousands in gambling money and voted for five new casinos and new slot machines across the state. Dillard said he opposed red light cameras, but he took red light camera company money and voted to allow red light cameras to give speeding tickets. Dillard said he supported pension reform, but he recently took tens of thousands of dollars from teachers’ unions and voted “present” when it came time to vote for strong pension reform. Dillard said he opposed taxpayer funding of research that destroys human embryos, but he made speeches in favor of and cast crucial votes to create the program to funnel tax dollars to this unproven, ethically questionable research.

For a discerning voter who cares about the future, this is not a difficult choice. The future is better left in the hands of a hardworking “promises kept” legislator like Chris Nybo. I would encourage a vote for Nybo for Senate.

—Peter Breen