55th District candidates address guns, political affiliations during Park Ridge forum

Pioneer Press Newspapers (Chicago, IL)

Oct. 01--The topic of guns dominated portions of a pre-election forum last week featuring 55th District Illinois state house candidates Marty Moylan and Marilyn Smolenski in Park Ridge.

Democratic incumbent Moylan, of Des Plaines, and Republican newcomer Smolenski, of Park Ridge, took roughly 25 questions from the audience during the one-hour forum hosted Sept. 27 by the League of Women Voters of Park Ridge and the Northwest Suburban American Association of University Women at St. Luke's Lutheran Church.

The candidates were given one minute to answer each question.

Several questions related to guns were asked of the candidates, with some members of Moms Demand Action Against Gun Violence visible in the audience, which numbered close to 100 people.

In response to a question as to whether they would support arming Illinois school teachers with handguns, Moylan and Smolenski both said they would not. But they differed on their view of the Gun Dealer Licensing Act, which passed the General Assembly this year, but was vetoed by Gov. Bruce Rauner.

The bill would have required state-conducted background checks on gun dealers, inspections of the businesses by law enforcement and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, and training of dealers on how to conduct background checks of their buyers and how to "identity and stop straw purchases" of firearms.

Moylan voted in favor of the bill. Smolenski, who owns and operates a business that sells concealed-carry gun holsters for women, said she does not support the requirements of the bill because gun dealers are already regulated at the federal level and the state cannot afford this added expense.

Moylan said he will "vote for any common sense gun legislation we can propose in Springfield" and is a "staunch advocate for increased limitations on high-capacity magazines, universal background checks and a ban on high-powered assault rifles and a ban on bump stocks." He said he has also "fought to ensure that a due process mechanism exists in order to allow family members to petition to remove a gun from an individual's possession when there is a concern a person is a threat to themselves or others."

Smolenski said military assault-style weapons are "already illegal" in Illinois. But audience members continued to press Smolenski on her view of "assault weapons."

"An AR-15? No, I would not vote to make those illegal," she replied.

The candidates both said they would support legislation holding parents accountable if a child uses a parent's firearm to commit a crime.

The political associations of the candidates was also a topic during the forum.

Despite being asked twice, Moylan refused to say whether he will again vote to keep Michael Madigan as speaker of the house. Smolenski made statements that Moylan has taken a "million dollars" from Madigan, which Moylan denied.

"I do not take any money from Michael Madigan," he said.

However, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections, between 2012 and 2016, Moylan reported receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars of in-kind contributions, cash donations and cash transfers to his campaign from the Democratic Party of Illinois, an account headed by Madigan. He also reported receiving $42,200 from Friends of Michael J. Madigan in 2012 and more than $131,000 in in-kind contributions from the Democratic Majority, another fund headed by Madigan, between 2012 and 2016.

Moylan, in turn, accused Smolenski of accepting campaign contributions from "right-wing zealots with their crazy agendas and conspiracy theories," naming Republican donors Dan Proft, a radio talk show host who runs several conservative publications in Illinois, and businessman Richard Uihlein, specifically.

Smolenski said both men have donated to her campaign.

"We have the same beliefs in trying to get the economic health back on track for the state of Illinois -- and that is where we are the same," she said.

Despite their political party affiliations, each referred to themselves as "independent" candidates during the forum. And both stated that an "independent" system is needed to determine state legislative district boundaries, which are currently drawn by the political party in power.

Only Smolenski, however, proposed a specific plan, suggesting that a "computer-based program" that looks at regional boundaries and population of residents be used to draw the maps.

"It would allow us to elect and choose our leaders instead of our leaders choosing their voters," she said.

When asked for their positions on the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state, both indicated they did not support it. Moylan said he would back the expansion of medical marijuana, however.

Asked about their views of a "progressive income tax," in which the tax rate increases as income does, Smolenski said she would not support it, insisting that it would still raise taxes for low-income earners.

Moylan, who was a co-sponsor of a 2018 Illinois House resolution favoring a progressive income tax, did not answer the question specifically, but said his "priority" is cutting taxes for the middle class.

"I will not support increasing taxes on hard-working middle-class families in Illinois," he said.

The candidates were also asked how they would protect abortion rights in Illinois if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade, the case that legalized abortion in 1973.

Smolenski described herself as a "pro-life candidate" who does support "exceptions" and "would protect Roe v. Wade at the state level" if was overturned. Moylan said he has supported Illinois House Bill 40, which expanded state health insurance and Medicaid coverage for abortions, but also prevents the state from criminalizing abortions if the procedure is outlawed at the federal level.

Both candidates said they support the existence of townships, though Smolenski said elected officials should always be looking to cut waste and duplication of services.

When asked if they would protect the Affordable Care Act and medicare expansion in Illinois, Smolenski cited the importance of healthcare for "the most vulnerable" and said to protect these programs, the states must "prioritize our funding."

Moylan said he supports the Affordable Care Act and would not vote for any cuts in Medicaid or Medicare, saying they should actually be expanded.

The forum concluded with the candidates briefly mentioning the topic of sexual harassment.

Smolenski said she will "stand up" for women who are victims of harassment within state government and, if elected, would "fight for an independent legislative inspector general to support them."

Moylan spoke of supporting women's causes, including the #MeToo movement, and, pointing out Maine Township Trustee Kim Jones' presence in the audience, repeated the allegations of inappropriate touching that Jones had made against a fellow trustee and accused Smolenski's Republican supporters of not standing by Jones.

jjohnson@chicagotribune.com

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