Lake County Gazette

As the election season gains steam, the grassroots anti-tax group Americans for Prosperity is calling out a number of state legislators for having a "yes" problem in Springfield, specifically when it comes to House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago).

Chief among them is state Rep. Sam Yingling (D-Grayslake), who is being challenged for District 62 state House seat by Republican Rod Drobinski of Wauconda.

“Yes to special interests. Yes to more spending and handouts. Yes to Speaker Mike Madigan’s agenda,” a commercial funded by the political advocacy group said. 

The spot then went on to urge viewers to call their legislators and tell them to “quit voting for Mike Madigan’s overspending.”

“The most important issues facing our state include ever-rising taxes overall, including property taxes, that are pushing residents and jobs out of our state,” Drobinski said recently. “My opponent has co-sponsored bills that would raise our property taxes and would increase taxes on small businesses and seniors.”

After the General Assembly adjourned for the summer without ending the ongoing budget impasse, Drobinski called on Yingling to stand up to Madigan.

"Sam Yingling left Springfield without passing needed reforms or a budget that makes sure our schools open on time in the fall," Drobinski said. "Not only did Sam Yingling vote for the most unbalanced budget in Illinois history, but he drove home without looking back once to clean up the mess he helped make. Sam Yingling needs to stand up to Mike Madigan, get back to Springfield, and get to work on reforming Illinois and passing a balanced budget.”

Before the Assembly passed the stopgap budget in late June, Madigan proposed a budget solution in the spring that called for $40 billion in spending and only an estimated $33 billion in revenues. The House passed the budget, but it was shot down in the Senate.

“Unbalanced budgets are completely unacceptable, and my opponent consistently votes for budgets that spend billions more than we have," Drobinski said.

Drobinski also took Yingling to task for not calling for embattled Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino to step down amid probes over questionable campaign-fund expenditures. Mautino has refused to answer legislators' questions about the accusations.

"As someone who voted to make Frank Mautino Illinois’ auditor general, Rep. Sam Yingling should be shocked at Mautino’s alleged misconduct," Drobinski said. "Instead of calling on Mautino to testify or step down, Rep. Sam Yingling has remained silent. Sometimes, our representatives in Springfield need to choose the integrity of Illinois over protecting a member of their party. This is one of those times."

The latest commercials paid for by Americans for Prosperity also call out state Sens. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) and Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) for blocking a property tax freeze from becoming law by “using insider tactics" while “pandering to special interests.”

“Rising property taxes … wreak havoc on family budgets and costs,” an announcer said in one 30-second spot. “But Cullerton and state leaders don’t care. …Tell (him) to stop pandering to special interests and pass the property-tax freeze now.”

Republican Seth Lewis of Bartlett is challenging Cullerton in District 23, while Bush faces Republican Michael Amrozowicz of Gurnee in District 31.