Incumbent
Occupation: Legislator Paramedic for Chicago Fire Department
Education: St. Rita High School; Mt. Sinai Hospital, Orthopedic Training School; Emergency Medical Technician School; Chicago Fire Academy, Fire Administration and Management; Loyola University Medical Center, Paramedic Training.
Other experience:
ANITA M. CUMMINGS/DEMOCRAT
Occupation: Personnel consultant
Education: B.S. education, DePaul University
Other experience: I have been a community activist for twenty years, pursuing change in areas of education, economic and job development. I have served on numerous advisory boards dealing with education, local business and industrial concerns.
1. State Income: Which of the following
do you support to address
the state`s fiscal crisis? Raica Cummings
Raise income tax rate No No
Enact a graduated income tax No Yes
Increase the sales tax No No
Increase user fees Yes Yes
Allow more legalized gambling No No
Impose a tax on services No
Eliminate the tax credit for property tax No No
Tax pension income No No
Reenact an inheritance tax No No
2. State spending: Would you increase (I),
decrease (D) or maintain (M) the level of
spending in the following areas? Raica Cummings
Public aid (families with children) M M
General assistance (single adults) M M
Incentives for business investments M I
Job training (Opportunities/Project Chance) M I
Energy assistance for poor M M
Community mental health programs I M
Public transportation M M
Environmental protection M I
Prisons I I
Probation services I M
Early intervention for at-risk children I I
3. School funding: Do you support: Raica Cummings
Statewide sharing of a portion
of property taxes? No
Local/regional income tax for schools No No
Reducing mandates for schools Yes Yes
Public funds for private school vouchers Yes No
Substantial increase in new revenue
for schools Yes Yes
No new money for schools No No
4. Social issues: Do you support: Raica Cummings
Job protected family and medical leave Yes Yes
Earned income tax credits Yes
Tighter restrictions on eligibility
for welfare benefits Yes Yes
5. Environment and natural resources:
Should the state: Raica Cummings
Set higher recycling goals? Yes Yes
Regulate the use of pesticids Yes Yes
Increase groundwater protection Yes Yes
Increase protection for wetlands Yes Yes
Control municipal landfill
and incinerator siting Yes Yes
Set recycled content goals for packaging Yes Yes
6. Health care:
Do you support legislation that would: Raica Cummings
Provide Medicaid for all below
the federal poverty line Yes
Assign Medicaid patients to an
HMO type health care plan Yes
Give incentives to health care
professionals to work in underserved areas Yes Yes
Expand insurance coverage of mental illness Yes Yes
7. Reproductive choice:
Do you support legislation that would: Raica Cummings
Keep abortion legal with
no additional restrictions No
Require parental consent for
a minor`s abortion Yes Yes
Require parental notification before
a minor`s abortion Yes Yes
Allow Medicaid to pay for abortions No No
8. Other: Do you support: Raica Cummings
A ban on semi-automatic assault weapons No Yes
State legislation overriding
local gun restrictions No Yes
Community service for drug possessors
(not dealers) Yes
Term limitations for state legislators Yes
Merit selection of judges instead
of elections Yes Yes
A blank space indicates the candidate did not reply to the question or the answer was in a form other than the choices provided.
