As our economy struggles, so do our families and communities. Rising unemployment is too often met with rising crime. In response, we must ensure our approaches to public safety are effective and efficient. We have learned that increased incarceration does not always result in increased safety. Between 1970 and 2008, Illinois’ prison population grew by 500 percent—from 7,326 to 45,548, with an additional 32,594 on parole—yet crime rates remain steady. To truly reduce crime, we must address the root causes, not just the symptoms, of violence and crime.

My Policy Priorities Include:

Community Leadership: Strong communities are safer communities. As your State Representative, I will support local leadership by securing resources, provide training and being an advocate for block clubs, parent organizations, homeowner associations, service providers and non-profit organizations across the district. I will ensure youth have positive and productive alternatives to gangs and crime by investing in after-school programs, job training, and youth employment opportunities.

Support Those Who Serve: Police put their lives on the line to protect our families every day. While budgets are tight, we must continue to invest in public safety to ensure our police are effectively trained to work with diverse communities and efficiently deployed to reduce violence in high crime areas. As your State Representative, I will ensure they have the resources and support they need to protect and serve our communities.

Invest in Proven Programs: While the state spends over 5% of the state budget on public safety—too many of our communities remain unsafe. We must invest in programs that work. These programs include mentoring partnerships, evidence-based community programs proven to reduce shootings and killings by 45% and the “Walking School Buses” program, which brings community members together to provide youth with safe access to and from high schools. As your State Representative, I will increase investment in evidence-based street level intervention programs and expand youth intervention and support programs that work with high-risk populations at the community level to reduce violence.

Improve Re-Entry and Reduce Recidivism: Every year, over 40,000 ex-offenders are released back to our communities—over half to Cook County. Over half of them re-offend within three years (recidivate). Ex- offenders are our family members, friends and neighbors. Supporting ex-offenders make our communities safer and stronger. We must improve the state’s prisoner rehabilitation, release and re-entry programs— and remove education and employment barriers—to reduce recidivism and stabilize our communities. As your State Representative, I will work with state agencies, parole officers, re-entry service providers, non- profit organizations and communities to support our ex-offender population, stabilize our families and increase safety in our district and across the state.

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Illinois’ growing immigrant population economically, socially and politically contributes communities throughout Illinois, and the state as a whole. Illinois has the nation’s fifth largest immigrant population with nearly 1.8 million immigrants that come from Poland, Mexico, India, China and across the world—nearly 525,000 are undocumented. One in four Illinois children is the child of an immigrant. Respecting and protecting the rights of immigrants and their children are important to ensuring a happy and healthy future for the state and the nation.

My Policy Priorities Include:

Opportunities for Citizenship: Immigrants come to this country with dreams to support their families, and many, to become U.S. citizens. As your State Representative, I will be a vocal leader in support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform and the federal DREAM Act. At the state level, I will oppose policies that attempt to exclude or limit access for immigrants, and I will continue to fight for policies that expand the rights and resources available to all Illinoisans— including the undocumented.

Protecting Immigrant Communities: Attacks on immigrant communities and immigrant rights have become too common. From violent raids in communities to legislation proposed to strip immigrants of their right to basic resources including worker protections, education, housing and healthcare—the rights of immigrants need to be protected, and advocated for. As your State Representative, I will advocate for more cities to join Chicago in becoming an official “Sanctuary City” where the rights of immigrants are respected. Rudy will support legislation that offers Illinois immigrants the opportunity to attain a form of identification and apply for Illinois driver licenses, following in the footsteps of states such as New Mexico, Utah, and Washington. And I will be a strong voice for immigrant rights in Springfield, working to defeat any anti- immigrant bills that are introduced in the Illinois State Legislature.

Higher Education: Annually, approximately 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school across the country. Since 2003, with the passage of HB-60, Illinois is one of only ten states that offer in-state tuition to undocumented students. As your State Representative, I will continue to support efforts that help undocumented students pursue higher education by maintaining the spotlight on the need to fund the Illinois DREAM ACT and supporting Congressman Gutierrez and Senator Durbin in their efforts to pass a federal DREAM ACT.

Language Access and Equity: Over 800,000 Illinoisans struggle speaking English. Whether in the classroom, at the hospital or on the train—all Illinoisans have the right to accessible and relevant information and quality services. Effective translation and interpretation services can be a matter of dropping-out of high school or continuing on to college, it can also be a matter of life or death. As your State Representative, I will advocate for expanded bilingual education programs as well as improved language access funding and standards across public services and state agencies.

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As the economy has declined, the number of uninsured in Illinois has risen—and so have the costs. The percentage of uninsured Illinoisans grew from 10.9 in 1990 to 15 percent in 2009. Of the nearly 1.7 million Illinoisans uninsured in 2009—nearly half (44%) lived in the Chicago Metro area. Surprisingly, the state’s highest uninsurance rates are not among the unemployed, but among the workforce. Employer-based health coverage in Illinois declined from 75% in the 1980s to 59% in the mid 2000s. As of 2009, 48% (800,000) of the state’s 1.5 million workers (ages 16-64) are uninsured. And unfairly, Illinois’ uninsured pay up to twice what insured patients pay for medical services.

My Policy Priorities Include:

Increasing Access and Coverage: While 1.7 million Illinoisans are uninsured, even those with insurance struggle with medical costs and coverage issues. Illinois’ All Kids Program provides universal coverage for all Illinois’ children—including undocumented kids. Universal health care does not yet exist for all Illinoisans. In Illinois, 2.8 million (22%) adults rely on Medicaid—a crucial public health coverage program. This program funds 45% of the state’s community health centers, where one million residents receive direct health care. As your State Representative, I will advocate for full federal and state funding for Medicaid as well as support efforts for universal health care that will comprehensively cover all Illinoisans.

Community Health Resources: Not everyone goes to hospitals for their medical care. Community and school based health centers are crucial resources for families and communities. Having a place where doctors and nurses know your neighborhood and understand your family is critical to ensuring accessible and appropriate care. School-based health centers are an essential place for youth to access comprehensive health education and services. These local health resources are often a family’s only, if not primary, health resource for preventative, pediatric, prenatal and other forms of care—especially for the un-and-under-insured. As your State Representative, I will invest in improving and expanding community and school based health centers in the districts, and throughout the state.

Culturally and Linguistically Competent Care: Communication between a doctor and their patient is crucial to providing quality care. Too many of the state’s over 665,000 Latinos and 111,000 Asians who struggle speaking English do not have access to interpreters when receiving care. Studies have showed that a quarter of patients who need an interpreter but do not receive one do not understand their medication instructions. Other studies have found that language issues are as significant as the lack of insurance in using health services. However, Illinois’ Medicaid program does not cover interpretation and translation services. As your State Representative, I will ensure translation is included in the state’s Medicaid program, and that language access funding and standards are improved in Illinois.

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