Jenny Levin, a nurse from Palatine, and Lori Smith, an educator from Long Grove, both hope to succeed state Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, as the representative of the 51st District in the Illinois General Assembly.
Syed is running for the state Senate.
Both Smith, a Republican, and Democrat Levin have devoted their careers to helping people. When it comes to raising the income limit for child assistance in Illinois, they share a belief that aid should be available to more families.
“Parents sit across from me crying because their children need help and (they) can’t afford the cost of daycare,” Smith said. “It’s a huge cost. I would support raising the income limit for childhood support for parents.”
Seeing benefits beyond the families themselves, Levin said she would “love to see that money increase.” She also understands the state’s revenue sources are limited by its current tax structure, which also needs changes.
“The reality is, with the financial crisis we have right now, we have a triage problem of where that money goes, where it comes from, and who pays for it,” Levin said. “I talked before about a structural reform for our tax system. I think that is something we need to talk more about.”
While Levin and Smith agree on increasing the income limit for child assistance, they offer different opinions on issues like property taxes, artificial intelligence and reproductive healthcare.
Smith and Levin shared their ideas about what they want to achieve if elected to the 105th Illinois General Assembly in the Nov. 3 general election during a forum on Sept. 26 in Palatine sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Palatine, Barrington and Schaumburg.
When asked if increased state funding for public schools is the answer to lower real estate taxes, Levin said property taxes are high in the area because the state has limited revenue appropriated to public education other than evidence-based funding started in 2017. She advocates an overhaul of the tax system.
“We need a whole reform of our tax structure at the constitutional level to make sure those who have benefitted from this economy pay back into it to ensure its survival,” Levin said. “That’s one of the founding principles of capitalism: those who benefited from it pay back into it.”
Seeing a spending problem as part of the reason for high property taxes, Smith said another tax from the state, like the evidence-based funding or the proposed referendum in Lake County adding a 1% sales tax for education, is unacceptable.
“We need to start auditing where the money is going,” Smith said. We need to start with the state. They need to stop promising they’ll fund these mandates they have no intention of funding. We don’t need another state tax to do that, like evidence-based funding. There’s simply nothing left to give.”
With AI becoming a national and international issue, Smith said it is important youngsters in the schools learn about it and receive instruction in the various ways it can help them within some limits.
“It’s really important for children to be educated on how to use AI,” Smith said. “Children should be taught AI and the programs that are becoming available. There needs to be some safety and some safeguards implemented into that.”
Likening AI today to the introduction of the internet into education in the 1990s, Levin said AI is an excellent tool, but there is much to be figured out as students learn to use it in a variety of ways. She worries it could “hinder our ability to learn.”
“I think the best way forward in setting these regulations is to talk to the experts,” Levin said. “Talk to the teachers who see their kids being in front of a tablet all day. Bring educators to that conversation so the experts can tell us the best way forward in how this technology can affect child development.”
Asked about their views on “women’s reproductive health, Levin said, “all decisions should be made by the patient, the doctor, and any other family member the patient wants to be in that room.” As a nurse, she knows what it is like to hear a woman talk about her decision.
“I have cared for patients where circumstances have lowered their quality of life, and they are not ready to have children,” Levin said. “These decisions are not easy, and the government has no right to have a say in what those decisions are.”
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Making her personal position known, Smith said, “Life begins at conception.” Illinois law is settled on the subject, so there is no need for discussion locally. She does not want to make it a “national culture.”
“I also don’t believe the state should tell you how you should take care of yourself, how you should manage your own health,” Smith said. “It’s between you, your doctor and your God.”
Smith, 54, said she has worked as a teacher and a high-level school administrator focused on special education for nearly 30 years in both public and private schools. She is a learning behavior specialist.
Currently working on her doctorate from Aurora University, Smith has a pair of undergraduate degrees — psychology and elementary education — and a master’s degree from National Louis University.
Levin, 36, has worked as an emergency room nurse for more than 10 years after being employed as an emergency medical technician while she earned her nursing degree. She is licensed as a trauma nurse specialist and a trauma-certified registered nurse.
Earning her undergraduate diploma from Purdue University, Levin received her nursing degree from Loyola University in Chicago.
Early voting is underway between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Lake County Courthouse & Administration Building in Waukegan through Oct. 16, when it expands to 17 other locations throughout the county. Some are open extended hours, including weekends. A complete list with times and locations is on the Lake County Clerk’s Office website.
The 51st District includes all or part of Barrington, Kildeer, Deer Park, Long Grove, Vernon Hills, Lake Zurich, Hawthorn Woods, Inverness, Palatine, Hoffman Estates, and Rolling Meadows.