Campaign info
- Position sought: Member of the General Assembly; 50th District State Representative
- Political: Party Republican
- Email: vote4kay@att.net
- Facebook: State Representative Kay Hatcher, Friends of Kay Hatcher,
- Website: KHatcher.com
- Address: Friends of Kay Hatcher, PO Box 429, Yorkville, IL 60560
Personal info
- Age and Birthdate: 66
- Family: Husband Steve, adult children Beth, Bonnie, Curt, Jennifer plus 6 grandchildren
- Education: Boston College Carroll School of Management, Management Certificate Program, Corporate Communications
- Occupation: Full-time legislator, Kendall, Kane, LaSalle Counties
- Previous Elected or Appointed Offices: Oswego School Board 1985-1991, Kendall County Board, Economic Development and Zoning Chair 1991-1996, Kendall County Board, Forest Preserve President 2002-2008, Precinct Committeeman 1996-2008, Member of the General Assembly 2009-Present
Candidate questions
Is there any additional experience you believe qualifies you for the position?
- 2010 Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR Friend of Agriculture
- 2009 Legislator of the Year, Metro West Council of Government
- 2008 Award of Excellence in Government, Illinois State Crime Commission
- 2006 State of Illinois Making A Difference Award, Women’s Empowerment
- 2005 Distinguished Service Award, Fox Valley Project With Industry
- 2004 Illinois Crime Stoppers Volunteer Contributor of the Year
- 2003 Waubonsee College Distinguished Contributor
- 2003 YWCA Woman of Distinction
- 2003 Outstanding United Way Board Volunteer
- 2002 Outstanding Illinois Woman in Government
- 2001 Governor’s Commission on Status of Women, Entrepreneurial Committee
- 1999 Business Ledger Influential Woman in Business
- 1999 Business Journal LUCI Award (Leading Us in Commerce and Industry)
- 1992 YWCA Woman of Distinction
What would your priorities be if elected to this office? Restoring jobs, restoring fiscal responsibility and restoring trust all dovetail together to create a state – and state of mind – that our working families can count on to create the stability needed to thrive.
What sets you apart from the other candidates? Diverse experience counts. My professional leadership in both the profit and not-for-profit sector is unique, ranging from Community Relations Director for Illinois Bell to board president of Senior Services. I knew the value of Illinois’ road and communications infrastructure, as well as the safety-net human infrastructure, long before I came to the legislature.
My economic development, manufacturing and business experience is vital to rebuilding our job market and my long-standing relationship with all levels of education helps our families grow stronger. A huge issue in Springfield is political partisanship blocking needed reforms. I was named Legislator of the Year for my ability to bring both sides of the table together to solve problems.
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to serve, and understand that the capacity to listen is among the greatest traits a legislator can possess.
What should first be done by the state to keep businesses that have strongly voiced the possibility of leaving, such as CME and Sears? I was one of the few in the legislature who voted against the CME/Sears legislation. Government should not be in the business of picking winner and losers. Creating a business-friendly state has three components: a stable environment that encourages investment, a tax system that isn’t punitive and a practical workmen’s compensation program that identifies true responsibility.
In other words, roll back the income tax, institute causation (Florida had a 70% drop in claims in doing so), and businesses lose their jitters and will want to call Illinois home. A recent public letter from the CEO of Caterpillar echoed my sentiments. My voting record reflects that commitment.
I am among the small handful of legislators receiving a 100% fiscal prudence rating from the Illinois Policy Review. I believe we can create an Illinois that attends to funding discipline and still treats people with dignity.
What can be done to help College Illinois? I have joined Representative Durkin in co-sponsoring legislation that will bring more transparency to the program and ensure investments are being used as intended.
HB 5599 tightens fund standards and report standards. HB 5601 bans using College Illinois money from paying personnel salaries or benefits. HB 5600 prohibits the Prepaid Tuition Trust Funds from being used for administrative, marketing or promotional ventures.
HB 5598 places commission members under the government ethics act that demands public economic interest statements. These bills structure College Illinois to work in the same manner as other state agencies.
What should the government do to create more jobs? Government should create a stable environment that encourages businesses to invest in both people and products. Stability is the key, coupled with as little paperwork as possible! Minimize bureaucratic barriers and incent research and development.
My many years of active service on the Valley Industrial Association Board of Directors and numerous Chambers of Commerce taught me a very basic lesson; entrepreneurship will thrive given the chance. Jobs will be created, and that benefits the owner, workers and entire community.
Those profits in turn create a stronger environment for education, which is the core of a healthy job climate.
What are your philosophies on social issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion, and what should government’s role in those issues? My personal philosophy is strongly fiscally conservative and socially moderate. Every person has to weigh for themselves the importance of each issue and how it affects their family.
I believe in the conservative desire of limited government, where less intrusion of government into each of our lives is the ideal. Good people can respectfully have a difference of opinion in certain aspects of individual issues. What unites us – on economic and social issues – is our conservative tradition of limited government.
Do you support a gaming bill that would increase the number of casinos or other gambling venues in Illinois? Should a casino be built in Chicago? The 50th District is unique in Illinois in that it is the recipient of both jobs and community impact dollars from multiple gaming establishments.
As a business leader I was able to watch the evolution of the industry in the Fox Valley from the very beginning. The original legislation was specifically designed to aid aging river towns regain economic vitality, and it has been successful. Expanding gaming or simply adding one casino in Chicago would be disastrous to the Fox Valley economy.
There are a finite number of people who enjoy gaming, and any new sites would simply dilute the existing clientele, spreading it among more casinos and dropping the revenues of the old facilities.
What do you suggest for property tax relief? Relief can come in the form of both state and local responsible action. Your property tax bill is composed of numerous entities, all of whom are required by law to levy a certain amount each year. I carried HB1645, which gave taxing bodies the ability to reduce or eliminate their tax levy for one year if they had sufficient funds in their coffers – and some of them do. I was one of the few legislators this spring to support HB 3793, which froze property tax extensions.
This was heavily lobbied against by many local government bodies and councils of government in the state. While the legislation was not flawless, the attitude is. Government simply has to do things differently than it used to. Many of these logjams could be broken if government based its budget on income, not desired spending. The ability to upsize or downsize your house would increase if long term borrowing was stopped, if pension and Medicaid reform was instituted and if state and local leaders thought beyond tomorrow.
Budget uncertainty, and the specter of additional taxes, has job creation at a standstill. We have to return fiscal discipline to Illinois, honor our commitments, and analyze the worth of existing programs before considering new ones.
Should the state consider consolidating school districts? What would be the best way to accomplish this in your legislative district? I’m a big fan of data; otherwise it’s just an opinion. It’s been statistically proven in other states that not only does consolidation fail to accomplish an economy of scale, it often causes significally more problems by creating a larger administrative octopus that is a barrier to parent interaction.
The legislature recently took a big step in the right direction by creating landmark legislation, SB7, which structures a more educationally responsible environment for administrators, teachers and school boards. Local boards must examine much more closely the long-term effect of every decision, from contract negotiations to supply purchases.
The legislature, in turn, must look for thoughtful and balanced ways to address the pending pension imbalance. For tiny districts that wish to consolidate, the legislature should respond immediately to ensure that happens, as we did this spring.
Should the state legalize marijuana? Marijuana is a federally prohibited drug. Any state that passes legislation in any form, whether the intent is medical or otherwise, is open to federal intervention and seizure. I put my trust in the opinions of 50th District law enforcement and those within the justice system. They say no.
Are there ways to reform the legislative scholarship program, or would you support calls to eliminate the program? My office does not participate in the Legislative Scholarship program. There is no revenue source for these scholarships, and the individual universities absorb the costs. That means, of course, that the families who are paying for their seat in the classroom are actually the ones funding these scholarships.
The eight one-year scholarships that each legislator can give easily comes to between $75,000 and $150,000. That amount is per legislator, per year. It’s simply time for Illinois to stop this practice.
Who are your political heroes and why? This is Illinois, so of course Lincoln is the benchmark. My heroes come from the generation of leaders yet to be, because their world will be difficult. The issues are increasingly complex and new solutions will have to be found. I pray their scope of experience will be large enough so that they will truly understand the ripple effect of their decisions.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony, sued successfully or had a restraining order placed against you? If so, please explain. No
