For Dr. Paul Jacobs, there is no better reason to serve the people of the 115th House District than fiscal responsibility.
Ever since incumbent State Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) voted to raise the state’s income taxes by 32 percent during the last legislative session, Jacobs believes that she is no longer fit to represent the people of the 115th House District.
“We need people in Springfield that truly care about fixing things and getting this state back on the right track,” Jacobs told SW Illinois News in previous coverage.
Paul Jacobs with supporters
Jacobs has taken Bryant to task on her controversial tax increase vote for several weeks now.
“I don’t know what part of ‘we're broke’ it is that people don’t understand,” Jacobs said. “We gotta start reducing all of our taxes; and once we slow out-migration, as a state we need to become more business-friendly.”
As the March 20th general primary election approaches, Jacobs still wishes to remind voters that he is more than a would-be state lawmaker.
“Vote for people that are fiscally conservative and that know there is a finite amount of money and you can’t just keep spending,” he said, previously.
In Bryant’s recent moves to gain ground as the incumbent, she has continually justified her vote for higher taxes as a means to work for her constituents and all Illinoisans. As a result of her “yes” vote, the income tax rate in the state of Illinois has increased to one of the highest in the country.
“Our families already pay the highest property taxes in the nation, which gives them the highest overall tax burden in the nation, and now we will have to pay even more,” Jacobs said in a press release. “Southern Illinois needs a principled conservative leader who will listen to and support our taxpayers and stand against the Chicago political machine.”
With Bryant's voting record, Jacobs has long argued that she doesn’t stand for conservative values. He is not the only one as Taxpayers United of America recently declared Bryant a "Taxpayer Traitor."
"Representative Bryant betrayed her constituents when she sided with Michael Madigan to pass the largest income tax hike in Illinois history to fund lavish, gold-plated pensions," they said.
Granted, the incumbent has taken stances for Second Amendment rights, among some other issues, throughout her tenure; however, Jacobs believes that Bryant hasn’t done enough to benefit her district’s taxpayers.
As such, he has been pushing for a debate with Bryant.
“The voters deserve to have the opportunity to hear directly from us and ask us their questions," Jacobs said. "Debating is an important part of the electoral process and it would be extremely disappointing if she refuses to debate.”
Bryant has yet to accept the invitation.
Bryant and Jacobs go head to head in the March 20 general primary election. House District 115 covers all or part of Jackson, Jefferson, Washington, Perry and Union counties.
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