Kitchen Table Issues in Illinois: Senator Darby Hills on Budgets, Jobs, and Public Safety

kitchen table with all her bills. I'll laid out on the kitchen table and she's

“trying to figure out what she's gonna cut in order to pay those bills. That's”

what the state of Illinois should be doing. Figure out what you're going to cut. Figure out where the waste is. Get an end to independent audit. Get some checks and balances and figure out how to balance the budget without taxing Illinois working families so that they can't survive or so they have to leave the state of Illinois. Get so that young people can stay in Illinois that they can

find jobs in Illinois. They can find housing in Illinois. Keep the red tape off of small businesses. Let them thrive. They're providing jobs and make sure that we are making our communities safer by working with law enforcement supporting law enforcement so that we can hold criminals accountable. Those are my initiatives and I'm gonna continue to fight for those because they're personal. American's

are capable of achieving extraordinary things when they have the freedom men-dopportunity to do so. This is American Potential.

“Hey everyone and welcome to American Potential Podcasts on your host David”

from you know for some people they know what they want to work in that they want to work in politics today they go to school and graduate and you know nothing gets worth. Brothers they're journeys a little different. You know kind of like our guests today. She started a career as a prosecutor then started a charity to help kids and then found herself serving in a local community but what's unique

about her stories have reflect something we talk about on the podcast. Then in a free society every day citizens who choose to get involved can really make a difference and today our guests continues that commitment in the Illinois State Senate. Working to make her community in her state stronger. I want to welcome to the podcast Illinois State Senator Darby Hills. Senator welcome. Thank you so

much David thank you for having me. Thanks well you know as you know as a listeners right now I'm a resident of state of Illinois so I really appreciate

“your service often in a difficult environment I know you you've recently come to”

the Senate and I know have been doing some great stuff as our team and our AFP team in Illinois's work alongside you and we've appreciate that partnership but I appreciate personally you're willing this to fight the good fight in Illinois. Absolutely well it certainly is a fight indeed David being one of 19 Republican Senators in the State of Illinois while they have 40 on the other side of the

aisle you can imagine that it is truly a fight every single day in Springfield. I just got back late last night and we've been fighting in committee we've been shining the light on what they're trying to do we just saw the governors state the state budget address that he just rolled out and you know we're seeing 40 percent spending up in the state of Illinois and as I've

mentioned you know none of us are making more money we're not getting anything

more for this but we're spending and we're continuing to spend. I always say

Illinois has doesn't have a revenue problem it has a spending problem so it is definitely a challenge. Yeah I mean that's total in truth I mean you look at the growth and spending year over year since coming a printer came into office and it's it is alarming and unsustainable so don't wonder that you know Illinois residents have the highest local and state tax burden in the nation.

Absolutely and we're seeing we're seeing the highest real estate taxes, gas, tolls, everything that you can possibly tax the Illinois working families is what the Democrats are doing. And it just venues to roll out a budget that just is unsustainable. So I want to kind of go back in your history because I'm really interested in how you came to serve in the Senate. You can talk me

about like what was like grown up and you know how to that shape what you're doing now. So I grew up in Carial, Illinois which is just a couple towns north west of where I live right now in Berington and I was raised by a single mom my mom worked two jobs she was a substitute teacher and she worked as a customer service agent at United Airlines she worked two jobs to take care of my brother

and I put food on the table she worked overtime shifts she would work into the

night wake up the next day go to work she never complained and she taught me

it's taught my brother that if you don't like the way something is going you don't sit on the sidelines and complain you roll your sleeves up and you get to work and that's something that I've carried through my entire life. I put myself through college I put myself through law school and I've carried that into my career as a Cook County prosecutor. I also did labor and employment on

the management side. I took it into my work starting a non-for-profit 15 years we've been running Berington Children's Charities in all volunteer essential needs

bags our whole community does and bring it to the schools they take it home on

“the weekend so that they can come back to school fed and ready to learn we also”

have a mobile dental units that go into the underserved communities we have mental health services eyeglasses anything that's there to help these children be able to be successful learners. I myself grew up in a working class family so I know what those children are dealing with on a daily basis I know what the parents are dealing with and I want to pay it forward which is why I've

been doing that for 15 years as a volunteer. I also served just up down from the village board for my community where I've been fighting for transparency and making sure that governments working for the people and not the other way around. So public service is at the heart of who I am and something that I've been doing my whole life and so this role I didn't go looking for it but I am honored

and privileged to represent the people of the 26 district and to make sure that

“these morals and values and hard work and grit are values that I carry to the”

state Senate every single day. So going back what made you want to be a lawyer and then want to be a prosecutor because I mean obviously someone as a lawyer can go a lot of different directions and what made you choose that direction. So it's interesting because I was just talking to you. I have three kids. I have a daughter that's a junior in college. She's a student at Villanova and I have two high

school boys and none of them really know exactly what they want to do but I

always knew I wanted to be a lawyer. I always wanted to be the voice for victims

for those most vulnerable. It's just something that was instilled in me. I felt that children didn't have a voice and I watched my mom struggle with a lot of things and be able to even navigate some of the court systems for child support. So it was something that I knew I wanted to do and so there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to be a lawyer. Once I got to law school I was a

member of the trial ad team and just I loved being in a courtroom. I loved being able to be able to advocate on both sides and I and I did have that experience for different either the victim or the actually the defense in some cases. So I I really enjoyed all of that but I worked as a prosecutor with my 7/11 in law school and I just was hooked. I knew that I cared about law and order and I

cared about making sure I'm standing up for victims. I worked under Dick Divine. I was a state's attorney when we prosecute criminals and when we held them accountable. So I worked in a very different prosecutors office than you've seen so far and more recently since the safety act. Well and a lot of folks who are listening from around the country don't even know that. I mean, Cook County where

you were a prosecutor is where Chicago is. It's massive. You know what it

was? It was a five six million people and obviously all the all the crime problems

that that you see in any very large county around the country. And so that is not for the faint of heart working in the Cook County City's attorney's office and prosecutor cases. So how how did that experience shape your point of

“view on society and the world and then eventually carrying forward into politics?”

So I'm very passionate as I said about about being the voice for those most vulnerable and I saw firsthand how the victims were not supported and I knew that we needed to be able to build the cases work with law enforcement so that we can actually see justice served. And this is something that has been something I've carried into the Senate. If you look at a lot of my legislation, in fact I

have a hearing next week out of piece of legislation that I'm very proud of and hoping to get across the finish line. It is to it's based off of a case in Chicago a teacher and public trust person a public trust was video taping children in a bathroom including a child with disabilities for sexual purposes. And if you can believe this was not treated as a sex crime and that teacher did not have

to register as a sex offender. He then went on to hurt more children. So this bill is going to make the act of videotaping children for sexual purposes a sex crime and make sure they have to register as a sex offender. I got it out of the committee, I got it on the House or on the Senate floor, I couldn't get it called because the ACLU is against it because they don't want any labeling

of any criminals. I spoke with ACLU on it, they said we don't want to have people feel like they are labeled and I said then tell them not to hurt children. So these are the kinds of things that I am passionate about and I'm carrying

an annual report from DCFS to come to the general assembly to tell us where the

hundred and ninety three children are missing. Do you can believe it in our system in DCFS? There are at least a hundred and ninety three children that are missing. Are they being trafficked? Where are they? So I have bills like that that stem from my experience as a prosecutor and being able to fight for the victim. So well, that I hope that work is really successful. I mean, it just seems kind of

“common sense to call that your does. I mean, I hate that you have to do a bill like that,”

but it's kind of where we're at. So I love this theme, you know, of being passionate about standing up for the victim and giving a voice to people who might have a voice. I'm sure it's part of one of the reasons why you started a charity and like your life experience grown up in a in a middle class home or working class home with a single mom. How did you take that step to start a charity that was going to help kids?

So my husband and I moved out to the to the suburbs and I was looking to get more involved. I'd be, you know, I was a mom of of three and I wanted to see how I can help my community. And I was looking for an organization that was helping children that are more impoverished, living people below the poverty level. And I know you think fairington, northwest suburbs,

“there's no need here. But as I mentioned, 550 kids, we feed every single week. So I was doing”

a little bit of research talking to schools, talking to counselors, talking to law enforcement and finding out that there were these this need. So I looked at my husband and I said, "I want to make a difference. I want to help these kids." And he said, "Start and not for profit." Which is easier said than done. But I did. And we got our 501-3 status. We started a board.

We had two fundraisers a year. And I never thought it would be growing to be doing the still 15 years later.

And what I really love about it is seeing the community come together every Thursday morning. Older people all the way down to new moms with their baby and their baby beyond. And they're packing the bags. I have corporate sponsors. I have all different team building throughout the district and they're packing the bags and they get to help children and families and also feel really good about what they're doing. So, you know, it's just something,

it's a laboral love for me. I certainly didn't expect that it would be growing as far. I started with one school. Our first school was Sunny Hill Elementary School in Carpenter'sville. That school was about 99% getting federal free and reduced lunches. And we started there. And then I had families from, throughout the district say, well, we have that need as well. Could you expand? So, you know, of course, that's fundraising. And of course, we've tripled our

cost. It's about $350,000 a year to run the program. And again, all volunteers. So, this is something I'm really proud of. And, you know, it's something that it's bipartisan. I mean, we have people from both sides of the aisle there and all doing great work in the private sector, doing it. It doesn't have to be government. It could be in the private sector, doing the right thing for the community. And then, so then, from there, you ran for trustee at local office.

Where did you learn in that experience? So, I actually was appointed my first time around and

then I did run and opposed to hold the seat. I learned about local government. I learned about how it's important it is to make sure that the community understands where the money's going and how to actually live within a budget. I think the state of Illinois could learn a lot from

“the village of Berington Hills. You need to live within your budget and have to be accountable”

to your taxpayers. So, that's something that you're fiscally conservative is a big thing for me. I believe that I had to grow up living within a budget. My mom had to grow up living within the budget. The state of Illinois can't just have an open checkbook and just keep funding all of these programs and not be held accountable. And, you know, with a super majority party in Springfield, that's exactly what they're trying to do. So, I'm interested in, you know, you decided to go to

law school, you worked in, it's decided to become a prosecutor, you said to start charity, said to run for local office. Did you, how much of this, did you want to do from the beginning? And, how much of it was you just kind of saying, hey, look, this is what's in front of me. This is

this leap and kind of take these different opportunities, which ultimately led you now to the

state Senate. Like, how did that process go for you? I never saw myself as a politician. It was

never in my goals per se. As I mentioned, I always wanted to be serving the people and that's something that I've continued to do throughout my whole life and that's something that I've just

“followed my heart. But life is about pivoting, right? You know, certain things in your life”

appear and you have that opportunity to step into a role to make a difference. And that's exactly what I did with with the state Senate position. You know, I didn't go looking forward. It wasn't something that was on my radar. But when I was approached with the opportunity, I knew that I could

use this platform to make an even bigger difference and be able to serve more people. So I was honored

to do it and I've been, you know, I didn't go to Springfield to sit on the sidelines. I've been working hard, making sure my voices heard, sponsoring legislation and representing the people that I am so honored to represent in the 26th district. So Illinois, from a, you know, a group that leaves in fiscal responsibility and low taxes and more freedom, Illinois is not exactly well-lined to that. The Illinois legislature. But, you know, I know, obviously I've worked Illinois a long time that

there's maybe not a majority of people. There's a large number of people, instead of Illinois, who do want more freedom and more liberty and want to keep more of their money and they want government to live within their means. Unfortunately, our legislature is not reflected of that. And while the policies that come out of that are not reflective of that, what were your impressions, you know, kind of being a newcomer to the state Senate and bringing that perspective of

fiscal responsibility that you learned to local government, what was your impression of Illinois State government in the legislature? And then what are you passionate about moving forward as a senator? David, I was shocked at the lack of transparency, the amount of discussions behind closed doors, the calling of bills and voting on bills at four in the morning on Halloween that affect everyday families. This is something the public should be able to not only know about, but participate in.

These types of situations were shocking to me. I had no idea. And I am very, very passionate about being the voice for all of you in Springfield and yelling it from the rooftops, making these legislators go on the record in committee and tell the Illinois residents what they are doing with their money, their families, their businesses because it is shocking to see some of the even demonic things that are going on in Springfield. And you know, being somebody new, I couldn't believe that that was

the way things are done. I mean, we're there all week and then they drop the largest budget in state history on our desk with less than 24 hours to review it and then we have to vote on it at four in the morning. This is not normal and it's not okay. So that is something that I had no idea that's not something I saw at the local level. I don't think the vast majority of people even know

“that that's how it goes, that's how it's happening. But it is. And we're talking about real bills,”

we're talking about not just the budget, but we're talking about voting and legislation for end of life. You know, legislation to end someone's life and we're voting on this in two in the morning. It's shocking and I'm really, you need to be a loud voice and shine the light on what they're

trying to do. Well, I'm glad you are. Because you know, I first ever got involved

in Illinois politics to kind of watch the legislature function and you know, it's in this beautiful building. There's great chambers. It like, think, wow, this is really a historical great opportunity. It should run according to good rules, not at all. I mean, the fact that even if they have rules about like the number of days of bill is to be read so that people can review it, they just wave just cuts, you know, work. Right. We're reading David. It's unbelievable and it's just,

“well, it's unconstitutional for one and it's, it's, it's, it's, it's what's happening. And that's what the”

supermajority party is doing and they're, and they're going more left every single day. I'm, I'm running in November. My opponent is far left. 26 years old. She's serving in the house.

in the state of Illinois. And I'm going to fight as I always tell everyone, this is a great state.

We live, we could be the gem of the Midwest. We have an international airport. We have hardworking people. We have good water. We have good farmland. We have great small businesses, but we have bad politics coming out of Springfield. And we just need the right leadership to turn the whole thing around. It's exactly it. I've always had, but for bad policy paths passed by, you know, what I'd say bad politicians. Illinois should, will be and should be the economic engine in the

west. And, and really the hard land. Yes. And there's so much going for it. There's so many great

folks to live in it. Myself included, but there's, there really are. And, but, but for the bad

“policies that they get passed. And so, I think we can kind of change some of those dynamics,”

change some of the leadership, get people involved, make sure that there's transparency. I think that there's an opportunity for people to look at that and then go away to minute. What am I getting here? This is, because at some point, you know, you really do get a point of no return. And that's a really bad spot to be in. Ty, I got, I got one, one final question for you. So, you know, you were a girl growing up and carry with a single mom who's working really hard

for, to, to support her family. What is that? What, what is that experience? How does that

inform you as a leader in the state senate fighting for your district? So, David, this, this is personal for me, because I've lived it. When I talk to working families every single day throughout the district, I know what they're feeling. I know they need stability. I know they're living paycheck to paycheck. And they need someone to stand up for them. They need someone to share those experiences with the legislators. So, they understand the ramifications of what they're trying to do to families.

This is something that I'm passionate about because I lived it. So, you know, I'm about making sure that things are affordable, kitchen table issues. These are issues that I set, watching my mom and the kitchen table with all her bills, I'll lay it out on the kitchen table. And she's trying to figure out what she's going to cut in order to pay those bills.

“That's what the state of Illinois should be doing. Figure out what you're going to cut.”

Figure out where the waste is. Get an independent audit. Get some checks and balances and figure out how to balance the budget without taxing the Illinois working families so that they can't survive or so they have to leave the state of Illinois. Get so that young people can stay in Illinois that they can find jobs in Illinois. They can find housing in Illinois. Keep the red tape off of small businesses. Let them thrive. They're providing jobs and make sure that we are making

our community safer by working with law enforcement, supporting law enforcement so that we can hold criminals accountable. Those are my initiatives and I'm going to continue to fight for those because they're personal for me. That's great. Well, Senator Darby Hills, I'm really really glad that we have you fighting for us in the Illinois Senate. I know that other of our like-minded folks really grew with that too. So I appreciate the hard work that you're doing. Thank you so much and I

appreciate the opportunity to be on and I'll be fighting for you. I'll be in Springfield on Tuesday as I said and my bill will be called for hearing and I'm going to continue to push through common sense legislation that helps the families that I represent. That's great. Well, thanks. Keep to the Lord's work. Thank you, David. Thanks. If folks, if you like this episode and like to stay connected with the podcast, be sure to like and subscribe to our channel as well as following

“us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. I don't want to just remember, everybody free them are”

easy to take for granted. Don't take it for granted. Go out there and defend freedom of liberty. Thanks for joining us and we'll see you on the next episode. Thank you for listening to American Potential. You may listen to more stories from Americans working every day to expand freedom and opportunity in their communities by visiting AmericanPotential.com.