Martin McLaughlin

Maria Peterson

In two previous runs for Illinois House, we have consistently found former Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin a steadfast voice for controlled spending with an independent mentality that can help him work effectively in the Democratically controlled chamber. We see much of the same as he seeks his third term in the race for Illinois House Dist. 52.

In this campaign, we are particularly impressed with his detailed position on ethics reforms for lawmakers that remain to be addressed. He says lawmakers should lose their state insurance and pension plans if they are found guilty of a crime, and he wants stronger controls on what he calls “the special interest contributing class.” He also wants tighter rules regarding legislators who transition to lobbying, possibly including restricting them or their staffs from lobbying the same government entity they previously worked for.

We also appreciate his resolute stance on controlled government spending, especially as the state gets set to enter a period of complex challenges.

We are not in lockstep with him on certain other positions, notably his fairly permissive position on gun control and his call for the repeal of the SAFE-T Act, but we have always found him open to the kinds of discussion that promote the kind of reasonable debate needed to best advance issues in a legislative setting.

Not that his challenger doesn’t exhibit similar qualities from a Democratic perspective. Maria Peterson, of North Barrington, speaks with authority and compassion on the key issues facing the state. She is a staunch activist for gun control and recognizes both the value and the shortcomings in the state’s year-old criminal justice legislation. She, too, sees the need for more work on ethics policies for elected state officials.

But the super-majority-controlled Democratic House needs checks from responsible Republican voices that do not shrink from upholding contrary values or mounting challenges in the interest of controlling expenses while knowing how to operate in a way that influences outcomes and benefits the district and the state. McLaughlin is such a candidate, and we recommend him for a third term in Illinois House Dist. 52.