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Jeff Keicher and Randi Olson outline their priorities for Illinois House District 70

We continue our series looking at contested races in northern Illinois.

Illinois House District 70 includes portions of Hampshire to the north, eastern DeKalb County in the midsection and Big Rock to the south.

Incumbent Republican Jeff Keicher took office in 2018.

“I want to make sure," Keicher said, "that we continue to preserve the way of life here in Illinois that would keep people moving back instead of trying to find an exit strategy."

He says that includes building up the area’s infrastructure to attract jobs.

He faces Democrat Randi Olson on the ballot. Olson currently serves as a Trustee on the Cortland Town Board and has spent her professional career in education and childcare.

“I decided to run because I have become very disenfranchised with the political rhetoric, the division, going on right now," Olson said. "I wanted to show people we could still run a positive campaign and work with that. Plus, I have had over 30 years in early childhood experience, so I very much want to go to Springfield and help [with] that and getting, making, childcare more accessible, more affordable and better quality.”

When it comes to budget priorities, Keicher would like to see more funding for domestic violence shelters and programs for adults with disabilities.

“We have had a net increase of $14 billion or 35% of our budget since I've been there without an income tax increase," Keicher said. "If you recall, we defeated Governor Pritzker and his request for an income tax increase. So, with those $14 billion extra dollars each year, you'd think we'd be able to do a lot of things, but we haven't."

Keicher also says he would make cuts to a health insurance program in Illinois called “Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults” or “HBIA.” It provides some healthcare services for people over the age of 42 who do not meet immigration status requirements for Medicaid.

“I do sit as the ranking Republican on the House Immigration and Human Rights Committee, so we partake in these discussions all the time," Keicher said. "What I've pointed out to my peers is this is a federal issue, and we need to push the federal government to be more proactive about what they do. Right now, we are giving this care away. And normally with Medicaid patients, the state of Illinois receives 53 cents on $1 of reimbursement back from the federal government. Not so for HBIA and HBI’s. Those two programs are being funded 100% on the backs of the Illinois taxpayer.”

New enrollment in the program is currently paused. Services include lab tests, mental health care, substance use disorder services, and prescription drugs for non-citizens who qualify.

Olson says there is a financial benefit to expanding care in the long run.

“I understand the concern people have that it did bring up — it brought it was a big cost for the state," Olson said. "But you also have to look at the big picture that preventative medicine ends up lowering the cost of health care because hospitals cannot turn people away at the door. If somebody's sick, they have to treat them, whether they're citizens or not. Plus, there is the humane part of it, where we have to take care of each other.”

Access to an abortion is legal in Illinois. Olson says she supports women’s rights and wants voters to be able to weigh in.

“I do believe that we need to put an amendment on the ballot to make sure that abortion is legal at all times," Olson said. "But I do think that should go to the voters. So should anything happen on the federal level, we can protect it at our state level."

In Illinois, a teen seeking an abortion is no longer required by law to contact a parent or legal guardian. Keicher does not support the repeal.

“Illinois Democrats repealed “PNA” (Parental Notification of Abortion Act)," Keicher said, "that was put into abortion scenarios where children, if they had an uncomfortable home situation, could quickly and expediently work with a court-appointed guardian to request an abortion. Democrats in the state of Illinois repealed that. So, you could have your daughter in your household facing abuse and sexual violence, and the parent is given no notification that the child needs help.”

It’s been more than a year since Illinois implemented the SAFE-T Act which eliminated cash bail as well as other measures designed to overhaul the state’s criminal justice system. Olson says she supports most of the Act as written into law.

“I think the only tweak that I know of right now, but I would be open to others, would be giving judges a little bit more leeway, and if they decide they need to hold somebody or not," Olson said. "I believe the SAFE-T Act is working. It's doing what it was set out to do. Some people were concerned that it was going to be a huge crime wave after it went into effect, it's not.”

Keicher feels members of law enforcement should have gotten the opportunity to be more involved in crafting the law.

“Throughout my legislative career," Keicher said, "I want Illinois to protect the victims, not the criminals. And what the SAFE-T Act did was it flipped that, and it made our criminal justice system more criminal-friendly, and did not seek to protect at all the victims of these crimes. And that's why our criminal justice system exists — is to protect the victims of crime, and when we aren't doing that, we need to revisit it and fix those problems.”

As he seeks another term in office, Jeff Keicher wants voters to know he’s looking to prioritize building the economy.

“Had Illinois grown at the same pace as our adjacent states," Keicher said, "we would have a million more residents in this state. That would put significant downward pressure on the spending priorities that so many local governments have.”

Challenger Randi Olson says she would work to make sure social services reach those who live in the 70th district.

“Early childhood is a huge priority for me and the Early Childhood Education Department," Olson said. "And working with that, I am also a proponent for stronger, stronger mental health being having that included in health care. So many places, especially rural areas, don't have access to it.”

Early voting is under way. Election Day is November 5th

Jenna Dooley has spent her professional career in public radio. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois - Springfield. She returned to Northern Public Radio in DeKalb after several years hosting Morning Edition at WUIS-FM in Springfield. She is a former "Newsfinder of the Year" from the Illinois Associated Press and recipient of NIU's Donald R. Grubb Journalism Alumni Award. She is an active member of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and an adjunct instructor at NIU.