JOE'S PRIORITIES IN SPRINGFIELD: WORKING AND FIGHTING FOR YOU
Cut Taxes, Stop Pritzker's Agenda, Put Families First
- Cut taxes and block wasteful spending
- End unfunded mandates that raise property taxes
- Clean up Springfield and hold politicians accountable
- Safeguard election integrity
- Put Illinois citizens first
Property taxes are crushing Southern Illinois families while Springfield’s budget keeps growing. Joe will fight to give families relief, stop unfunded mandates, and put taxpayers first.
Joe is tired of watching the Springfield budget grow larger and larger while family budgets in Southern Illinois get tighter by the day. Illinois has the highest property taxes and the second-highest gas tax in the nation, and politicians keep trying to take more.
Unfunded mandates from Springfield are one of the biggest drivers of higher property taxes. If a mandate is important enough to require, then it’s important enough to properly fund in the state budget — not pass the buck to seniors and working families through higher property taxes. Our families need relief, and Joe will fight to eliminate wasteful spending and re-prioritize the state budget to deliver it.
Joe will also work to clean up Springfield’s corruption with stronger ethics laws, term limits, and an end to the revolving door of legislators becoming lobbyists. He supports voter ID, voter roll maintenance, and commonsense election safeguards.
Joe will always put Illinois citizens first. Illinois is now spending nearly $3 billion every year on programs and services for illegal immigrants while veterans sleep on the streets and families struggle to pay their bills. That has to end. Immigration is a federal issue and Springfield should stop trying to solve it with your tax dollars.
Bring Back Southern Illinois Jobs, Make Energy Bills Affordable, & Defend Local Industry
- Support job creators and spark new investment
- Promote energy production and lower energy bills
- Strengthen colleges and workforce programs
- Stand up for farmers and protect rural communities
Southern Illinois should be leading in jobs, energy, and farming — not losing families to other states. Joe will fight to defend local industries, strengthen the workforce, and spark new growth.
Too many families and jobs have left our region because of high taxes, overregulation, and anti-business policies. Joe will fight to make Southern Illinois competitive again by working with job creators to spark investment, removing burdensome red tape, and making it easier to start, run, and grow a business.
Affordable energy is crucial for job growth and for a reasonable cost of living for all. Extreme Green New Deal policies like the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) have been an abject failure — shuttering coal and natural gas plants, driving up electricity rates, putting workers at risk, and straining family budgets with high utility bills. Joe will work to repeal CEJA, defend energy producers, and restore affordable, reliable power for families, farmers, and businesses.
Our district is home to strong institutions like John A. Logan College, Shawnee Community College, and SIU Carbondale. These institutions are essential in preparing students for the jobs of today and the opportunities of tomorrow. A strong workforce is critical to bringing investments and good-paying jobs back to our region. Joe will support policies that strengthen these schools, expand career and technical education, and partner with job creators to grow apprenticeship and co-op programs that give students practical skills. College isn’t the right path for everyone, but every student deserves a path to success — whether that’s a trade, a degree, or a local job that supports their family.
Agriculture is the backbone of Southern Illinois. Joe will fight to protect family farms from overregulation, oppose dangerous carbon sequestration schemes, and stand against land grabs like the Grain Belt Express. He supports restoring local authority over wind and solar decisions, defending private property rights, and investing in rural infrastructure so our communities can grow and thrive. As a member of the Illinois Farm Bureau, Joe will always stand with farmers and rural communities.
Stand Strong for Families, Faith, and Freedom
- Protect life and support families
- Defend Second Amendment rights
- Put students first and empower parents
- Protect children, women’s sports, and privacy
Springfield keeps pushing radical policies that undermine our values. Joe will fight back — defending life, protecting families, standing firm for faith and freedom, and keeping parents in charge of their child’s education.
Joe is proudly pro-life and will always defend the unborn. He will oppose taxpayer funding of abortions and push back against extreme laws that strip parents of their rights. He supports adoption reform and pregnancy resources that provide real help to mothers and families.
Joe is a strong defender of the Second Amendment and is a member of the NRA, Gun Owners of America, the National Association for Gun Rights, and the Illinois State Rifle Association. He will oppose unconstitutional gun control and fight to repeal Illinois’ outdated FOID card requirement — a 1968 relic that today, serves no purpose except to make law-abiding citizens pay a fee to exercise their constitutional rights. Joe will end this burden on law-abiding gun owners and refocus Illinois State Police resources on fighting crime, drugs, and keeping communities safe.
On education, Joe will advocate for policies that prioritize students and empower parents. He’ll oppose political agendas in the classroom, support homeschool families, and resist attempts to force them to register with local school districts. He’ll push for transparency in curriculum, accountability in spending, and timely state funding so classrooms get what they’re promised and local teachers have the support they need. Joe will also defend every parent’s right to choose the best education for their children — whether that means public, private, homeschool, or faith-based options.
Joe has worked to help ban transgender surgeries on children and pass commonsense policies across the country. He will continue fighting to protect kids from extreme agendas and stand firm to protect women’s sports and privacy, opposing radical gender policies that threaten fairness and safety in schools and communities.
Keep Communities Safe & Support Those Who Serve
- Stand with law enforcement and keep communities safe
- Support our veterans
Safe communities are the foundation of a strong Southern Illinois. Joe will back law enforcement and honor the sacrifices of veterans.
Joe stood with law enforcement in 2022 to fight the SAFE-T Act and will keep working to repeal dangerous soft-on-crime policies that put criminals back on the streets. He will work closely with sheriffs and local police to fix broken policies, protect communities, and make sure law enforcement has the resources, training, and respect they have earned.
As someone who took an oath to defend the Constitution and served six years in the Illinois Army National Guard, Joe knows the sacrifices service members and their families make. He will partner with local veterans’ groups and organizations to cut red tape, protect earned benefits, and expand healthcare access, ensuring every veteran in Southern Illinois receives the honor and support they have earned.
Lower Costs & Expand Care for Southern Illinoisans
- Stop unnecessary mandates driving up health insurance costs
- Expand healthcare access in rural communities
Southern Illinoisans deserve affordable healthcare and better access to care close to home. Joe will fight to cut costs and protect rural healthcare.
Springfield politicians keep piling on new insurance mandates that drive up costs and push providers out of Illinois. The result? Families face higher premiums and fewer choices. Joe will work to stop unnecessary mandates and support policies that lower costs and expand options.
Rural communities face real healthcare deserts — closed facilities, long drives, and too few doctors. Joe will fight to expand rural clinics, mobile health programs, and telemedicine while working to keep local hospitals open. People shouldn’t have to leave Southern Illinois just to get the care they need.