Will County Gazette

Frankie Pretzel, Republican chairman in New Lenox Township and candidate for Will County Board District 12, opposes the retention of Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride.

Kilbride is a “rubber stamp” for Illinois Speaker of the House, Mike Madigan, Pretzel told the Will County Gazette.

“Kilbride is really responsible for Illinois not having any economic reforms for a couple of decades,” said Pretzel. “That includes pension reform, tort reform.”

In 2016, Kilbride authored a court opinion to kill a “Fair Map” constitutional amendment that would have allowed a non-partisan committee, rather than political parties, to draw election districts, Pretzel said.

“He’s the reason we kept these meandering boundaries to our Congressional districts,” the chairman said. “He’s clearly in lockstep with Madigan.”

The Madigan machine raises money for Kilbride, said Pretzel.

“I’ll be voting no on retention – 100%,” he said. “I think Kilbride's time has come and gone. I think he is doing a lot of harm to Illinois. I think we’ve lost more residents than any other state for six years in a row. I think Madigan’s policies and Kilbride’s positions are a big part of that.”

The retention is a partisan issue, Pretzel believes.

“I think it’s politics playing out on the Supreme Court,” he said. “The Illinois Supreme Court under Madigan’s control has blocked every reform that could improve the state’s business and legal climate."

The court has favored political insiders over taxpayers, Pretzel believes.

“I think that has led us to be one of the highest taxed states in the nation,” he said. “And more corruption, too.”

Kilbride has “weaponized the Supreme Court,” according to Pretzel.

“He blocked term limits, he was the deciding vote to uphold Madigan’s gerrymandering map and then he knocked down the Fair Map ballot initiative that would have given voters a say in redistricting,” said Pretzel. “He took the power away from the citizens and gave it back to Madigan.”