SPRINGFIELD - GOP State Senator Sam McCann has threatened an independent bid for governor in the past, and the rumor is two-term Jacksonville lawmaker will be making an announcement Monday on a similar theme.
But this time McCann may be seeking a bid for his own Senate seat in 2018, but instead of a member of the GOP caucus, he would be seeking it as an independent. The Republican announced earlier this year he would not be seeking re-election in 2018.
Rumors are flying in Springfield, according to a local news reporter's Twitter feed:
McCann is a strong advocate for the state employees that live in his district, and because the district leans Republican these days, the state employee unions are concerned that a Rauner-esque Republican could fill McCann's Senate seat.
McCann is also a Second Amendment proponent - as well as one of the governor's harshest critics. Just last week, the senator made these comments on his Facebook page tying Rauner budget cuts to new attempts to undermine the Second Amendment:
In 2016, 2017 and now with the proposed 2019 state budget, Gov. Rauner continued to eliminate state support for mental health programs. His cuts denied mental health services to nearly 47,000 people in need and cost almost 1,000 mental health workers their jobs.
We (the Illinois General Assembly) enacted a 2018 budget to support mental health over the governor’s objections and veto.
As lawmakers we can only authorize spending, we can’t make the governor actually spend the money to support mental health. To date, the governor refuses to fund $26 million worth of mental health programs despite having the full authority to do so.”
So, regardless of party and regardless of ZIP Code, the one thing that nearly all political leaders seem to agree on, at least in words, is the need to get back to investing adequately in our mental healthcare system. It needs to become less about words and more about deeds. ——
©️2018 Sam McCann
Illinois Review will update this story with more developments as they occur.
Earlier this year, Senator McCann endorsed Republican primary candidate Jonas Petty, who failed to knock off incumbent State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer.
