Politics & Government

Sandack Keeps Facebook, Twitter Followers Informed

Social-media savvy senator also launches video blog, website.

On his Facebook page this morning, Sen. Ron Sandack (R-21) indicated he has joined an effort to repeal Wednesday's 67 percent state income tax increase.

Noting that he was watching Sen. Matt Murphy (R-27) discuss the possibility on Fox News, Sandack wrote "We are going to try. Senate Bill 78, I am a co-signer, will seek to repeal these tax hikes."

The Facebook announcement is just the latest example of Sandack's continued deft use of social media, through which he is now informing constituents of developments in Springfield (via Twitter: "Adjourning now, finally, at 2:00 a.m.") and inviting their input on upcoming decisions—such as a recent thread where his Facebook friends debated the state death penalty in advance of Sandack's vote to abolish it.

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The senator/mayor also has a new website and earlier this week launched the first in what apparently will be a series of video blogs from his Capitol office.

Describing his first days in Springfield as a "baptism by fire," Sandack  discussed the then-upcoming income tax vote, referring to "core state services" and saying in most municipalities like Downers Grove, "we try and cut first and then we talk about raising revenues, but here in Springfield I'm finding that's kind of a foreign culture."

Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Sandack also explained his death penalty vote, describing the Senate debate that preceded the roll call as a "very cordial, very polite, policy oriented discussion."

His vote came down to the belief that "it's better to let serial killers rot in prison than for one innocent person to be executed by mistake," Sandack said, adding that calls to his district office in Lombard were 3-1 in favor of abolishment.

Sandack concluded by saying he is "going to try to make this blogging experience a little more frequent and as a means of communicating with those in 21st district and others interested in the goings-on at the Capitol."


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