McHenry Times

Illinois state Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-Crystal Lake) will be hosting a 2020 campaign fundraising event at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Emmett’s Brewing Company in West Dundee.

Tickets for the two-hour event are $40 and sponsorships will go as high as $5,000. Skillicorn, who has served in Springfield since 2017, announced over the summer that he plans to seek reelection to his 66th District seat after being rumored as a potential challenger to U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville) in the 14th Congressional District. 

Since then, Skillicorn has thrown his support in that race behind state Sen. Jim Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove) in a Republican field that also includes state Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) and former Kendall County Republicans Chairman James Marter.

state Sen. Jim Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove)

Skillicorn is widely known for being one of Springfield’s biggest fiscal conservatives, and recently implored Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker to take on the state’s growing pension crisis head on.

“Frankly, Illinois’ finances are so bad because we spend so much money on pensions that the governor has to do everything he can to bring more money in and cut everywhere else because he refuses to do the hard work, which is reform pensions,” Skillicorn recently told The Center Square, adding that there needs to be a constitutional amendment that would allow legislators to reduce promised pension payouts.

Skillicorn also proposed that retired state workers have the option of enrolling in a benefits plan that would cut the state’s costs, or a plan that would place all new hires in a 401(k)-style retirement plan instead of a defined-benefits plan.

The 66th District includes Algonquin, Crystal Lake, East Dundee, West Dundee, Elgin, Gilberts, Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Lakewood and Sleepy Hollow.