Peoria Standard

Conservative activist Travis Weaver continues to engage with his supporters after defeating incumbent State Rep. Mark Luft of the 91st District in the Republican primary for the newly drawn 93rd District. 

He took to Facebook to better understand what the district community prioritizes and connect further with them through their opinions.

“Simple survey I’m curious to hear feedback from the Facebook community," Weaver stated. "If you’re a: Republican, what does the party stand for that is most important to your own personal values? - Independent, in any given election or race, what are key things you look for that pull you one way or another? - Democrat, do you feel more aligned or less aligned with the party than you did 10 years ago? If you’re less aligned, what has changed? As I continue on this path to represent you in Springfield, I would love to hear what’s on your mind. I’ll be the first to tell you I have a lot to learn and that learning journey never ends. There are 108,000 people in the district, and I would venture to say nearly all of them could name an area where they have deeper expertise than me. I’ve never been a cop, doctor, farmer, truck driver, lawyer, plumber; but, I would be honored to learn from you. Please feel free to reach out anytime. 309-645-5892 Cheers, Trav.”

Weaver, a native of Central Illinois, is a businessman and former Caterpillar employee whose main priorities are taxes, pension reform and education. He ran on tax cuts and opposition to the criminal justice reform bill that passed last year. He won with 7,440 votes to Luft’s 4,253 and is prepared to work hard for the people of Central Illinois, according to the Peoria Standard.

"I actually led a project that brought the U.S. pension from 72%, funded up to 93% funded with a credit rating," he touted his experience working on pensions at Caterpillar, Peoria Standard reported. "I spent a lot of time managing our credit rating, especially in 2017. That was a really, really hard financial year for the company and we were able to maintain our target materials in really effective relationship work with the three major rating agencies. I know the agencies well, I know what they look for. So as a huge problem for the state, that's an area where I can bring some strength.” 

Weaver, deeply concerned about the state’s pension situation, plans to draw on his experience with credit agencies in order to find solutions to the state’s financial woes. Columnist George Will recently reported in the Washington Post on just how bad the pension problem is, saying that current law makes it impossible to solve the problem. The state’s unfunded liabilities are around $313 billion, which amounts to about 30% of the state’s GDP.

Weaver recognizes that on the topic of health care, state action is limited, but he supports health savings accounts and introducing more competition into the field. He also strongly opposes the new energy bill that passed and vowed to overhaul this bill and keep Illinois power plants operational. 

He strongly believes that the state must cut spending in order to ease taxes. He says “tax and spend” policies must stop immediately and that his business experience is something that is rare in Springfield. On the issue of crime, he opposes the criminal justice reform bill that passes and recognizes that law enforcement needs to be funded and supported in order to reduce crime and violence. Weaver told The Register-Mail that broken windows policing implemented in New York in the 1990s is an example of how to bring crime under control.

The newly drawn district encompasses Pekin, Annawan, Cambridge, Kewanee, Williamsfield, Brimfield, Edwards and other small towns. Weaver is likely to run unopposed in November.