As a small business owner myself, I know that our local businesses are truly the backbone of our economy.

Sadly, in recent years, both Washington and Springfield have made doing business in our communities harder than ever before. From increasing taxes on working families and small businesses to endless red tape, our government has made starting and growing a business much harder - especially here in Illinois.

I firmly believe that our brightest days are still ahead of us. To make that a reality, we need a business friendly environment that attracts good-paying jobs, supports the very best possible education system and makes life easier for the families in our community.