Click here to live chat with one of our writers between 9am-5pm CST.
Dan Kotowski
From Ballotpedia
| Dan Kotowski | ||
 | ||
| Illinois State Senate District 33 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 2007 - Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 12, 2013 | ||
| Years in position | 5 | |
| Party | Democratic | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $67,836/year | |
| Per diem | $132/day | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 4, 2008 | |
| First elected | November 2006 | |
| Next election | November 6, 2012 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | University of Illinois, Champaign–Urbana | |
| Master's | DePaul University | |
| Personal | ||
| Place of birth | Chicago, Illinois | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
Kotowski graduated from the University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana with his Bachelor's degree in Communications and his Master's Degree from DePaul University.
Committee assignments
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Kotowski has been appointed to these committees:
- Appropriations Committee, Illinois State Senate, Vice Chair
- Appropriations II Committee, Illinois State Senate, Vice Chair
- Committee of the Whole, Illinois Senate
- Criminal Law Committee, Illinois State Senate
- Higher Education Committee, Illinois State Senate
- Revenue Committee, Illinois State Senate, Chair
- Legislative Audit Commission
- Subcommittee on Property Taxes, Chair
- Subcommittee on Tax Credits
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Kotowski served on these committees:
- Appropriations II
- Commerce Chairman
- Criminal Law
- Financial Institutions Vice-Chairman
- Human Services[1].
Issues
Raising lawmaker salaries
In May 2011, Illinois Senate lawmakers entertained a bill, SB2467, which included an “additional amounts per year” for select lawmakers: committee chairmen and committee minority spokesmen and spokeswomen. Sen. Dan Kotowski sponsored the measure.
The lump-sum appropriations in the proposal would increase pay for Senate committee chiefs by 14 percent. House committee bosses would see a 47-percent jump in pay. The increases were on top of the base $67,836 annual salaries that all lawmakers earn. Committee and leadership posts bring extra pay. In other words, more taxpayers’ money would be funneled into extra pay for select lawmakers, said Sen. Dale Righter.
“So there’s some games being played here,” said Righter, a member of the Senate Executive Committee. “And sometimes that’s the way things happen — like this — is because (Democrats) want to do it before anyone really sees it.”
However, Kotowski said this move would restore the public’s good faith and trust to the government.
“We’re basically changing the existing law, to require legislators to work 12 days without getting paid,” he said. “That’s very, very, important, and that’s going to lead to reduction in salaries across the board this year and a total of saving $1.2 million for taxpayers.”
Lawmakers do want the public to notice when they cut their own pay, Righter and Kotowski said.
“But not this, the increasing the stipend (proposal), because it kind of makes it look like, ‘OK you’re taking it out of your pocket over here, but you’re going to shove your other pocket full,’” Righter said. “That’s what it looks like, like the outset that they’re trying to do here.”[2]
Elections
2012
- See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2012
Kotowski, current District 33 incumbent, is running for re-election to the Illinois State Senate in District 28 in the 2012. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary on March 20, 2012. Incumbent John Millner is not running for re-election in District 28. Kotowski will face Republican Jim O'Donnell in the November 6, 2012 general election[3]
2008
On November 4, 2008, Democrat Dan Kotowski won re-election to the Illinois State Senate District 33 receiving 48,344 votes, ahead of Republican Michael Sweeney receiving 32,293 votes.[4]
| Illinois State Senate, District 33 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
 Dan Kotowski (D)
| 48,344 | |||
| Michael Sweeney (R) | 32,293 | |||
Campaign donors
2008
In 2008, Kotowski collected $912,483 in donations.[5]
Listed below are those that contributed most to his campaign.
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Illinois Senate Democratic Fund | $150,000 |
| Friends of Clayborne | $44,000 |
| Illinois Education Association | $36,000 |
| Illinois Health Care Association | $27,711 |
| Illinois Realtors Association | $26,488 |
| Friends of Don Harmon | $26,000 |
| Deep Blue Illinois | $25,000 |
| Illinois Federation of Teachers | $21,000 |
| Cook County College Teachers Union | $18,500 |
| Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois | $18,500 |
| Illinois Laborers | $15,500 |
| Illinois Trial Lawyers Association | $12,000 |
| Service Employees Local 880 | $10,000 |
| Simmonscooper LLC | $9,500 |
| Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois | $9,500 |
| Illinois Hospital & Health Systems Association | $9,500 |
| West Suburban Teachers Local 571 | $9,200 |
| Illinois Credit Union League | $8,250 |
| Friends of A. J. Wilhelmi | $8,000 |
| Friends of Harper | $7,500 |
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term Dan + Kotowski + Illinois + Senate
- All stories may not be relevant to this legislator due to the nature of the search engine.
District 33
Kotowski represents Illinois Senate District 33. District 33 includes the Northwest Chicago suburbs of Arlington Heights and Mount Prospect[6].
Personal
Kotowski resides in Park Ridge, Illinois.
External links
- Campaign website
- Biography from the Illinois General Assembly
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions: 2008, 2006
- Dan Kotowski on Facebook
- Twitter feed
References
- ↑ "Illinois General Assembly" List of Illinois Senate Committees, July 28, 2009
- ↑ "Illinois lawmakers hush-hush about pay raise in the budget," Illinois Statehouse News, May 16, 2011
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections "Candidate List," December 5, 2011
- ↑ Illinois Senate election results for 2008
- ↑ Kotowski Campaign Donors
- ↑ "Illinois Chamber of * Commerce Committee, Illinois State Senate, Northeast Illinois Legislative District Maps, July 29, 2009
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by ' | Illinois Senate District 33 2006–present | Succeeded by NA |
 |
State of Illinois Springfield (capital) |
|---|---|
| Ballot Measures |
List of Illinois ballot measures | Local measures | School bond issues | Ballot measure laws | History of I&R | Campaign Finance Requirements | Recall process | |
| Government |
Illinois State Constitution | House of Representatives | Senate | Legislative Research Unit | Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability | |
| State executive officers |
Governor | Lieutenant Governor | Attorney General | Secretary of State | Treasurer | Comptroller | Auditor General | Superintendent of Education | Director of Insurance | Director of Agriculture | Director of Natural Resources | Director of Labor | Chairman of Commerce Commission | |
| Elections | |
| Judiciary |
Illinois Supreme Court | Circuit Court of Appeals | District Courts | Judicial Nominating Commission | Judicial news | Judicial activist organizations | |
| Transparency Topics |
Freedom of Information Act | Transparency Checklist | Government corruption reports | Transparency Legislation | Open Records procedures | Transparency Advocates | State budget | Taxpayer-funded lobbying associations | |
| Divisions |
State |
List of Counties |
List of Cities |
Sunshinereview:Illinois school districts A - L |
Sunshinereview:Illinois school districts M - Z | |
