- Olney, IL — A Republican candidate running for the 5th Appellate Court District attended a meet and greet in his honor Tuesday at Richland County Republican Central Committee’s headquarters.
Judge Steve McGlynn, of Belleville, is running for appellate judge in the district. In 2005, he was appointed unanimously by the Illinois Supreme Court as appellate judge and served through December 2006.
In 2010, he was appointed unanimously by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as judge in the 20th Judicial Circuit.
“I love being a trial judge but I’ve become very concerned,” he said, noting that there are people who do not respect the Constitution, the rule of law and who think corruption is fine if they are in the middle of it.
McGlynn said he feels the state is over-regulated. “It’s time for the judges to step up to rein in the excessive size of government.”
Judges must step up for the rights of individuals, he said. “When a mayor can say, ‘You cannot have a soda more than 16 ounces’ or when a city says a man cannot sell chicken sandwiches because he is a God-fearing Christian, that’s wrong. And those things are happening.”
McGlynn is the former chairman of Catholic Social Services for Southern Illinois. Gov. Pat Quinn told the organization that it had to adhere to the state’s “radical agenda,” McGlynn said.
He said he led the effort to save jobs within the organization, but it eventually had to be spun off into another organization “so the Catholic Church didn’t have to genuflect to some big wig.”
The judge believes the government does not respect people’s rights. He slammed “Obamacare” and said it violates people’s freedom and rights.
“They’re going to regulate every aspect of our health care,” he said. “At some point you have to ask, how do we still consider ourselves a free people.”
McGlynn is running against Democrat Judy Cates, an attorney from the Metro East area. McGlynn said she has no judicial experience.
“We need more balance on the bench. I represent that balance,” he said.
He said he visited with miners in Galatia on Tuesday morning and planned to be there at the midnight shift.
He said there is “suddenly a prejudice against coal” in this country.
Illinois State Rifle Association, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, pro-life and pro-family organizations and doctor organizations have endorsed McGlynn, he said. He has also received Illinois State Bar Association’s highest rating of “highly qualified.”
Judges can make a difference and “when judges get it right, our communities prosper,” he said.
Kevin Ryden can be reached at kryden@olneydailymail.com. - http://www.olneydailymail.com/article/20121017/NEWS/121019083/-1/sports
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