The two 76th District State Rep. candidates squared off Tuesday night at a DeKalb County Farm Bureau forum.

epublican Brad Burzynski led off with an opening statement that emphasized his DeKalb Farm Bureau experience and community involvement in the Crimestoppers Board and his church. “I’m looking at this as an area of service,” and as a natural progression from his current job, he said.

Democrat Robert Tisch credited his NIU Student Regent experience for exposing him to the way Illinois government works. He discovered that “decisions in Springfield were being made for the wrong reasons,” he said.

The candidates expressed conflicting views when asked about abortion. Tisch said the choice of whether to terminate a pregnancy before the fetus’ viability is between a woman, her family, her partner, her doctor or her god and “government has no place in that decision.”

Burzynki pointed out he has consistently favored legislation against abortions throughout the campaign. “I don’t believe we can sacrifice our future generations for the sake of convenience,” Burzynski said.

Burzynski said the state needs to provide a variety of quality day care facilities to encourage mothers to continue working while raising their children. Tisch said government day care aid should be provided first to those who can least afford it.

Tisch and Burzynski agreed education funding needed to be refunded because it is too dependent on property taxes.

Burzynski said his Farm Bureau background did not make him unaware that NIU was the DeKalb County’s largest employer. Burzynski said he has received “broad based” support recently, indicating many people are not worried he would only be concerned with farmers’ interests.

Tisch said his role as student regent also gave him a limited perspective on the county. He said both he and Burzynski would go through a learning procss if elected.