Source: Chicago SunTimes

Teacher fired over pot case eyes House

BY PHILIP FRANCHINE SUBURBAN REPORTER

Michael Maynard, the Bloom High School substitute teacher bounced from
his job last year because of a 1974 marijuana conviction, plans to run
for state representative.

Maynard, 43, of unincorporated Crete Township, said this week that he
would challenge incumbent George Scully (DFlossmoor) in the March
primary in the 80th House District. Maynard's campaign will stress
education funding issues and reform of drugsentencing laws.

Maynard said he also may run as a writein candidate for the
CreteMonee School District U201 board, but won't decide until after
a Sept. 20 block party where he will gauge neighborhood support.

``Are you for real?'' was the initial reaction from Crete Township
Republican chairman Ron Koelling when told of Maynard's plans.

``I think in a primary, someone with a drug conviction, even if it's
old, would have an impossible time beating Scully,'' Koelling said.
``Politics being what it is, everyone will dredge up whatever they
can.''

Republicans hope to avoid a primary battle as they try to regain the
hotly contested swing district, which includes parts of Bloom, Rich
and Crete townships, Koelling said.

Maynard, an education coordinator at Aunt Martha's Youth Service in
Park Forest, said he hoped to steer the debate to statewide issues,
and would campaign for reforming the 1985 law that tripped him up. It
bars from teaching those convicted of a list of offenses, including
misdemeanor marijuana possession, the offense to which Maynard pleaded
guilty in 1974.

``The primary issue is to change the way schools are funded, but not
with a tax increase,'' Maynard said. ``I think there are existing
funds in the budget. The state had $640 million for building prisons
in the budget last year. It's cheaper to educate people than to
imprison people. We have to reprioritize.''

Maynard said prison space could be freed up by allowing judges more
discretion in sentencing nonviolent drug offenders.

``Obviously I'd want to reform the law that affected me,'' he said.
``Maybe we need a time limit or put in place a review board. I believe
we are the only state in the union with that kind of law.''

Scully said: ``I'm not sure I agree at all with probation for
nonviolent offenders. I consider any person who sells illegal drugs a
menace to society.''

An attorney, Scully, 45, said he supports the education funding plan
backed by Gov. Edgar, which would shift some of the burden of
financing schools to income and sales taxes and reduce property taxes.
That proposal was not voted on in the Senate, but Scully said he hoped
it would come to a vote in the fall veto session.