Name: Amy “Murri” Briel
What office are you seeking: Illinois State Representative-District 76
What is your political party?
What is your current age? 51
Occupation and employer: Illinois State Representative-District 76. My employer is the residents of the 76th House District and the State of Illinois.
What offices, if any, have you previously held? I am currently the Illinois State Representative for the 76thHouse District. I was elected in November 2024.
I served as the former Chief of Staff for former State Representative Lance Yednock.
City: Ottawa, IL
Campaign website: amymurribriel.com
Education: I attended Wallace Grade School and Ottawa Township High School where I was involved in arts, music, speech and athletics. After graduation, I moved to Normal, Illinois, to attend Illinois State University. There I competed on the forensics team and studied philosophy and psychology with minors in women’s studies and political science.
Community involvement: I am involved with volunteer work including with animal shelters and rescues. I am involved with the Citizens for Healthcare in Ottawa, Ottawa Pride, La Salle County Democrats and DeKalb County Democrats groups.I have volunteered with the Conservation Foundation’s Dayton Bluffs group. I have served as a youth soccer coach in the past.
Marital status/Immediate family: My husband Steve and I have been married for 24 years, and we have three sons.
What are your top three priorities for this district in Springfield?
My top three priorities in Springfield for my district and the whole State of Illinois:
- Making healthcare accessible and affordable for all residents. I was elected to bring healthcare back into hospitals and throughout rural communities.
- Bringing awareness, resources and education to vulnerable populations, including neurodivergent individuals. I am creating a space for people who are neurodivergent to share their struggles, concerns and dreams of the world. I’ve created a Neurospicy Council to connect neurodivergent people with other community members and available resources. The space gives people a chance to show up as themselves, share their stories and help each other.
- Strengthening quality employment with strong economic development changes and supporting labor rights and working families. This includes making accessible and affordable childcare a reality so that children can have the strong, early foundation they need to be successful in life.
How will you support economic growth and development in your district?
I will invest in long-term planning goals and strategies with local governments and consider investors ideas in my district while discussing and proposing legislation. This includes always supporting labor rights and working families. I will continue to support areas that support economic growth, including collaborating with all agencies, units of government, nonprofits and individuals in the 76th District.
Do you support term limits for state representatives, and if so, what limits?
I do not support term limits for representatives or senators, but I do support term limits on leadership positions. There are advantages to having representatives hold office for multiple terms such as institutional knowledge that can only be acquired over time, relationships built with stakeholders across the district and an understanding of the challenges they face. Limiting time in leadership allows for innovation and forward progress in governing while maintaining a certain degree of continuity.
How will you address the state’s long-term pension obligations?
To address the state’s long-term pension obligations, it is imperative to continue paying our debt. The current 2 tier pension system is inequitable and causes significant issues with attracting and retaining talent which makes caring for our communities more difficult. I will continue to work with the organizations looking to create a sustainable and equitable pension program.
How will you address property taxes and school funding reform?
With major cuts coming from the federal government, the State of Illinois has to make sure to increase its budget for the Illinois State Board of Education. So many of our school districts in the 76th House District have a majority of low-income students who rely on state and federal dollars to serve children.
The majority of property values are determined by local assessing officials.
What is your stance on the SAFE-T Act? What changes, if any, would you support?
Evidence shows that the SAFE-T Act has done good for crime rates and victim support. There are some implementations of the act that could be improved.
What legislation would you propose to address crime and public safety in your district?
I have been an advocate and sponsor for many bills about accessible mental health services, emergency care, education, and environmental regulation. By increasing social welfare by addressing environmental factors, lack of education, lack of mental health awareness and care, and lack of health care, we can curb crime rates and increase public safety.
What is your stance on reproductive rights in Illinois?
I have supported and advocated for reproductive rights and abortion access my entire life. Everyone deserves bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. It’s crucial we make it possible for everyone to choose and live the lives they want, which is only possible if everyone has bodily autonomy.
What is your opinion of the TRUST Act (sanctuary state protections)?
The TRUST Act is limiting how much our local police are allowed to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The limits seem necessary, especially given what is currently happening at the federal level. We don’t want local law enforcement to be pitted against their own communities by allowing them to be co-opted by ICE. With what has been reported as to the state of affairs in regard to ICE, collaboration with the agency would not be productive or in the best interest of our residents’ welfare.
Should the state expand Medicaid funding?
Yes. I have been made aware of issues regarding the pharmacy-payback system that is making local pharmacies struggle to keep up with funding to keep medications on the shelves and operate, which has led to lots of pharmacies to close. Pharmacies are having to wait months to get paid for medications dispensed through Medicaid. Expanding funding to hire more staff to allocate those payments to pharmacies in a faster manner would allow pharmacies to not run at such a deficit, allowing for more local competition.
Should local governments have more authority over solar farm development in their communities?
Yes. Local governments should have more authority over solar farm development.
Should Illinois expand use of nuclear energy, including facilities like the Byron plant? What’s your vision for the state’s energy mix?
Yes. There is so much evidence to show that nuclear energy is safe and a good long-term investment in energy generation. Our energy in the near future will be a mix of nuclear, solar, wind, and diesel powered. Diesel is still important for construction, mining, and agriculture. It’s beneficial to have a diverse availability of energy mix for Illinois to use.
What role should the state play in housing affordability?
The Illinois Housing Development Authority is in place to support low-income, elderly, and disabled residents through financing the construction and preservation of affordable rental housing, rental and mortgage assistance, development loans, and tax credit programs. Adequate and affordable housing is critical to the foundation of society and people. People are affected by their environment, and the stress of inadequate housing affects all people. The State of Illinois has to continue looking at ways to increase and modernize affordable housing. When people live in safe, adequate, affordable homes they love, they are more likely to be happy and successful.
How should the state address rising energy costs from data centers? How do you balance water rights between communities and industry regarding data center development?
To address rising energy costs from data centers, the State of Illinois should consider implementing data reporting requirements on data centers in regard to water and energy usage so as to monitor the efficiency of these centers to improve their efficiency. We should also question how beneficial these data centers are to our communities before implementing them and allowing them access to our resources, such as examining how many long-term jobs the data centers will bring to the area.
To what level should the state fund a new stadium for the Chicago Bears?
The State of Illinois should not fund a new stadium for the Chicago Bears at all. It would be an injustice to taxpayers for the State of Illinois to pay for a private sports team’s stadium.
Should the state regulate the use of AI in the classroom? To what extent?
Yes. I have supported a bill to curb the overreach of AI in Illinois. AI is a tool that teachers should be able to use to help teach their classes, but it should not be the main method of teaching.
Who are your top donors? How often do you speak with them?
Labor organizations from all sectors have been supporters of me as our values of healthy, prosperous, and protected employees build vibrant thriving communities.
I regularly speak with all groups interested in improving conditions for those they represent. Labor unions are the foundation and backbone of this country. I will continue to protect organized labor and every citizen’s right to organize and collectively bargain.