East Central Reporter

If nothing else, Republican state Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland) concedes that Democrats in Springfield have proven themselves to be consistent.

“Everything democrats have tried to do so far in this legislative session has been detrimental to the growth and recovery of Illinois,” Miller told the East Central Reporter. “You can go down the list from the gun dealers licensing bill to the $15 an hour minimum wage proposal to this progressive tax idea. Everything they’ve done has the effect of being an absolute albatross to the economic development of this state.”

When it comes to his views on the progressive tax proposal now being touted by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Miller isn’t alone in his harsh assessment. With Pritzker’s first budget address scheduled for Feb. 20, credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service recently released a report that warned against moving forward with the idea if the state hopes to have any chance of digging itself from under its spiraling pension liability, chronic deficits and lingering outmigration issues anytime soon.

Rep. Chris Miller

In short, the report added the state faces a “conundrum” where fixed costs are already far exceeding revenue sources and the burden of added taxes would only serve to “threaten to increase the outflow of residents.”

Miller, who defeated his Democratic opponent, Shirley Bell, in the 110th District with 60 percent of the vote in November, said it is clear that much of what is coming out of Springfield right now does nothing to make the state more attractive.

“Every one of the proposals I mentioned will only make it harder for citizens to stay in Illinois,” he said. “I don’t know who Democrats are listening to that’s telling them these are good ideas. Everything they’re pushing is about class envy and class welfare.”

Miller lamented that he does not expect to hear anything that sounds any differently in the state budget address.

“What I’m expecting is more smoke and mirrors, more lies and figures that have been massaged so much they bear little truth,” he said. “Democrats are famous for manipulating situations, and I don’t see that status quo changing.”

The 110th House District includes Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Edgar and Lawrence counties.