East Central Reporter

State Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland) fumes that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s dogged pursuit of his progressive tax agenda speaks to the growing divide he has with the people he’s supposed to work for.

“To be looking to raise taxes at a time like this shows a real lack of compassion and empathy,” Miller told the SE Illinois News. “It’s just another incident where the billionaire governor is showing how out of touch he is with the vast majority of us.”

A new Illinois Policy Institute analysis projects that small businesses across the state soon could be forced to pay as much as a 50.3% marginal income tax rate should the tax appearing on the Nov. 3 ballot in the form of a referendum question garner the support it needs for passage. Ignoring growing warnings from many that the tax stands to handcuff small business owners even more, the governor continues to push his signature proposal as one that will only mean higher tax rates for the state’s most affluent residents.

At around 60% of net job creation, small business owners currently rank as the state’s biggest job creators. But those numbers could soon be on the decline, with researchers finding an increase in the top marginal tax rate could mean a slide in the hiring practices of entrepreneurs and slumping earnings for workers.

“To think you’re going to punish successful people just opens the flood gates for more of the exodus we’re already seeing,” Miller added. “One thing COVID has shown us is you don’t have to be brick and mortar to operate your business. People know they can be almost anywhere, and they don’t have to put up with all the taxes you see here.”

With all that’s happening, Miller finds it almost unimaginable that the governor would be as adamant as he’s proving to be about getting the tax over the finish line when it appears on the ballot next month.

“I can’t believe he’s doubling down on making life harder for so many people in times like these,” he said. “The last thing anyone wants to do right now is the government more money when they’ve never done much with what they’ve been given.”