East Central Reporter

Rep. Chris Miller (R-Robinson) said Democrats’ timing in potentially proposing anew their previously rejected progressive tax only makes their actions more outrageous.

“We’re just coming out of the tyranny of government overreach on the COVID shutdown,” Miller told the East Central Reporter. “For Democrats to be even suggesting further tyrannizing the state with another tax on anyone shows how out of touch they really are. Even suggesting the idea is unconscionable, all it will do is increase the velocity of businesses and citizens exiting this state.”

Months after voters overwhelmingly rejected a similar proposal, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Hillside) recently revealed party leaders might consider a redo on the issue with tax revenues steered to the state’s $141 billion in unfunded pension liability.

Miller insists he’s still trying to make sense of it all.

“I’m shocked that they would even suggest such a thing,” he said. “We already have the lowest credit rating in the USA and are drowning in high-interest debt. You can’t tax and borrow to prosperity. We need immediate reforms and to quit spending money we don’t have.”

Miller said already stressed voters have no choice to come out in mass against the proposal when the time comes in the same way they did back in November.

“With everything that’s going on in the world right now, it’s just so irritating that they may have to fight this battle again,” he said. “It’s just so crazy that anyone would think this is a good idea. There’s just no empathy for the people that they’ve already put through all this suffering.”

In November, the measure fell far short of the 60% support needed for passage, despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker pouring millions of dollars into a campaign designed to turn what he hoped would be his signature legislation into law.