East Central Reporter

Illinois House Republicans have expressed strong opposition to proposed tax increases amounting to $6 billion, which they argue will burden working families and businesses. These proposals come from progressive interest groups pushing for a graduated income tax hike, despite the rejection of a similar constitutional amendment by Illinois voters in 2020. The Illinois Revenue Alliance has presented a list of tax hikes aimed at raising this substantial amount.

State Representative Chris Miller criticized one proposal in particular, which involves increasing the Estate Tax by reducing the exemption from $4 million to $2 million. He stated, "Families, businesses, and farmers have been used by progressive Democrats in Illinois to fund their pork projects and make life easier for illegal immigrants. Illinois residents are fed up with policies that make their life harder and they are fed up with being taxed to death."

Governor JB Pritzker's national political activities have also drawn criticism from Republicans. They accuse him of using inflammatory rhetoric against President Trump and Republicans while pursuing his 2028 presidential aspirations. In March, Pritzker said at a California LGBTQ convention, “Bullies respond to one thing, and one thing only, a punch in the face.” He further stated, “I won’t continue to advocate that we wage conventional political fights when what we really need is to become street fighters.”

In another speech at a New Hampshire Democratic Party fundraiser, Pritzker called for mass protests and mobilization against Republicans, saying they "cannot know a moment of peace."

On the energy front, electricity bills are expected to rise significantly this summer. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) reported an increase in summer capacity prices due to reduced coal-fired power generation and strategic pricing by remaining suppliers. Ameren, the largest utility serving central and southern Illinois, anticipates paying about 50% more for electricity this summer compared to last year. This increase will likely result in consumer electric bills rising by 18% to 22% during the summer months.

Representative Miller attributes these soaring energy prices to what he calls the "Green New Scam," criticizing Democrats for replacing reliable energy sources with solar power. He remarked on an impending energy crisis with potential brownouts and blackouts.

Additionally, four Illinois cities—Rockford, Chicago, Peoria, and Champaign-Urbana—rank among urban areas with the highest property tax rates in the country according to a study reported by Crain’s. The analysis by Attom revealed that homeowners in these cities pay significantly above market value for their properties.