Sangamon Sun

Veteran state Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) is bewildered to see Democrats still placing a taxation at-all-costs premium on ideology.

“It’s the wrong time to raise taxes on businesses that are already struggling with everything now happening with COVID,” McClure told the Sangamon Sun. “I can’t say how many businesses have already closed over the last few months. How anyone can think ideology first right now is beyond me.”

McClure warns the progressive tax proposal Gov. J.B. Pritzker has embraced since his days as a candidate only stand to make matters worse. 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.

“It’s just more of the same policies that have gotten Illinois in such a hole,” McClure added. “There’s a general sense that any money taxpayers can keep is a gift from government when the fact is government should only take what’s absolutely necessary to run government. Unfortunately, here in Illinois, government is getting more and more bloated and wasting people’s hard-earned dollars on things that are not necessary. They keep making all these promises and have to keep coming back more from voters.”

McClure argues charting the right course starts with rejecting the progressive tax on next month’s ballot.

“That’s a start, but we also need more Republicans in Springfield and fewer legislators who just want to tax the life out of people no matter what.”