Sangamon Sun

Republican senators in Illinois have raised concerns about a proposed $6 billion tax increase backed by Governor JB Pritzker’s Democratic allies. The proposal, which comes during National Small Business Week, is seen as potentially harmful to the state's small business community. This follows a previous $1 billion tax increase enacted this year to support state spending.

State Senator Sally Turner expressed that tax hikes and policies limiting growth negatively impact working families. She criticized the Governor's spending habits, including expanded benefits for non-citizens, and called for more balanced budgeting efforts from Democratic lawmakers.

Senate Republicans also highlighted Governor Pritzker’s reversal on the franchise tax phase-out, agreed upon in 2019, as damaging to trust in state leadership.

Additionally, Senate Republicans are opposing efforts by Democrats to lower the estate tax exemption from $4 million to $2 million. They argue this would burden family-owned farms and businesses already facing high taxes. Senator Turner emphasized the need for reforms to protect agricultural legacies and prevent punitive taxation on inherited land or assets.

On another front, Illinois Democrats have introduced legislation targeting certain handguns, particularly Glocks modified with auto-switch devices. House Bill 4045 and Senate Bill 2652 propose making it illegal to manufacture or sell these firearms. However, Senate Republicans argue this unfairly targets lawful gun owners instead of addressing criminal misuse of existing laws.

In national news, National Women’s Health Week is observed from May 11-17 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health. The event promotes awareness of women's health issues focusing on menopause support, mental health resources, and cancer prevention and treatment.