Sangamon Sun

Illinois State Representative Jeff Keicher has joined State Representative Spain in opposition to a proposed $1.9 billion tax increase intended to support the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). The proposal includes a 7% tax on streaming services and live events, increases in RTA sales taxes, new taxes on unrealized investment gains, expanded speed camera fines, and an additional $5 charge per ticket at entertainment venues.

Keicher and Spain are calling for reforms to the RTA focused on efficiency and accountability before any new revenue is collected from taxpayers. “We demand real RTA fixes— reform, efficiency, accountability—before one more dime is taken from taxpayers,” Keicher stated.

The representatives argue that the plan would impose significant financial burdens on working families without addressing underlying issues within the RTA. A petition has been launched to gather public support against the tax increases.

Keicher, a Republican who began representing Illinois’s 70th House District in 2018 after succeeding Robert W. Pritchard, continues to voice concerns over fiscal policy and its impact on constituents.