Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) called the tax hike measure that passed the House on Sunday evening the “wrong plan at the wrong time,” asserting that it does little to help taxpayers.
“Our economy is too weak for a tax hike, and you know it,” Ives said. “You know we need jobs. You complain about it all the time, and you won’t fix our job-creation problems. Instead you want to take this low-income growth and you want to add on a tax increase. A tax increase will take any income growth away from people that are working hard in this state.”
SB9 is a revenue bill that would collect $5.4 billion by increasing the state personal income tax rate to 4.95 percent from 3.75 percent and the corporate tax to 7 percent from 5.25 percent, or a jump of 32 percent.
Ives said Illinois should focus on its job-creation problems instead of taxing hard workers and successful businesses.
“Every bit that they earn in additional revenue, you’re going to take,” she said. “For what? For what?”
Gov. Bruce Rauner called SB9 a repeat of the “failed policies” that created the financial mess Illinois is in.
“I will veto [House Speaker] Mike Madigan’s permanent 32 percent tax hike,” Rauner said in a press release. “Illinois families don’t deserve to have more of the hard-earned money taken from them when the legislature has done little to restore confidence in government or grow jobs. Illinois families deserve more jobs, property tax relief and term limits. But tonight they got more of the same.”
Illinois Republican Chairman Tim Schneider asserted that lawmakers who sided with Madigan will be held accountable in the next election.
Fifteen Republicans voted for the income tax increase: Steve Andersson (R-Geneva), Terri Bryant (R- Murphysboro), John Cavaletto (R-Salem), C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville), Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago), Norine Hammond (R-Macomb), David Harris (R-Arlington Heights), Chad Hays (R-Catlin), Charlie Meier (R-Highland), Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth) , Reggie Phillips (R-Charleston), Robert Pritchard( R-Hinckley), Mike Unes (R- East Peoria), Sara Wojcicki Jimenez (R-Leland Grove) and David Reis (R-Ste. Marie).
SB9 passed 72-45 and is now in the Senate.
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