North Cook News

Veteran state Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) is hoping the new Illinois Taxpayer Freedom Caucus will come to symbolize the level of financial relief for Illinois residents he’s long argued they should be receiving.

“Illinois is easily one of the highest-taxed states in the country, yet at the same time it continues to accumulate massive debts that are left on the shoulders of taxpayers,” Morrison told the North Cook News. “The Illinois Freedom Caucus wants to put the state and its residents on a path of fiscal responsibility that relies on growing its economy.”

Morrison is one of 20 GOP House members to recently launch the organization he is hoping will make all the difference. Joining him as founding members of the organization that will continue to operate inside the Republican Party are Reps. Blaine Wilhour, Brad Halbrook, Chris Miller, Allen Skillicorn, Darren Bailey, David McSweeney and Amy Grant.

Morrison argues the change can’t come soon enough given all the chaos across the state and the fact that there is an election just five months away. Morrison adds the new $42 billion state budget that Democrats recently banded to pass and send to the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker just makes more hardship.

“This new budget that Democrats rubber-stamped for the governor is just a continuation of all the practices that got us in this mess to begin with,” he said.

Morrison previously blasted the new budget, which critics point out relies on billions in borrowing, as having left Republicans completely out of the decision-making process.

“We owed it to Illinois to come together and accomplish things that would move our state forward,” he said. “Instead, this budget plan is a leap in the wrong direction.”