North Cook News

As flawed as he finds the governor's reasoning to be, state Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) thinks he has come to fully understand Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s rationale for pushing his progressive income tax proposal as relentlessly as he has.

“Politically, he seems to have a lot at stake in getting it passed,” Morrison told the North Cook News. “Many of the special interest groups that helped get him elected did so because of their desire to increase state government spending. Illinois’ finances have continued to deteriorate under his administration, so the pressures continue to mount to find new tax revenue.”

And Morrison argues all the resources the governor has recently pumped into his effort speak to how badly he feels the need to bring it to life.

The Chicago Tribune reports that overall, Pritzker has donated at least $56.5 million to a ballot initiative committee working to get the tax passed in November. The staggering contributions to the Vote Yes to Fairness committee make him the only individual to have contributed more than $250 to the fund started by one of his former deputies.

Morrison argues the legislation was bad policy when it was first proposed and he is even more convinced of that now.

“We’ve been saying that Illinois needs to build its tax base by making the state more attractive to employers and residents who are looking for opportunity to build their lives and livelihoods here,” he said. “Increased economic activity and additional taxpayers mean additional revenue to our state and local governments. The legislature has chosen to avoid those hard but necessary cuts and reforms over the years and instead chosen various new tax increases. The people of Illinois should be asking themselves which scenario is more likely if the legislature is given the power to tax income at higher rates based on various income levels.”

Through it all, the governor has sought to sell the tax as a change that will only mean higher rates for the state’s most affluent residents. Voters will finally have their say in November’s general election, where approval from 60% of those who vote on the issue or a majority of those who vote in the election overall is needed for passage.