North Cook News

Veteran state Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) desperately wants to see Springfield change the way it does business.

“Almost universally the No. 1 concern people bring up is the tax burden in Illinois,” Morrison said in a video posted to YouTube. “And, objectively speaking, you look at where Illinois ranks among the 50 states and we almost always have the overall highest tax burden.”

Morrison says all of it has come at a heavy price for the state as evidenced by Illinois losing 40% more people than it gained in 2020, ranking it fourth worst in the country in that department.  

“I think the legislature needs to respond to what the people are clamoring for,” Morrison added. “When I talk to people who decide that they want to move, often the tax burden is one of the problems. They think they can get more for their money. What we need to do is address the spending side of where Illinois is rather than constantly raising taxes.”

From what he can see, Morrison said most residents feel the same way when it comes to taxes being out of control.

“With the town hall meetings I attend, across the political spectrum, voters say ‘why doesn’t Illinois address its spending first rather than asking more of the taxpayer,’” Morrison added. “I hope it will force the kinds of reforms that have been put off for too long. We have to grow our way back.”