AFFORDABILITY/TAXES
Governor Pritzker is Making Life Too Damn Expensive
During his budget address last week, Governor Pritzker declared that everything is “too damned expensive.” On that point, Republicans agree. But the Governor failed to take accountability for his role in making Illinois less affordable, and his proposed budget makes clear that more of the same is on the way.
In his latest proposal, Governor Pritzker continues to squeeze working families and drive up the cost of living:
- A $56 billion budget, the largest in state history and $1 billion more than last year’s massive spending plan
- $728 million in new taxes, fees, and revenue increases on Illinois families
- A proposed $60 million cut to the Local Government Distributive Fund which will drive up property taxes
And this budget builds on a record of higher spending and higher taxes. Under Governor Pritzker:
- State spending has increased by $16 billion since he took office
- Illinois now collects $1,434 more per resident in taxes than before he became governor
- Compared to 2019, the state is taking in $18 billion more from taxpayers
- He has enacted at least 49 taxes and fee hikes since 2019
It does not stop there. In just the past two weeks, House Democrats have introduced new proposals that would further nickel and dime families, including:
- A new fee on campfires for families trying to enjoy outdoor recreation
- A carryout bag tax that would start at 10 cents and climb to 25 cents per bag by 2030, including on reusable bags
House Republicans have continued to fight for affordability across Illinois, filing multiple bills to address the issue. These include Rep. Ugaste’s HB 9 to provide property tax relief and Rep. Spain’s HB 1383, which would allow taxpayers to deduct tip income from their state taxable income, reducing the state tax burden on tips.
So while Governor Pritzker can blame Washington or anyone else he chooses, the reality is simple: affordability starts in Springfield.
What Governor Pritzker Really Loves
During his budget address last week, Governor Pritzker made “love” a central theme. He said he loves Illinois. But hardworking families know what his record really shows: a love of higher taxes, more spending, and policies that are making our state less safe and less affordable. Just look at his record.
Governor Pritzker LOVES reckless spending and high taxes
- Governor Pritzker is proposing another record budget of $56 billion, which is $1 billion more than last year
- His proposal includes $728 million in new taxes and revenue increases, further worsening Illinois’ affordability crisis
- State spending has increased by $16 billion since Governor Pritzker took office
- Illinois is taking $1,434 more in taxes from each resident than before Governor Pritzker took office
- Compared to 2019, the state is collecting $18 billion more from taxpayers
Governor Pritzker LOVES allowing dangerous criminals to roam free
Governor Pritzker has claimed that the SAFE-T Act is highly effective, but dangerous repeat offenders continue to wreak havoc across Illinois.
- A woman was set on fire on a CTA Blue Line train by a repeat offender who was out on electronic monitoring
- A man was assaulted and pushed onto the tracks of a CTA Blue Line train by an individual with seven prior felony convictions
- A Joliet man was found with narcotics and firearms in a residence while he currently has nine open criminal cases in Will County court
Governor Pritzker LOVES putting illegal immigrants ahead of Illinois taxpayers
- Illinois has spent roughly $2.5 billion on services for illegal immigrants
- Benefits have included free healthcare, driver’s licenses, and taxpayer-funded college aid
- The Governor is now proposing an additional $110 million for healthcare for illegal immigrant seniors
So while Governor Pritzker talks about love, House Republicans see the reality: higher taxes, out-of-control spending, and policies that are failing Illinois families.
House Republicans are focused on real solutions to make Illinois more affordable, safer, and accountable. That includes efforts like Rep. Ryan Spain’s HB 1383 to provide tax relief on tipped income, along with multiple proposals to fix the SAFE-T Act and restore public safety.
Taxer-in-Chief Pritzker’s concern for Indiana taxpayers ignores Illinois families he’s taxed to the max
With the Chicago Bears eyeing a possible move to Indiana, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker weighed in about his concern for the cost to Indiana taxpayers.
Missing from Pritzker’s comments was any concern for the Illinois families paying the billions of dollars in tax hikes imposed on them during Pritzker’s time in office.
State Representative Norine Hammond criticized Pritzker’s newfound concern for the taxpayers of neighboring Indiana and highlighted Pritzker’s tax-and-spend record in Illinois.
“Taxer-in-Chief Pritzker’s sudden concern for Indiana taxpayers ignores the hardworking Illinois families that he has taxed to the max,” Rep. Hammond said. “For seven years now, Illinois families have absorbed billions in tax and fee hikes thanks to JB Pritzker. Where was the urgency then? The Governor doesn’t get to warn about tax hikes in another state while ignoring the massive tax hikes he’s imposed here at home.”
Governor JB Pritzker’s terrible record on taxes and affordability speaks for itself:
- Proposed and personally funded the failed 2020 graduated income tax scheme
- Raised taxes and spending by $16 billion, a 40% increase on Pritzker’s watch
- Doubled the gas tax and tied future increases to inflation
- Approved an $8 billion energy rate hike to subsidize a green energy giveaway
- Signed off on a mass transit bailout for Chicago that swept nearly $500 million/year from Downstate road funds, allowed toll hikes and higher sales taxes, at a cost of $2.5 billion.
“Illinois keeps losing businesses, residents, and opportunity because Governor Pritzker keeps making Illinois more and more unaffordable,” added Hammond.
“I will continue to advocate for real solutions that address affordability by reining in out-of-control government spending, cutting taxes for working families and seniors, and opposing Pritzker’s tax hikes. Illinois families deserve real relief, not another bill to pay.”
CHICAGO BEARS
Indiana passes Bears stadium bill while Illinois crawls forward
The state of Indiana has enacted what could be a groundbreaking infrastructure bill to enable the Chicago Bears to move from Soldier Field to Hammond, Indiana. Senate Bill 27, which was signed into law this week, creates a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to potentially host the Bears. The Authority would collect tax money and contributions from a defined territory within Northwest Indiana, build and own the stadium, and grant a long-term lease to the NFL football franchise on terms that would be highly favorable to the Bears and their ownership.
The Indiana law parallels many features of the stadium authorities currently in operation in Kansas for the Kansas City Chiefs and in Tennessee for the Tennessee Titans. In both states, public authorities are deeply engaged in the planning and construction of state-of-the-art NFL football stadiums that are meant to be profitably enjoyed by team owners.
While Indiana moved forward this week, action in Illinois to retain the Chicago Bears crawled along. In a lengthy and sometimes contentious debate in the Illinois House Revenue & Finance Committee, lawmakers considered legislation that could potentially be used to build a new football stadium in Illinois. However, many Illinois Democrat lawmakers – whose votes would be necessary to pass the bill – expressed continued feelings of resentment about the use of Illinois law to provide property tax breaks to a privately-owned NFL team, the prospect of moving the team out of Chicago’s historic Soldier Field, and the alleged lack of respect shown by the Bears to various constituencies. In sharp contrast to successful legislative action in Indiana, the Bears-in-Illinois bill did not advance to a floor vote in the Illinois House this week.
I have always said that private-public partnerships can work. But we must make sure that taxpayers don’t get a bad deal.
JOBS
House Republicans Emphasize Need for Pro-Growth, Pro-Business Policies in Illinois
State Representative Brandun Schweizer joined colleagues State Representatives Dan Ugaste and Joe Sosnowski for a Capitol news conference this week to discuss the need for pro-growth, pro-business policies in Illinois, amid record-high business closures and businesses moving out of the state.
“Over the past several years, we have watched too many businesses in our region shut their doors or scale back operations, businesses that employed our friends, neighbors, and generations of family members,” said Schweizer. “These are not just statistics; these are paychecks, and these are livelihoods. Where I live in Vermilion County, we have seen more than 700 jobs be impacted due to businesses closing or leaving Illinois, but the loss of jobs and businesses is not just a local issue.”
“Business owners across Illinois are being squeezed by rising costs, high taxes, increasing mandates, mounting fees, and long-term regulatory uncertainty. They’re not asking for special treatment, they’re asking for stability and predictability.”
To help restore Illinois’ competitiveness, Rep. Schweizer filed two pieces of legislation, that I sponsored:
- HB 5526, which phases out the corporate franchise tax beginning in 2027, eliminating an outdated and burdensome tax that discourages investment.
- HB 5527, which strengthens Illinois’ research and development tax credit, increasing incentives for businesses that innovate and expand here at home.
In supporting these measures, I stated: “Illinois doesn’t have a workforce problem; it has a policy problem. Businesses aren’t leaving because they want to; they’re leaving because of uncertainty, higher taxes, and constant mandates push them out. Stability and predictability aren’t special favors; they’re the basic conditions needed to keep jobs here and families here.”
LOCAL CONTROL OF ZONING
Governor Pritzker’s Statewide Zoning Mandates Will Be a Disaster
We’re seeing a troubling push for a statewide housing zoning mandate that would override local decision-making and impose a one-size-fits-all approach from Springfield.
Communities across Illinois are different by design. Rural towns, growing suburbs, and small cities were built around very different infrastructure capacities… roads, water systems, school space, emergency response times, drainage, traffic flow, and public safety resources. A single zoning rule written in the Capitol cannot possibly account for those local realities.
Statewide zoning will not magically create affordability. What it will create are serious unintended consequences:
- Overloaded infrastructure that wasn’t built for high density
- Crowded schools without corresponding funding
- Strained police and fire services
- Pressure on water, sewer, and transportation systems
- Declining property values in established neighborhoods
- And ultimately, higher local taxes to repair problems created by state mandates
Local zoning is not arbitrary. It exists to protect homeowners, small businesses, farmland, and the long-term character of communities. It ensures growth happens where services exist to support it and where infrastructure can handle it responsibly.
Taking that authority away from locally elected officials means removing accountability from the people closest to the community.
One-size-fits-all zoning in a state as diverse as Illinois isn’t thoughtful planning, it’s centralized control. And when government overreaches, local families are the ones who pay the price.
UPCOMING EVENTS
There are three opportunities in March for Traveling Office Hours. Check out the details below:
