March 19, 2021
By: Katie Clancy
Gov. Pritzker’s 2019 budget included 19 tax hikes and fees. The most egregious, the doubling of the gas tax, keeps getting worse for Chicago and suburban residents.
Pritzker’s gas tax hike opened the door for local government tax hikes that we are still paying the price for today. Counties continue to hike taxes because of the power and encouragement Pritzker gave them.
Lake County raised its gas tax last week. Will, DuPage, and Chicago have also increased their gas taxes. As gas prices and taxes continue to rise, Illinoisans pay the 9th highest in the country at the pump right now.
As if the 19 tax and fee hikes weren’t enough in 2019, Pritzker is proposing $1 billion in taxes to fund this year’s budget. And one will cost small businesses $500 million.
The federal government granted state-level tax benefits for small businesses through the CARES ACT. Gov. Pritzker wants to eliminate this benefit that he calls a “technical error” which would result in a $500 million tax hike on the 440,000 small businesses in Illinois.
One-third of Illinois businesses shut down in 2020. This is the second time Pritzker has pushed a tax hike on small businesses during this pandemic. While families and small businesses are making sacrifices every day to stay afloat, Gov. Pritzker continues to spend more than we can all afford.
This bill has the chance to resurface for a vote soon; contact your State Rep. urging them to vote NO on this tax hike that will hurt small businesses and cause more job losses.
The House met one day for session this week and passed an expansion of vote by mail and curbside voting. House Bill 1871, sponsored by Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), makes drop boxes for ballots more available, allows people to vote “curbside” in their vehicle with election judges present, and other mail-in ballot provisions.
This law threatens the security of the electoral system in Illinois and, unfortunately, opens the door to fraud. The bill was voted on party lines and is headed to the Senate. Call your Senator and urge them to vote NO on this bill.
This week, House Republicans introduced their Reimagine Illinois plan. The plan’s four pillars are: No Corruption, Fiscal Leadership, Jobs & Opportunities, and Safe Communities.
We applaud them for their leadership and support our shared vision of an Illinois that encourages safe, thriving communities for families and small businesses to flourish.
For more information, visit reimagineillinois.com.
This week we were reminded that elections have consequences and public policy impacts real lives. Gov. Pritzker’s record of tax hikes and poor fiscal and election policies have the potential to affect our state for years to come.
The best way to make change is at the grassroots level from leaders like you who truly care about their communities. Be part of the movement to change the state and join us for a virtual training, March 25 at 6:00 pm.
The 2022 Opportunity training will include the inside story on the latest polling, the 2022 landscape, and what’s at stake in Illinois. Plus, you’ll leave with access to the newest technology tools and support to organize in your community to capture this moment.
Sign up for our exclusive 2022 Opportunity training and help us change our state.
Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you on March 25th.
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