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 With the May 31 legislative deadline fast approaching, the fate
of many major policy initiatives – among them, cannabis legalization, sports
betting, a capital bill and the progressive income tax – hangs in the balance.
Despite the fact that a progressive income tax opens the door for a $3,500 tax
hike on the typical Illinois family, and is projected to cost the state 286,000
jobs and $43 billion in economic activity, in recent days Gov. J.B. Pritzker has
stated he is confident that he will get his prized progressive income tax
amendment on the statewide ballot in November 2020.
 However, polling shows this confidence may be unjustified. In many key
legislative districts – where lawmakers have stated they are undecided on the
progressive income tax proposal – the graduated income tax and Pritzker himself
are underwater.
These numbers are especially telling, given the rhetoric surrounding the
governor’s progressive income tax campaign. Pritzker has adopted “let the people
decide” as his main slogan during this effort and other lawmakers have defended
their support for the $3.4 billion tax hike using this message. However, this is
just a way for lawmakers to duck their responsibility to represent their
constituents on this issue.
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In recent days, further new polling shows strong
opposition to Pritzker’s progressive income tax amendment in House
District 116, held by newly appointed state Rep. Nathan Reitz. Just
22% of likely voters in his district favor Pritzker’s proposal to
put a progressive income tax constitutional amendment on the ballot
while 57% oppose it, including 44% who “strongly oppose” the
measure. And by a more than 2-to-1 margin (41% less likely versus
18% more likely), voters are less likely to vote for a state
representative who voted in favor of the governor’s proposed
constitutional amendment. Independents are less likely by a wide,
26-point margin (summary memo, topline, crosstabs).
If these lawmakers vote in favor of the progressive income tax
amendment, they will be ignoring the preferences of their own
constituents. A “yes” vote on this amendment means their voters’
voices will be drowned out by more populous areas of the state –
particularly Chicago.
These representatives were elected to represent their districts, not
to hand off important policy decisions that would greatly affect
their districts to other areas of the state.
These lawmakers owe it to their constituents to vote “no” on
Pritzker’s progressive income tax amendment.
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