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Pritzker discussed a multitude of issues at a forum at Harvard
University in Boston this week and took questions from students
in attendance.
Pritzker was asked about redistribution policies being
implemented in Illinois and said he still believes in a tax
proposal that failed in 2020.
"I still believe in a graduated income tax. I still believe in
making sure that we have a tax system that's fair and that, you
use the word redistributive, but importantly, that every child,
no matter what ZIP code they live in, gets a good education, a
good public education," Pritzker said. "We're working at that
every day, but it's not going to be as easy as it would have
been had we had a graduated income tax."
The 2020 proposal would have implemented a higher income tax
rate on higher earners, allowing lawmakers to set the various
rates. Voters soundly rejected that plan to the polls, however.
Pritzker said he fought to get the measure implemented.
"I fought like heck and put my own money behind it and ran a
campaign to pass a graduated income tax in the state of Illinois
that I believe would help us fund schools properly, it would
reduce property taxes, and properly fund schools that are
underfunded," Pritzker said.
State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, told The Center Square
that voters have already made it clear they are not interested
in any graduated income tax proposal.
"They never give up, and I wouldn't expect anything else,"
Halbrook said. "What was interesting was, he needed it in 2020
to raise three or three and a half billion dollars, and it
failed miserably."
State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Tuetopolis, said the governor needs
to do away with his failed plans and focus on the things that
the working class really needs.
"We need to be focused on cutting regulation, cutting taxes,
opening up opportunity and giving people incentive to work
rather than live off of the government," Niemerg said. "That is
how we will move forward."
Andrew Hensel reports on issues in Chicago and
Statewide. He has been with The Center Square News since April
of 2021 and was previously with The Joliet Slammers.
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