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“We’ve grown the Illinois economy to over $1 trillion,” Pritzker
said. “That makes us the fifth-largest economy among the states
in the nation.”
The governor told the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce that
billions of dollars in new business investments came into the
state in 2023.
“On average last year, a new business moved to Illinois or
expanded operations here every single day, in fact, more than
that,” Pritzker said.
DuPage County Precinct Committeeman and former Republican
primary gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives said Pritzker’s
numbers are a product of President Joe Biden’s inflation.
“Of course everything is more costly, so all your Gross Domestic
Product is more costly. This is an inflated number,” Ives said.
“The truth is, business is suffering.”
Ives cited Chicago’s retail vacancy rates and a City Journal
report that stated that Chicago’s tax on commercial properties
is twice the average of other major cities.
In addition, the Tax Foundation reports that Illinois imposes
the second-highest business income tax of any state in the
nation.
In his address to the Chicagoland Chamber, Pritzker said his
administration has gotten the state’s fiscal house in order.
“Just last week, my partners in the General Assembly and I
passed our sixth consecutive balanced budget,” Pritzker said. He
later signed the record $53.1 billion spending plan at a
separate event.
Ives said the governor is telling half-truths.
“So nobody actually believes it’s balanced and if it is indeed
balanced, it’s only balanced on the backs of taxpayers and more
debt, because that is exactly what he did,” Ives said.
The Illinois Policy Institute has reported that the new budget
includes more than $1 billion in tax hikes.
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