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With some Illinois homeowners facing continued property tax
hikes, a plan that has the public support of former Gov. Pat
Quinn is being sold as a measure that could mean as much as $4.5
billion in such relief.
State Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, argues those
numbers simply don’t add up.
“It'll be another example of how the super-majority doesn't
understand what's necessary for entrepreneurs to thrive in
Illinois,” he told The Center Square. “My Democrat friends
create all kinds of deserts through bad policy. If we create
this policy, it'll create small business and mid-size business
deserts. We need climate change; we need to change the business
climate in Illinois.”
The nonbinding measure poses the question: “Should the Illinois
Constitution be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income
greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds
raised to property tax relief?” Supporters say it opens the door
for voters to have their first real chance of affecting the kind
of property tax change many profess to crave.
McLaughlin views it as a losing proposition for all those
involved.
“All it's really going to do in the long term is push future
employers out of the state of Illinois, business owners and
entrepreneurs who in many instances are the ones that have taken
the risk and built,” he said. “Businesses hire people. Those are
the guys that they're going after. So, it's a success tax.”
McLaughlin argued voters shouldn’t even be faced with deciding
how they feel about such a proposal, saying the tax amounts to a
graduated hike, which isn’t allowed by the state constitution.
“This measure is unconstitutional,” he said. “It flies in the
face of the graduated tax that the governor put forth … and the
voters rejected [in 2020]. But, you know, the Democrat
supermajority needs money because their appetite is never
satisfied for spending. This really is just another case of
‘we're going to go after someone else's money.’”
McLaughlin said word in Springfield is the latest push for
additional tax revenues stem from taxpayer money allocated
during the pandemic running out and there is no funding source
for all the permanent programs that were put into place. |
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