McHenry Times

State Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-St. Charles) views voters' rejection of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive tax plan as a case of his worst dream coming true.

“He’s had a number of pieces of legislation he’s been able to force through that didn’t require voters input,” Ugaste told the Kane County Reporter. “But when it came time for people to have their voices heard, this is what you get. I think the governor saw it coming, which explains why he’s made so many decisions without allowing any input from others. I think he knows a lot of his moves are not what the people want to see happen.”

Despite the governor endlessly promoting the tax he has insisted since taking office would only mean higher rates for the state’s most affluent residents and pumping in access of $50 million of his own money into a campaign aimed at swaying voters, taxpayers soundly rejected the measure that required 60% approval from all voters for passage.

Ugaste argues none of it comes as a great surprise.

“There were many people bothered by nothing being done to address the state’s spending problems,” he said. “And no one truly believed the tax was ever going to stop with just the wealthiest residents.”

Ugaste added he’s not surprised to see an agitated Pritzker now threatening everything from across-the-board tax increases to “painful” tax cuts to counterbalance things as he sees fit.

“It’s unfortunate what every state in the country is having to go through with the pandemic,” he said. “We’ve had a serious downturn, which means all levels of revenue are going to be lower. Other places have already started to address the issue, but we haven’t. We actually gave out raises in Springfield.”