McHenry Times

State Rep. Dan Ugaste said that talk of establishing a progressive tax comes after lawmakers in Springfield voted earlier this month to grant themselves a raise at the expense of taxpayers who are already among the most heaviest taxed in the country. 

"Democrats are back to their old tricks, this time working to raise income taxes through a ‘progressive’ tax increase," Ugaste (R-Geneva) posted on Facebook. "A ballot measure that would have implemented a graduated income tax increase for every Illinoisan failed miserably in 2020. Illinoisans are the most taxed citizens in the country. Illinois government is raking in record revenues and spending record amounts of money year after year. Join House Republicans and reject the Democrats’ plan to raise your income taxes!” 

State Sen. Robert Martwick (D-Chicago), who helped draft the previous legislation pushing for a graduated tax, said he still believes the state, especially its middle-class voters, need the income and lower property taxes he believes a graduated income tax would bring, even though voters rejected the idea of such a tax by a 10-point margin in a recent election. His comments appeared in a report on chicagobusiness.com. 

Martwick said he has not yet drafted any enabling legislation for a second referendum, stressing that any such legislation likely would be somewhat different than the one he put forth in 2022 when he was in the Illinois House, the report says. Martwick said his hope is to offer a bill as soon as next month and see what support it draws.