SPRINGFIELD (March 1, 2017) – Illinois lawmakers have begun voting on the components of a “grand bargain” budget proposal, and voting is expected to continue today. Illinois Policy CEO John Tillman released the following statement:

“This entire budget package is a weak charade meant to convince Republicans to provide Democrats cover on yet another tax increase. Don’t take the bait. Stand up for the people and vote against any proposal that forces Illinoisans to pay more before the state enacts real reform.

“Furthermore, this is not the budget Illinois needs. This is not a reform package. Lawmakers must vote no.

“Illinois cannot weather another tax increase. The state is on the brink of an economic collapse. Moody’s Investors Service has said Illinois is facing economic deterioration. But don’t just take Moody’s word for it. Look around: People are leaving. Businesses are shutting down or packing up and fleeing. The state’s revenue is declining. Raising taxes to prop up a broken and dysfunctional state government will not change that – it will escalate Illinois’ decline. If the tax increases in the Senate’s so-called ‘grand bargain’ are enacted, taxpayers will be crushed and the state’s economy may not recover for decades. 

“A multibillion-dollar tax hike would destroy what little recovery has been made since the recession. At the end of 2016, Illinois had the worst jobs growth rate in the region. Nearly 1 in 5 homes are deeply underwater on their mortgages, and Illinois is the only state in the region with a shrinking population. Bloomington, Carbondale, Peoria and the Quad Cities are currently in recession, according to Moody’s, and Elgin, Danville, Decatur and Kankakee are on the brink of recession. 

“Illinoisans dutifully paid more than $31 billion in higher taxes after the tax increase of 2011. They were told the revenue would be used to strengthen the state’s economy, pay off the backlog of bills, and get Illinois back in fiscal shape. They were told that a spending cap enacted with the tax increase would prevent the state from this type of crisis ever occurring again. Illinoisans were lied to. Now, policymakers in Springfield are lying to them again. If this deal passes, overburdened taxpayers will be forced to sacrifice again – and even more people will throw up their hands in disgust and decide to leave. More families and jobs will cross the border, and the downward economic spiral will continue.”

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Media contact: Diana Rickert  (312) 607-4977