Youthful wealth, energy and talent that could help Illinois recover is leaving the state at the nation’s second-highest rate. State leaders’ thirst for new taxes will make the problem worse.
One Illinois county in the greater St. Louis area is losing so many residents it ranks No. 5 nationwide for population loss. Its neighboring county was one of the few in Illinois to grow.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is pushing a progressive state income tax without delivering the numbers to prove his promises. The numbers available from other states make it clear a progressive tax will hurt Illinois’ economy.