Combine the corporate tax rate President Joe Biden wants to fund his infrastructure plan with Illinois’ tax, and the resulting rate would be 35.4% – fifth highest in the nation and second in the Midwest.

A bipartisan ‘spending cap’ bill would allow predictable, sustainable growth in state spending without tax hikes. Illinois is one of the few states without a similar fiscal restraint.

Despite pushing hard for a progressive state income tax, Gov. J.B. Pritzker criticized the impact of the same policy at the national level for what it means for Illinois.

COVID-19 prompted $7.5 billion in federal relief, but state revenues were up during the past 8 months. Delayed tax due dates were partly responsible, but revenue even grew where it should have declined. So why should small businesses have to come up with $2 billion more?

Small businesses got federal tax relief to handle the COVID-19 economic downturn. Now Springfield is trying to take away the same break on state taxes, costing the state’s main job creators $1 billion with hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans still out of work.

Illinois has a chance to fix its state finances, thanks to federal relief. But unless pension growth is brought under control, both retirees and taxpayers will be at risk as debt continues to consume state services.

Federal tax relief was championed so small businesses could better deal with COVID-19 economic impacts. Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants to undo that relief to keep $1 billion in state taxes from Illinois small businesses.