Lake County Gazette

Illinois state Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) claims Gov. J.B. Pritzker's new budget proposal follows an all-too-familiar pattern.

“The governor’s budget is full of more taxes,” McSweeney told the Lake County Gazette. “I strongly oppose the Pritzker high tax budget. We need to cut Illinois taxes not raise them.”

During his speech before the General Assembly in Springfield, Pritzker laid out two possible scenarios for the state going forward, including his strongly supported progressive tax idea that ties funding increase for public schools and a pension payment boost to voters approving his graduated-rate income tax plan.

McSweeney was not impressed. 

“We need to reform public employee pensions and Medicaid,” he said.

While some have blasted the speech as an infomercial for the governor’s progressive tax plan, McSweeney long ago established where he stands on legislation that would require a change to the state constitution in order to be officially enacted.

“I’m leading the fight against the progressive income tax because Illinois taxes are too high,” he previously told the Lake County Gazette. “The progressive tax is a code phrase for a massive hike.”

Even as Pritzker continues to insist the tax will only mean higher tax rates for the state’s most affluent residents, McSweeney recently countered in an op-ed for Illinois News Network that should it ever actually see the light of day the line of victims impacted by it would be endless.

“The progressive income tax, the linchpin of the Pritzker plan, wouldn’t hurt the wealthy a lot – they easily can move out of Illinois,” he wrote. “It would harm the middle class. There is a reason we do not see a tax rate schedule from those supporting the progressive income tax. They do not want voters to see exactly who the progressive income tax will affect. Do you really trust Illinois career politicians to set your tax rates?”