State Rep. David McSweeney | Contributed photo
State Rep. David McSweeney | Contributed photo
Veteran state Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) claims Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s priorities are all wrong for the cash-strapped state.
“Over 1 million Illinois residents are unemployed and families are hurting and J.B. Pritzker’s solution is to raise taxes and release murderers,” McSweeney said.
With complaints against the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) mounting almost as fast as the now more than 1.36 million unemployment claims that were processed from March 1 through May 30, Pritzker recently installed Kristin Richards as the new IDES director.
McSweeney argues it all may be too little, too late, especially given what he sees as the governor’s focus.
"The governor needs to immediately call a special session to elect a new speaker," he told the Lake County Gazette. “The last thing Illinois residents and small businesses need is another tax increase. That’s why I’m fighting to cut taxes so that we can get our economy back on track for families and small businesses.”
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the growing number of unemployment benefits claims filed since the pandemic hit are nearly 12 times higher than they were over the same timeframe last year.
McSweeney has long been a staunch opponent of the progressive income tax proposal Pritzker has been pushing since his days on the campaign trail.
“I’m leading the fight against the progressive income tax because Illinois taxes are too high,” he told the Lake County Gazette. “The progressive tax is a code phrase for a massive hike.”
Back in April, the government watchdog website Wirepoints reported the plan the governor has long been selling as one that will only mean higher rates for the state’s most affluent residents is filled with deceit.
In a recent op-ed for Illinois News Network, McSweeney further blasted the plan “will harm the middle class.”
“There is a reason we do not see a tax rate schedule from those supporting the tax," he added. "They do not want voters to see exactly who the progressive income tax will affect.”
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