Lake County Gazette

Veteran state Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) is standing firm in his opposition to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax push.

“Gov. Pritzker’s progressive income tax hike is a code for phrase for an eventual massive tax increase on Illinois’ middle class,” McSweeney told the Lake County Gazette. “I’m fighting to cut taxes so that you can keep more of your hard-earned money.”

McSweeney’s position comes as nothing new, with the veteran lawmaker having long disputing the contention that the governor’s plan will only prove to mean higher tax rates for the state’s most affluent residents.

“The progressive income tax, the linchpin of the Pritzker plan, wouldn’t hurt the wealthy a lot – they easily can move out of Illinois,” McSweeney recently wrote in an op-ed for Illinois News Network. “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?”

McSweeney points to the damage caused by the state’s recently imposed gas tax hike as a snapshot of what can be expected if and when the progressive tax ever becomes law of the land.

“The Pritzker/Jim Durkin gas tax hike is already harming Illinois residents,” he said. “We need to cut property taxes and adopt real pension reform. Pritzker’s progressive tax plan would kill even more Illinois jobs and hurt families.”

Pritzker has long touted the progressive plan he has been pushing since his days as a candidate as one that will finally help put the state on solid financial footing by allowing the state to reduce property taxes and address long-rising pension debt.