Lake County Gazette

Veteran state Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) is warning voters the progressive tax system being pushed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker doesn’t add up to what it’s being sold as.

“Pritzker’s progressive income tax would kill even more Illinois jobs and hurt families,” he said. “Instead of raising new taxes, we should cut property tax levies and adopt real pension reform.”

Long an opponent of the tax Pritzker insists will only mean higher rates for the state’s most affluent residents, McSweeney is open to accepting any help he can get in stopping the tax in its tracks.

“The progressive income tax hike is a code phrase for an eventual tax increase on the middle class,” he said. “Hard-working Illinoisans don’t need another tax hike.”

In recent days, Ken Griffin, widely regarded as the state’s richest resident, has stepped forward to support McSweeney in his effort. The founder and CEO of The Citadel investment firm announced the donation of $20 million to a business group fighting the tax proposal that is set to appear on the November ballot as a constitutional amendment.

Pritzker has previously pumped upwards of $56 million of his own money into the Vote Yes for Fairness political fund, which is promoting passage of the tax.

“While the governor fights to raise taxes again, I’m fighting to cut taxes, strengthen our economy, and bring jobs back to Illinois,” McSweeney added. “We need to break Springfield’s endless cycle of overspending and subsequent tax hikes. That’s why I’m voting no on the tax.”

McSweeney’s crusade comes as nothing new, with the veteran lawmaker recently penning an op-ed for the Illinois News Network.

"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 argued. "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 whom the progressive income tax will affect.”