Lake County Gazette

Republican state House candidate Chris Bos is convinced Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is focused on the wrong factors in finally getting the state back on firm financial footing.

“He’s working as if we don’t have enough revenue when we already have the top tax burden in the country,” Bos, who is running against incumbent state Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) in the 51st District, told the Lake County Gazette. “The reality is our struggles are about taxes and not revenues.”

Bos worries nothing will change if Pritzker gets his way with the progressive tax he’s been pushing since the first day he took office. A new Illinois Policy Institute analysis projects that small businesses across the state soon could be forced to pay as much as a 50.3% marginal income tax rate should the tax appearing on the Nov. 3 ballot in the form of a referendum question garner the support it needs for passage. Ignoring growing warnings from many that the tax stands to handcuff small business owners even more, the governor continues to push his signature proposal as one that will only mean higher tax rates for the state’s most affluent residents.

At around 60% of net job creation, small business owners currently rank as the state’s biggest job creators. But those numbers could soon be on the decline, with researchers finding an increase in the top marginal tax rate could mean a slide in the hiring practices of entrepreneurs and slumping earnings for workers.

“We need to be bringing more businesses to Illinois, not coming up with all these things that just push more of them away,” Bos added. “Everywhere you go, you’ve got small business owners insisting they’re automatically out the door and heading for one of these more tax-friendly states if this thing passes.”

Bos argues Edly-Allen’s reaction to it all is emblematic of the way Democrats have responded across the board.

“They’re not taking the time to listen to people when they talk about how much this would hurt them,” he said. “All of us in Springfield need to be committed to getting together and moving this state forward, not pushing for things that are going to be even more detrimental.”