Lake County Gazette

State Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) struggles to understand Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s growing hostility over Republicans being at the forefront of defeating his progressive tax proposal.

“He’s blaming the opposition party because they took a stance,” Wilcox told the Lake County Gazette. “Does he not expect a fight against legislation we’ve always argued was bad for all of Illinois? I don’t necessarily mind a discussion about the progressive nature of taxes, but this legislation would have led Illinois to a completely different tax structure and meant different rates for all of us.”

The governor has long begged to differ, and has wasted little time lashing out at the thought of the tax plan he has been pushing since his days on the campaign trial being soundly rejected by voters despite him having pumped upwards of $50 million of his own money into a campaign to sway voters.

“There will be cuts, and they will be painful,” he said. “We have to address this. It’s the most important thing we can do, to stabilize our state.”

Leading up to Election Day, Pritzker warned of across-the-board tax increases should the tax that required approval from 60% of those who voted on the issue or a majority of those who voted in the election failed to gain passage.

“I think going through rage and trying to intimidate voters is no way to govern,” Wilcox added. “If he’s going to do cuts they should be in the best interest of the state, not some plan where he targets them as a way of trying to get retribution.”

In the end, Wilcox said voters had no choice but to take a stance against the governor’s so-called fair tax.

“Down in Springfield, it would have led to social-class warfare,” he said. “I can’t think of any good that would have come from it.”