Lake County Gazette

Veteran Illinois state Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) is warning taxpayers they’re not completely out of the woods by virtue of having rejected Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s (D) progressive tax hike proposal.

“Gov. Pritzker keeps trying to raise our taxes,” McSweeney said. “When will it end? Illinois families are in need of tax relief. Instead of raising taxes, as chairman of Cut Illinois Taxes Now, I’m fighting to cut property tax levies and enact real public employee pension reform.”

In the wake of the tax he’s spent time promoting since his days as a candidate, netting just 45% of the vote, Pritzker has wasted little time going on the offensive, warning that “painful cuts” and other tax hikes could soon be on the horizon.

Illinois Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker | Wikipedia commons

In the end, the governor spent upwards of $58 million of his own fortune to get the tax he insisted would only mean higher rates for the state’s most affluent residents over the finish line. For passage, the measure required approval from 60% of those who voted on the issue or a majority of those who voted in the election overall.

“Everything is on the table,” Pritzker told WTTW of his plan going forward. “Republicans and special interests who opposed the graduated income tax hike will be responsible for the pain the people of Illinois feel as a result of those cuts.”

McSweeney dismisses all the talk as just more venting on the part of the governor, not to mention more of the kind of wayward policy he blames for many of the state’s ongoing struggles.

“We need to break Springfield’s endless cycle of overspending and subsequent tax hikes,” McSweeney said. “That’s why I’m working to cut taxes for Illinois families.”