Prairie State Wire

A coalition of organizations known as the Vote No On The Progressive Tax Coalition stood united Tuesday in urging Illinois to vote no on the progressive tax amendment that will be on the ballot Nov. 3. 

Illinois Chamber of Commerce President Todd Maisch said the coalition wants voters to realize that the tax amendment will be bad for taxpayers and small businesses.

"We stand united against the ballot question to do away with the flat and fair tax and replace it with a punitive tax that will punish small businesses and family farmers," Maisch said. "This coalition is already growing, and we anticipate it will grow to dozens and even 100 organizations as people learn about the negative impacts of the progressive tax."

Maisch said those favoring the progressive tax only have one argument for it, but those against it have many arguments.

Richard Guebert, president of the Illinois Farm Bureau, said the tax will be detrimental to farmers.

"If enacted, this tax increase will not meet the needs for the years to come and that means another tax increase will come," Guebert said. "Just like other states, the brackets and rates will have to be changed to raise rates on the middle class."

Guebert said the revenue from the tax won't go where it needs.

"We know most revenue from the progressive tax will go to places like the exorbitantly high pension costs and debt obligations," Guebert said. "It won’t go to schools, social services, public safety and, most certainly, not on property tax relief."

Guebert said the progressive tax was not right for Illinois.

"We should not let our state make another bad policy decision," he said. "Now is not the time for this tax. Vote no on the constitutional amendment on the ballot this November. Illinois farmers cannot afford another tax hike."

Cindy Neal with NFIB Illinois said Illinois already pays extremely high property taxes and urged a no vote.

"We pay three to four times the taxes that our neighbors pay," Neal said. "Yet the progressive tax does nothing to give relief on property taxes and just piles more taxes on top of that.

"It does nothing for the $134 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. The state doesn’t have a revenue problem it has a spending problem. We must save our state."

Technology and Manufacturing Association president Steve Rauschenberger said the manufacturers and employees he represents do not support the tax.

"I represent 700 manufactures and 30,000 employees in Illinois," Rauschenberger said. "I represent them in urging a no vote on this constitutional amendment."

Rauschenberger said legislative leaders and Gov. J.B. Pritzker have been misleading Illinois.

"They claim [the ballot measure is] for a fair tax but what it is is removing the flat-rate protection from the state constitution, which prevents the governor and legislative leaders from picking and choosing who pays taxes," Rauschenberger said. "This tax is bad for workers and consumers. It will cause slow wage growth."

Many Democrats support the tax amendment, while Republicans are staunchly opposed. Many believe because the actual constitutional amendment does not lay out specifics on how much each income level will pay, taxes will be easily raised on the middle class.