Quincy Reporter

Illinois Senate Republican Whip Jil Tracy spoke out against state Democrats' plan for a progressive income tax according to a news release published on Friday.

“Once again, Democrat legislative leaders are assuming they know what’s best for Illinoisans and are ignoring the will of the people who a little more than two years ago resoundingly voted ‘NO’ to the question of changing Illinois’ income tax structure,” Tracy said during a Wednesday press conference with other Senate Republicans. "Why do legislative leaders put an issue on the ballot if they are not going to abide by the vote?"

In the release, Tracy also argued that Democrats in 2019 were unwilling to include additional taxpayer safeguards, especially when considering future tax increases due to a graduated tax system.

Senate Republicans filed a bill to oppose a progressive income tax titled SR0027 on January 25. The bill, according to its official synopsis, "opposes a progressive income tax in Illinois. Opposes the reconsideration by the Illinois General Assembly of any constitutional amendment intended to change the flat-rate income tax language of subsection (a) of Section 3 of Article IX of the Constitution of Illinois." Senate sponsors include the following: John F. Curran, Sue Rezin, Neil Anderson, Dale Fowler, Terri Bryant, Jil Tracy, Sally J. Turner, Donald P. DeWitte, Steve McClure, Dave Syverson, Dan McConchie, Win Stoller, Jason Plummer, Chapin Rose, Craig Wilcox, Erica Harriss, Andrew S. Chesney, Tom Bennett and Seth Lewis.

State Senator Robert Martwick (D) proposed that legislators revisit the progressive income tax that voters rejected in 2020. In that year, according to Illinois Policy, 53.3% of voters were against the progressive income tax that gave higher income groups a higher tax rate than others.