State of Illinois Archives: on Tax Reform
Darren Bailey:
Fought against tax hikes, tax relief a top priority
In 2018, Darren was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives 109th district. There he fought against tax hikes, reckless spending, and sanctuary state legislation. Darren currently represents the 55th district in the Illinois State Senate
and with his lifelong background in the farming industry, is the lead Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee. As a State Senator, Darren refuses a legislative pension and makes tax relief for hardworking Illinoisans a top priority.
Source: 2021 Gubernatorial campaign website BaileyForIllinois.com
May 30, 2021
Darren Bailey:
Will work to lower both property and income taxes
Darren firmly believes in fiscal responsibility and knows that every penny matters. Raising taxes hurts hardworking Illinois families and is not a solution for a state with some of the highest tax burdens in the entire nation.
In the state legislature, Darren has fought against tax hikes and reckless spending and advocated for more business-friendly policies. As Governor, he will work to lower both property and income taxes.
Source: 2021 Gubernatorial campaign website BaileyForIllinois.com
May 30, 2021
J.B. Pritzker:
Cut corporate loopholes forcing middle class to pay more
This will be one of the most challenging budgets this government has ever had to craft, but I know there are willing partners in the General Assembly.
In addition to the budget committee, I've spoken with members and committee chairs of the General Assembly, and incorporated their ideas, like cutting corporate loopholes that force the middle class to pay more.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Illinois legislature
Feb 17, 2021
J.B. Pritzker:
Property taxes must be seriously reduced
Property taxes in Illinois are simply too high. Local governments continue to max out their levies even when they don't need to. There are perverse incentives in state law that encourage that. We can change the law to support local governments and
lower property taxes. And with nearly 7,000 units of government in Illinois, it's time to empower local taxpayers to consolidate or eliminate them. These changes can make a serious dent in property taxes.
Source: 2020 Illinois State of the State address
Jan 29, 2020
Mark Curran:
Simplify tax code; against tax breaks for large corporations
I would support simplifying the tax code. I am not in favor of tax breaks for big banks, internet, oil, gas and other large corporations giving them an unfair advantage. We will be better as a nation with tax policies that help the local economies.
America will be better when we have more entrepreneurs and small businesses. We need to enforce antitrust laws and ensure that Washington is not giving the big corporations an unfair advantage over the little guy.
Source: Chicago Sun Times on 2020 Illinois Senate race
Jan 22, 2020
Tammy Baldwin:
Trump tax bill only helps rich who don't need the money
We need to reform our tax system, but it can't just help mega-corporations and Donald Trump's friends and family. This shoddy legislation is an absolutely shameful display of Republicans' priorities that gives permanent tax cuts to those who don't
need them and writes provisions appearing to benefit everyone else with disappearing ink, once again forcing Americans to hand over their hard-earned pay so the wealthiest people in this country can get tax breaks they don't need.
Source: 2022 Illinois Senate campaign website baldwin.senate.gov
Oct 16, 2019
J.B. Pritzker:
Fair income tax to shift burden to the wealthy
There is a structural deficit today of over $3 billion per year that if left unaddressed will continue to grow. There is a backlog of unpaid bills and debt that exceeds $15 billion. Our option is to reject imposing additional income, retirement and
sales taxes on the middle class and instead enact a fair income tax. This would lift some of the tax burden off of middle income earners and instead ask the wealthiest to pay a little more.
It is not fair that I pay the same tax rate as a teacher, a child care worker, a police officer or a nurse. And efforts to simply increase the income tax rate across the board fuels further income inequality and kicks the can
down the road for our children and grandchildren to solve our ongoing budget issues. The state needs a fair tax, and I am going to be relentless in pursuing one over the next two years.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Illinois legislature
Feb 20, 2019
Chris Kennedy:
Tax reform must shift burden to wealthy
Chris supports a progressive income tax because he believes that the wealthy need to pay their fair share. Illinois has one of the most unfair and unequal tax systems in the country, particularly when it comes to property taxes.
Our unfair tax system hits low-income and middle-class residents the hardest.
Source: 2018 Illinois Gubernatorial website KennedyForIllinois.com
Sep 1, 2017
J.B. Pritzker:
Illinois needs progressive income tax
It's time for Illinois to modernize our tax code--and to do that, we must fairly raise revenue. Right now, Illinois has one of the most regressive tax structures in the nation. Low, middle, and working-class families pay more of their income in taxes
than millionaires and billionaires and that's unacceptable. A progressive tax system built around our modern economy will give us the tools we need to provide our children a top-notch education and expand job training programs across the state.
Source: 2018 Illinois gubernatorial campaign website JBPritzker.com
Jul 17, 2017
Daniel Biss:
Initiate a state graduated income tax
In staking out a populist progressive tone, Biss backed changing the Illinois Constitution to allow the imposition of a graduated income tax, which would require the wealthy to pay higher rates.
He also spoke of the need to change Illinois' property tax-dependent system of financing education and providing economic help to impoverished neighborhoods and communities.
Source: Chicago Tribune on 2018 Illinois gubernatorial race
Mar 20, 2017
Bruce Rauner:
Reduce property tax for homeowners & businesses
One of the most critical ways to lower our cost of living and compete for more good jobs is to reduce our property tax burden. We have the second-highest property taxes in the country.
They are crushing homeowners and small business owners from one end of the state to the other. In many cases, people are paying more in property taxes over the course of living in their home than the original purchase price.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Illinois legislature
Jan 27, 2016
Bruce Rauner:
Reduce anti-competitive corporate tax & income tax
Our state's tax and regulatory environment is so anticompetitive that our state government hands out millions of dollars per year just to keep employers in Illinois. We should be out recruiting new businesses and jobs to Illinois instead of spending our
time and resources struggling to hang onto the jobs we have.We need to completely overhaul the tax code; not just tinker around the edges. To do that, we can:-
Get rid of the Quinn-Madigan 67% income tax hike.
- Get rid of the Quinn-Madigan 45% corporate tax hike.
- Ensure your property taxes never go up if the value of your home decreases.
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Overhaul the tax code so that it's fair to all taxpayers.
Source: 2014 Illinois Gubernatorial campaign website BruceRauner.com
Nov 4, 2014
Mike Bost:
Overhaul tax code to be less complicated
We must overhaul our tax code--making it less complicated for
individuals and small businesses while also reining in burdensome government regulations to compete in a global market.
Source: 2014 Illinois House campaign website, BostForCongress.com
Nov 4, 2014
Richard Durbin:
Close tax loopholes and gain $1.2T from the wealthy
Q: If the government saves money in tax reform, that means somebody's taxes go up. Do you think that taxes have been raised enough on the wealthy?DURBIN: I can tell you that there are still deductions, credits, special treatments under the tax code
which ought to be looked at very carefully. We forgo about $1.2 trillion a year in the tax code, money that otherwise would go to the government, and when you look closely, some of those things are near and dear to us individually and to the economy--
the mortgage interest deduction, charitable deductions, deductions for state and local taxes, but beyond that, trust me, there are plenty of things within that tax code, these loopholes where people can park their money in some island offshore and not
pay taxes, these are things that need to be closed. We can do that and use the money to reduce the deficit.
Q: So there are other taxes that you believe that you can raise, retrieve, whatever, from the wealthy?
DURBIN: Absolutely.
Source: CNN SOTU 2013 interview on 2014 Illinois Senate race
Jan 6, 2013
Bill Enyart:
No tax breaks for millionaires nor pledges against taxes
Said Enyart, "we have seen in Mr. Plummer's actions--from trying to smear my wife for her service as a judge, to cheating on his taxes, to signing a pledge that protects tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs--that my opponent does not respect
Southern Illinois values. In addition, Plummer continues to refuse to disclose his tax returns, tax rate, or how much he stands to profit from the tax breaks for millionaires he supports."
Source: Press Release, "Southern Illinois Values"
Oct 31, 2012
Pat Quinn:
Shift from property tax to taxing ability to pay
We ought to reform our tax system. We have an unfair tax system. It relies way too much on property taxes, and other levies that are not based on ability to pay. Taxes should be based on ability to pay. Nobody likes paying taxes, nobody. But in a
democracy, that's what all of us as citizens do. And so I look forward to working with the general assembly on finding a fair way to raise revenue from a fair tax code. There is something wrong where our state is taxing poor people into further poverty.
Source: Illinois 2010 State of the State Address
Jan 13, 2010
Alexi Giannoulias:
Extend $8000 homebuyer credit; one-year payroll tax holiday
The Giannoulias Plan To Build The New American Economy: jumpstarting America's economic engine. Alexi proposed an extension of the successful $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit, a one-year payroll tax holiday for middle income workers, and a
job creation payroll tax credit. He would offset the costs of these job-creating tax incentives by eliminating nearly $200 billion in tax loopholes used by corporations that ship American jobs overseas.
Source: 2010 Senate campaign website, AlexiForIllinois.com, "Issues"
Dec 25, 2009
Mike Bost:
Flat tax structure for state income taxes
Q: Should Internet sales be taxed?A: No.
Q: Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
A: Yes.
Q: Would you support returning any operating surplus to Illinois taxpayers?
A: Yes.
Q: Would you support placing any operating surplus into a "rainy day" fund?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support removing the sales tax on motor fuels?
A: Yes.
Source: 2000 Illinois National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 2000
Page last updated: Oct 13, 2021