Kane County Reporter

Carol Davis sees one outcome from the newly enacted Illinois budget.

“This is just a big money grab that will have them coming back in two years reaching for more when our pockets are already empty,” Davis, founder of the Wheaton West Suburban Tea Party, told the Kane County Reporter. “We have about 900 members, and right now they’re all hopping mad.”

Lawmakers, including 15 Republicans, voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s vetoes in enacting a $36.1 billion spending plan that carries the largest permanent tax hike in state history: 32 percent on personal and corporate income taxes.

Rep. Steven Andersson (R-Geneva) was one of the Republicans who voted against Rauner's vetoes.

“It’s shameless that any Republicans were a part of this,” Davis said. “This budget is filled with pork barrel projects, and I’m certain that all 15 of them got something for their communities for this. How can you do that when the state is already in such a bad place.”

Andersson later justified his vote by insisting he was concerned about the state’s already poor credit-rating being lowered even more if legislators did not agree on legislation ending the two-year budget impasse.

Even with the new plan in place, the state still faces a $15 billion backlog of unpaid bills and massive pension debt. 

“The pension debt is killing us,” Davis said. “I know there are a lot of hard-working union people, but they bought the lie about pensions, and empty pockets can’t continue to cover that.”  

Without major structural reforms, Davis fears there will simply be more causalities from the increased taxation.

“I think people will lose their homes behind this,” she said. “I know one woman who fears her medicine money will now have to go toward paying more taxes. The exodus of people you see moving to neighboring states to get away will continue.”