Kane County Reporter

Republican state House candidate Laura Curtis is urging voters to think of themselves as they weigh the merits of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax proposal.

“Pritzker continues to pour his own fortune into the Vote Yes for Fairness campaign, which will directly hurt Illinois residents and small businesses,” Curtis told the Kane County Reporter. “This campaign, which is advertised as a fair tax increase, is only going to further burden Illinoisans in the upcoming years.”

And Curtis, who is now running to replace outgoing state Rep. Karina Willa (D-West Chicago) in the 49th District, is quick to point out the governor appears willing to go to any lengths to make it happen.

The Chicago Tribune reports the governor has donated at least $56.5 million to a ballot initiative committee working to get the legislation passed in November. Pritzker’s sizable contributions make him the only individual to contribute more than $250 to the Vote Yes to Fairness committee headed by one of his former deputies.

Curtis has long argued the governor’s push to replace the current flat tax with a progressive tax system by use of constitutional amendment wouldn’t be in the nest interest of the state given everything else that’s happening.

“It’s not a good move to be talking about any changes to the system at this point and time,” she said. “The only changes along those lines we need to be considering are pension reform and an amendment to the state constitution that would allow us to do something like that.”

Through it all, the governor has sought to sell the tax as a change that will only mean higher rates for the state’s most affluent residents. Voters will finally have their say in November’s general election, where approval from 60% of those who vote on the issue or a majority of those who vote in the election overall is needed for passage.