House Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R-Rockford) stressed during the House session Monday that his constituents want to see other measures addressed before listening to any more talk of taxes.
"Why is this item more important than term limits?" Sosnowski asked. "We’ve seen voters leave Illinois because of taxes. This is not going to incentivize people [to stay] in Illinois."
Sosnowski said the graduated income tax would be a tax on the rich at first, but would eventually hit the middle class.
"It's very easy to drive up these rate structures," he said. "This is a dangerous proposal that will not help Illinois thrive."
Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 1 passed the House on Monday with 73 Yes votes and 44 No votes. It will now be on the November 2020 ballot for Illinois voters to decide.
Every single Republican voted no on the bill and many businesses and individuals have spoken out about their disapproval. Critics like Sosnowski suggest that because rates are not yet nailed down, it will eventually become a tax on the middle class.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been adamant about his preference for a "fair tax" since running for governor last year.
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