Rockford Sun

In a Monday Facebook post, Rep. Jeff Keicher points out all the wrongs in Illinois, including the fact that the Pritzker administration is doing nothing to stop tax increases on jobs.

"We still have done NOTHING in Illinois that will stop the TAX INCREASE on every job in Illinois and the BENEFITS CUT to unemployment," Keicher said. "We need to repay the debt to UI trust fund with the Federal dollars sent to do exactly that instead of pet projects to help a presidential election campaign. Additionally, Governor Pritzker has still NOT DISCLOSED the amount of FRAUD that IDES (Illinois Unemployment) has paid out under COVID. The PUA (federal excess) total was $1.9 bn for Illinois. He must be learning from Former Mayor Emmanuel on dodging issues and creating a smoke screen of confusion," said Keicher.

In his Facebook post, Keicher shared a link to a Youtube video where he discussed the Democrats' tax hike. 

"We have a way of over-complicating things beyond what's needed we are considering a measure now where we will borrow money and tax every single job in the state of Illinois," Keicher said. "Let me repeat that, we are going to borrow and tax every single job in this state of Illinois when are we going to act responsibly paying half the debt is not the responsible thing to do going to borrow hand taxed every single job in the state of Illinois. The only way to avoid a tax increase, the only way to avoid a tax increase and to avoid any benefit cuts is to pay the full jets. It is no more complicated than that. Thank you."

Keicher isn't the only one who is asking questions and demanding that something happen. In November 2021, Rep. Steve Reick challenged Governor J.B. Pritzker regarding the unemployment trust fund and its repayment. According to a release by Reick, the state has received upwards of $8 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the federal government.

On May 17, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released guidance specifying that states could use ARPA money to restore their unemployment funds to pre-pandemic levels, and many states did just that. Pritzker committed $100 million. 

"The governor is slow-walking the state's obligation to repay its Unemployment Trust Fund debt to the Federal government at a cost to you of $300,000 per day, hoping that the Feds will forgive the debt without using ARPA funds to do so," Reick posted on Facebook. "Any ARPA money he's using to prop up programs funded by General Revenue will then become part of the next budget year's baseline."