State Rep. Blaine Wilhour: Brace Yourself for More Tax Increases
State Rep. Blaine Wilhour: Brace Yourself for More Tax Increases (Springfield, IL) — State Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) says he has consistently warned the bill for all of the recent spending excess during the pandemic would eventually come due and with the Fiscal Year 2025 budget on the horizon, that day is today.
“We are staring at a $750 million hole in the budget and not only was the shortfall not even mentioned in the Governor’s speech, but there was also no plan proposed to fix it,” Wilhour said. “The Governor’s spending has gone from $39.5 billion in 2019 to $52 billion in 2025. This spending is not sustainable and, of course, there will be tax and fee increases on the table to address the budget shortfall. What is sad is that if we had at any time in the last 10 years implemented even modest spending reforms, we would be in much better shape financially today.”
Wilhour said the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025 stands at $52.7 billion, more than $2 billion more than the $50.4 billion signed into law last June. In light of the budget shortfall, Wilhour says we need spending reduction and he is adamantly opposed to the Governor’s request for $182 million more for illegal immigrants.
“Everyone wants to be humane, but the notion that we are obligated to take everyone who wants to come into our country is absurd,” Wilhour said. “Sorry, JB, but Gov. Abbott is not the problem. Christians are not the problem. The problem is Illinois’ status as a Sanctuary State. If JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson really cared about ending the migration to Illinois, then they would end Illinois’s and Chicago’s Sanctuary State status. The issue of immigration is one the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago cannot solve. We need to end the practice of not cooperating with federal immigration officials. We need to stop funding programs for people who are not citizens of this state. And we need our leaders to help the Governors on the southern border by advocating for better border security.”
Finally, Wilhour said he would support the Governor’s proposal to end the sales tax on groceries.
“I said at the time he put a temporary stop to the sales tax on groceries that we should have stopped it permanently,” Wilhour said. “The penny tax on groceries is punitive for working families and we should end it in Illinois.”
State Rep. Blaine Wilhour: Brace Yourself for More Tax Increases
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