Metro East Sun

Newly elected Republican state Rep. Amy Elik beams that the people have spoken when it comes to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive tax proposal.

“Voters clearly communicated their distrust of the governor's progressive tax amendment,” Elik told the Metro East Sun. “Citizens will not settle for tax hikes from politicians who gave themselves pay raises. Instead they want real and meaningful discussions about spending reforms.”

As proof of her assertion, Elik, who knocked off Democrat incumbent Monica Bristow in the 111th District with nearly 55% of the vote, points to the way the governor’s signature legislative piece went down in flames despite him promoting it throughout his time in the Governor’s Mansion and his having pumped more than $50 million of his own money into his hopes of its passage.

In the aftermath, Elik insists she isn’t surprised to see the governor now lashing out, threatening everything from across-the-board tax hikes to “painful” budget cuts after the measure failed to get the required 60% support from voters needed for passage.

“The Democratic leaders in Springfield no longer have the option to force tax hikes on citizens to balance the budgets they pushed through,” she said. “They must take a hard look at reforms and spending in order to balance their budgets.”

Elik has long been a staunch critic of the measure the governor has promoted as only a tax on the state’s richest residents, and later argued could lead to everything from across-the-board tax increases to “painful” budget cuts if it failed to cross the threshold needed for passage,   

"The governor should offer solutions instead of threats,” she said. “The passing of the progressive income tax would further damage Illinois' already low reputation and our economy would further suffer for it. Outmigration continues to erode our tax base. Without spending reforms, this will cause fewer and fewer citizens to carry the burden of the state's massive budgets.”