Metro East Sun

State Senator Jason Plummer of Illinois has expressed concerns over what he describes as burdensome taxes and political mismanagement, which he believes are hindering private sector growth while the state focuses on expanding government. Plummer made these remarks on the social media platform X.

"My goodness. Absolutely devastating," said Robert Jason Plummer, State Senator for Illinois, according to Facebook. "This is what high taxes, big gov't spending, corruption, red-tape, and bureaucracy get you. The private sector is dying in Illinois. Who do they think pays for their shenanigans."

Illinois's private sector job growth under Governor J.B. Pritzker has faced criticism for not keeping pace with national trends. According to My Journal Courier, from 2019 to 2024, Illinois lost 1,900 private sector jobs but added 11,500 government jobs. This shift has raised concerns about the state's reliance on public employment, with analysts warning that such an imbalance could undermine long-term economic competitiveness.

Wirepoints and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) report that Illinois added only 15,500 private sector jobs from January 2019 to June 2025, ranking it among the slowest-growing states in the nation. In the past year alone, Illinois gained a total of 35,000 jobs—13,300 in the private sector and 21,700 in government—while key industries like manufacturing and professional services experienced net losses.

Wirepoints further reports that since 2019, Illinois significantly lags behind other large states in job creation. Texas added over 1.5 million private sector jobs, Florida more than 1.1 million, and both Georgia and Arizona each added over 300,000 jobs. In contrast, Illinois's addition of only 15,500 jobs underscores a growing disparity in economic momentum between Illinois and faster-growing states.

According to information from the Illinois Senate Republicans and Ballotpedia, Jason Plummer is a Republican State Senator representing the 55th District since 2019. He serves as Assistant Republican Leader and is involved in several key committees including Financial Institutions, Labor, Veterans Affairs, and Public Safety. Plummer advocates for fiscal responsibility along with limited government and pro-growth economic policies.