CHICAGO – To lead off Governor Pritzker's daily COVID 19 briefing, he veered off into how shutting down the state of Illinois' businesses will cost the state billions in this budget year as well as 2021. He also called on the Feds to pass a second CARES Act to "support" states that are racking up billions in costs due to the pandemic.
Pritzker said the 2020 Illinois budget is projected to have a $2.4 billion deficit as a result of the pandemic, and another $4.6 billion deficit in 2021.
Then the governor used the press time to push for the progressive tax question he is funding on Illinois' November 2020 General Election ballot, saying the state's dire finances demand overturning the state constitution's flat tax.
Illinois GOP Chairman Tim Schneider responded immediately, saying "It seems Governor Pritzker has taken Rahm Emannuel's "never let a crisis go to waste" adage to heart. With a global pandemic that has plunged the state's economy to depths not seen since the Great Depression, this is the worst possible time to push through a tax hike that will crush small businesses who provide so many of our jobs. Pritzker using a Coronavirus briefing to campaign for the progressive income tax is inappropriate and unfortunate."
