Peoria Standard

Republican state Sen. Jil Tracy sees no need for Illinois taxpayers to be burdened with any new taxes as part of the 2022 fiscal year budget.

“It was two years ago that Gov. Pritzker tried to make the case to the people of Illinois that the only way to fix our budget crisis was to pass his constitutional amendment to raise taxes by over $3 billion,” Tracy said in a video posted to YouTube on the subject. “The voters weren’t fooled and they got it right as we stand here today with revenue estimates that paint a very different picture.”

Tracy said the reasons hard-working taxpayers shouldn’t have to fork over any more of their  money strikes her as being endless.

“Not only are we expected to receive nearly $8 billion more over original estimates, we are also expected to receive over $8 billion from the federal government through its COVID relief package. And let’s not forget that Democrats' income tax increases from 2011 to 2018 have brought in over $65 billion from taxpayer pockets.”

Still, Tracy said she isn’t surprised to see that Democrats and the governor are seeking more funding by eliminating job-creation programs he once supported.

“These are the same programs that he signed as part of the capital bill and ones that he championed around the state as essential job-creation tools,” she said. “Let me be clear, any tax increase as part of this year’s budget must be off the table. The money is there to pay off federal borrowing, plug the budget, make the statutorily required contribution to fund K-12, plus make our pension payment obligations and still achieve a balanced budget.”

Tracy is also demanding fair redistricting maps and proposing the People’s Independent Maps Act as an easy solution. The act would take the once-every-decade task of drawing new legislative maps out of the hands of politicians and move it to an independent commission.

"Every Illinoisan deserves to be represented in our democracy. An independent map drawn by the people for the people, NOT by the politicians for the politicians is the best way to make their voices heard,” Tracy said in a recent post to Facebook. “For too long, the people of Illinois have been deprived of this right. That’s why we have filed Senate Bill 1325"

The People's Independent Maps Act requires that districts be evenly split in party affiliation and that they are representative of the gender and racial demographics of Illinois as a whole. A team of 16 commissioners would be appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to handle the job, with all government employees and lobbyists ineligible to serve.