Republican Senators Warn $6 Billion in New Taxes Will Devastate Illinois’ Small Business Community
In Illinois, small business owners already face one of the most burdensome regulatory and tax environments in the country. Last Thursday, I joined Senate Republicancolleagues Jason Plummer and Erika Harriss for a press conference where we called on Governor JB Pritzker and Democratic leaders to abandon a proposed $6 billion in new tax increases. We warned that the move would deliver a crushing blow to small businesses across Illinois.
As the owner of small businesses, I live this reality every day. The Governor’s proposal to raise taxes by another $6 billion would force businesses to cut jobs, raise prices, or close their doors altogether. It’s working families- our employees and our customers- who will bear the brunt of these policies.
During my comments, I pointed to broken promises made by Governor JB Pritzker, particularly the reinstatement of the franchise tax after a bipartisan agreement was made to phase it out in 2019. When leaders break their word to the very people who take the risks to create jobs, they send a clear message: Illinois is not a place to grow a business. That kind of instability is toxic to investment and economic growth.”
Remember, this new tax hike package proposal comes on the heels of a $1 billion increase enacted this year to support record-high state spending in the current budget.
Click here to watch the press conference.
Senate Republicans Push Back Against Estate Tax Hike, Fight to Protect Family Farms
One of the elements included in the Democrats’ $6 billion in new tax proposals takes aim at generational farmers in Illinois. They want to lower the state’s estate tax exemption from $4 million to $2 million, which raises serious concerns about the impact on small, family-owned farms and businesses that already struggle under one of the highest tax burdens in the nation.
Lowering the threshold would mean more grieving families would be forced to pay hefty taxes simply for inheriting land or assets that have been in their families for generations. For many farm families, this could result in the forced sale of farmland or equipment just to cover the tax bill, putting the future of their operations at risk.
Senate Republicans have long pushed to either phase out or raise the exemption threshold to better align with federal policy and reduce the burden on family-owned enterprises. These reforms are necessary to protect Illinois’ agricultural legacy and prevent the government from punishing families simply for trying to pass their land or business down to the next generation.
Mark Your Calendars for Wilcox Outreach Events!
As a reminder, this summer’s community outreach events kick off on Thursday, June 26, with an ICASH Unclaimed Property Event in Fox Lake. These ICASH events are incredibly popular, and my office’s running total for cash returned to constituents stands at $3,406,150.95! In most cases, the recipients didn’t even know they had cash or property waiting for them!
Please mark your calendars now for these upcoming events and visit the Events page of my website regularly to be kept up to date about events taking place near you.
- June 26: ICASH Unclaimed Property Event, Fox Lake Public Library, 255 East Grand Avenue, Fox Lake, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- July 15: Conversations Untapped, Spirit Water Brewery, Distillery, and Taproom, 3300 Three Oaks Road, Cary, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- July 23: Conversations Untapped, Rivalry Ale House, 945 Main Street, Antioch, IL, 5:30PM – 7:00PM
- August 16: Document Shredding Event, Office of State Rep. Steve Reick, 1072 Lake Avenue, Woodstock, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- October 4: Senior Resource Fair, Grand Oaks Recreation Center, 1401 IL-176, Crystal Lake, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Household Hazardous Waste Collection – Crystal Lake
Mark your calendar! On June 7, 2025, Illinois residents can safely dispose of household hazardous waste at Prairie Ridge High School, 6000 Dvorak Drive, Crystal Lake, IL. This free event runs from 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM and is co-sponsored by McHenry County. Pre-registration is required, but spots are filling up quickly (click here to register). Bring items like oil-based paints, cleaners, pesticides, and more, but please leave latex paint, propane tanks, and business waste at home.
For safe transport, residents are asked to:
- Pack HHW items in a disposable box to prevent spills
- Keep “like” chemicals together and separate unlike chemicals
- Secure lids and check for leaks
- Place boxes in the empty trunk or storage area, away from passengers
- Remain in your vehicle — on-site staff will unload the materials
Click here to view a full list of items that will be accepted and not accepted at this event.
Legislation to Ban Glocks Punishes the Lawful, Not the Criminals
Illinois Democrats have introduced legislation that would effectively ban the sale of certain handguns to civilians, sparking serious concerns among Second Amendment supporters.
House Bill 4045 and its companion, Senate Bill 2652, would make it a felony to manufacture, sell, or transfer pistols deemed “convertible,” a label aimed at Glock handguns that criminals have illegally modified with auto-switch devices. The device modifications are done to convert handguns into fully automatic weapons.
Democrat sponsors claim the legislation claim it is intended to address criminal misuse of auto-switch devices. However, these devices are already banned under both state and federal law. Senate Republicans argue that rather than cracking down on the criminals who break existing laws, the new proposals would target responsible gun owners and licensed firearm dealers.
The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that bans on commonly owned handguns violate the Constitution, and I believe this proposal is a backdoor attempt to sidestep that ruling and further restrict the rights of responsible gun owners who follow the law. At this point the bill has not moved, but if it comes before the senate I will be a vocal NO vote.