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Illinois Farm Bureau in opposition of progressive income tax

The Illinois Farm Bureau opposes Governor J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax proposal and is encouraging farmers to do the same.

Farm Bureau President Rich Guebert tells Brownfield a call to action was sent to their members Monday asking farmers to inform their legislators of the lack of clarity in the bill.

“We’ve not seen a lot of language, or meat and potatoes you might say, of this bill such as what the different rates are. There is a lot of stuff up in flux.”

Guebert says he is concerned legislators will never resolve the state’s fiscal issues.

“They have never put a program in place to control expenses, deal with the pension issue and get the unpaid bills paid so, when is it ever going to end?”

He says IFB members were clearly in support of a flat tax at their annual meeting in December.

Pritzker’s “Fair Tax for Illinois” would replace Illinois’ current flat tax with a graduated system, putting a higher tax on those with a higher income. He estimates the plan would generate over $3 billion.

Both the Illinois House and Senate must approve the bill by supermajority votes to put the proposal on the 2020 ballot.