(Springfield, IL) — Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove), Assistant Senate Republican Leader Sally Turner (R-Beason) and Budgeteer Senator Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett) expressed serious concerns Wednesday about several new tax increases being pushed by the Illinois Democrat lawmakers and the Illinois Revenue Alliance.
During a Capitol press conference ahead of a Senate Revenue Committee hearing, Republican lawmakers warned that repealing key provisions of the Blue Collar Jobs Act and imposing new taxes, such as a digital advertising tax, would drive up costs, discourage investment, and put working families at risk.
“Illinois doesn’t have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem,” Curran said. “Endless tax increases are pushing businesses out. If we want to be a welcoming state, we need to welcome businesses.”
Curran pointed to lagging economic indicators as evidence that current policies are not working.
“We rank near the bottom nationally in job growth, and tens of thousands of residents are leaving our state each year,” he said. “That is not a coincidence. It is the direct result of policies that prioritize more spending over economic growth.”
Among the proposals discussed was Senate Bill 3353, which would create a new tax on digital advertising. Lawmakers warned that the cost of the tax would ultimately be passed on to small businesses and consumers.
“This is a tax on the small business owner trying to grow,” Curran said. “It will be paid by the mom starting a home bakery, the local shop printing team t-shirts, and families already stretched thin trying to afford everyday essentials.”
State Senator Seth Lewis focused on the potential repeal of the Blue Collar Jobs Act, emphasizing the impact on workers and job creation.
“First and foremost, the Blue Collar Jobs Act is about people,” Lewis said. “It supports good-paying construction jobs. Jobs that help families pay the mortgage, put food on the table, and build a stable future.”
Lewis warned that eliminating the program would directly reduce job opportunities across the state.
“When you eliminate these incentives, the first people to feel it are workers: fewer projects, fewer opportunities, and fewer chances at steady, family-supporting employment,” he said. “At a time when families are already facing higher costs, the last thing they need is government making it harder to find good-paying work.”
He also stressed the broader economic impact of the policy.
“When you make it more expensive to produce in Illinois, you make it easier to produce somewhere else,” Lewis said. “Higher costs mean fewer jobs, less investment, and ultimately higher prices for families.”
Assistant Senate Republican Leader Sally Turner highlighted how the proposals would disproportionately impact rural communities, particularly through the elimination of tax incentives for biodiesel and renewable diesel.
“In districts like mine, agriculture is not just part of the economy. It is the backbone of it,” Turner said. “Biodiesel creates a strong, reliable market for crops our farmers grow, especially soybeans.”
Turner said removing those incentives would come at a time when farmers are already under significant financial pressure.
“This is the worst possible time to pull support away from our farmers,” she said. “When you eliminate these incentives, you reduce demand for their crops and put even more strain on farm families and rural economies.”
She also warned that the impact doesn’t just stop at the farm; it would lead to higher prices at the pump and on everyday essentials.
“Biodiesel is a key part of our fuel supply, especially for trucking and transportation of goods,” continued Turner. “When you raise the cost of fuel, you raise the cost of moving goods, and those costs get passed on to families.”
Lawmakers concluded by urging their colleagues to reject the proposed tax increases and policy rollbacks, and instead focus on long-term solutions that promote economic growth and stability.
“We should be building on policies that support workers and encourage investment, not dismantling them,” Lewis said. “For the sake of our economy and the families who call Illinois home, we need to move in a different direction.”
