Illinois families are already reeling from the nearly $1 billion in tax hikes shoved through by Democrats during the Spring Session in late May. And as Fall has descended upon us and the Halloween season awaits, Democrats once again have your pocketbooks on their radar. No, this isn’t some scary Halloween hoax; it’s daily life in Illinois, the Land of Pumpkin Spice and Tax Hikes that are Not So Nice.

Just a few short months ago, Illinois Democrats worked their ‘magic’ and passed several tax increases. These tax increases directly affected sports betting wagers, hotel and short-term rentals, cell phones, and tobacco products. More tax increases were put on the table and did not pass, but that does not mean those proposals are dead. Not by a long shot. 

TAXES
House Republicans Raise Alarm on New Service Tax Proposal. Deputy House Republican Leader Ryan Spain and State Representative Joe Sosnowski joined with small business owners this week to decry a new proposal making the rounds in Springfield that would establish a new sales tax on services across the state. This new service tax would cover almost all services consumers rely on, ranging from streaming services to dry cleaning, haircuts to vehicle repairs, and everything in between. Proponents are pushing the new tax as a bailout to fill the void for years of mismanagement in the Chicago region's mass transportation system, which is facing nearly a billion-dollar budget shortfall in 2026.

Yesterday, Deputy House Republican Leader Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) and State Representative Joe Sosnowski (R-Rockford) joined with small business owners to decry a new proposal making the rounds in Springfield that would establish a new sales tax on services across the state. This new service tax would cover almost all services consumers rely on, ranging from streaming services to dry cleaning, haircuts to vehicle repairs, and everything in between. Proponents are pushing the new tax as a bailout to fill the void for years of mismanagement in the Chicago region's mass transportation system, which is facing nearly a billion-dollar budget shortfall in 2026.