From State Rep. Joe Sosnowski:
Affordability Needs Accountability
One of my main priorities this session is Affordability.
Myself, along with House Minority Leader Tony McCombie stood beside Assistant Leader Amy Elik a to talk about delivering affordability to Illinois families.
“House Republicans have long focused on reining in spending, providing real tax relief for hardworking families, and creating opportunities for growth,” said Leader McCombie.
“What is new is hearing House Democrats suddenly embrace the word ‘affordability.’
“Here’s the problem: you can’t have affordability without accountability.”
A series of proposals have been outlined that would put more money back into residents’ pockets, including
- eliminating state taxes on tips and overtime,
- providing relief on car loan interest and
- expanding education tax credits.
Illinois already has one of the highest tax burdens in the nation, McCombie said, adding that affordability “cannot be a political buzzword.”
Specifically, the Governor should stop forcing taxpayers to fund a vast majority of health care costs for non-citizens in the HBIS program, which as of 2025 covers about 8,900 individuals who enjoy no deductible and limited copays (No one else in the United States has a benefit this generous).
The Governor should also fix the SNAP error rate to stop giving benefits away to individuals who do not qualify for them, jeopardizing the most vulnerable families in our community and throughout the state.
Finally, the Governor should stop driving up the cost of living by raising taxes, tolls, pay raises for politicians, pork projects like the $40 million sports complex for a high school in Speaker Welch’s district, and the automatic annual increase in the gas tax.
Illinois families deserve an end to these reckless, irresponsible policies.
As the Spring session continues, I will be in Springfield as the voice of the 69th District and the voice to make Illinois an affordable place to live, work, and build business.
