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SPRINGFIELD — Republican members of the Illinois House reaffirmed their opposition to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s graduated tax proposal Tuesday, calling it a “blank check” to lawmakers and citing “empty promises” from Democrats in previous General Assemblies.

Representative Mark Batinick, a Plainfield Republican, read from statements made by state Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, House Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago, and other Democrats from years past which said previous tax hikes would balance the state’s structural deficit, help pay down the state’s bill backlog and pension debt, raise credit ratings and more.

Batinick said none of those claims have become reality.

“Our Democratic colleagues love to make promises that if it's just ‘raise this tax or that tax, our problems will be solved,’” Batinick said. “But in reality, it just gives them more money to spend without actually fixing what got us here in the first place.”

Batinick brought up two votes to raise the income tax: one which took place in 2011 and raised the flat tax rate to 5 percent temporarily for four years, and one which passed in 2017 with bipartisan support, raising the rate to 4.95 percent after it reverted to 3.75 percent upon expiration of the temporary tax.