Carbondale Reporter

Illinois State House District 118 candidate Paul Jacobs stated, "Illinoisans already pay the highest effective tax rates in the nation and Democrats continue to ask for more." He made this statement in a June 11 Facebook post.

"Illinoisans already pay the highest effective tax rates in the nation and Democrats continue to ask for more," said Jacobs, according to Facebook. "We must make Illinois a more affordable place to live, learn, and do business to help our residents thrive."

In his Facebook post, Rep. Jacobs shared a link to an article from The Center Square, which focused on the tax increases in the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget. According to the article, the budget increases taxes by $750 million and increases debt by $8 billion. Additionally, it notes that House Bill 4951 does not allow financial institutions to charge for sales tax and gratuity transactions, which some say could lead to consumers swiping their credit cards twice.

Screenshot of Rep. Paul Jacobs' June 11 Facebook post | Rep. Paul Jacobs' Facebook page

WGEM reported on May 29 that the budget is now going to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s desk. The report noted that the budget is comprised of three bills: one for appropriations, one to implement spending, and a third that creates new taxes. The budget includes $20 billion for education, $500 million for quantum technologies, $115 million for migrant welcoming centers, and almost $630,000 for immigrant healthcare once they arrive. It also includes a $1 per hour raise for direct support personnel who work with people who have disabilities and allocates $290 million for Home Illinois, a plan to tackle the state’s homelessness issue.

Capitol News Illinois reported on May 28 that it took three tries for the Democratic majority to approve the billion-dollar revenue increases. In the first two votes, the revenue bill was one vote short of passage due to attendance issues. At 4:43 a.m., it passed with the 60-vote minimum required to approve it. The spending plan passed on a 65-47 vote, with seven Democrats joining their Republican colleagues to vote against it.

Paul Jacobs has been part of the Illinois General Assembly since 2021. He represents the people of the 118th District following redistricting; prior to redistricting, he was elected to serve the 115th District. Jacobs is an optometrist and owned Von Jakob winery in Alto Pass. He served in the Navy from 1965-1971 according to his official biography.