(The Center Square) – A Republican state legislator says Illinois’ liberal policies are to blame for the state’s poor demographic showing.
U.S. Census Bureau data shows Illinois lost 56,235 people to other states in 2024 to rank 48th across the country in losses from domestic migration, with many of the now former residents pointing to the state’s high taxes as the top reason for them deciding to walk away.
“I think it’s a direct result of 20 years of progressive policies that have done nothing but make it harder to work here, or difficult to start and maintain a business here,” state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, told The Center Square. “Those policies altogether have created an unsustainable environment.”
With some lawmakers in Springfield now again pushing to eliminate the state’s flat income tax system in favor of a progressive tax structure, McLaughlin worried about what could come next for already stressed-out taxpayers.
“It’s going to put a greater and greater burden on those that remain,” he said. “We’re at a tipping point and I think it’s evident that even the governor and Democrats are panicked, they are panicked that we don’t have the revenue to sustain their spending and they’re starting to talk about it.”
McLaughlin reflected on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget address last month when the governor discussed taking a more conservative approach to the budget, despite his proposal being the most expensive state spending plan in state history.
“When the governor took the podium … for his budget address, he used words like cost cutting and efficient,” McLaughlin said. “That was astounding because it was an admission of failure by the governor.”
Data analyzed by Illinois Policy shows that of the 23 states that are now losing residents to domestic migration, 70% of them have progressive income taxes. States with flat income taxes added nearly 84,000 residents from other states while those with progressive income taxes lost more than 302,000 residents through domestic outmigration.
